"Wood" arrow trivia

[Paul Mattson]

I would have to say a bow.  I need some arrows for my.... First step would be choosing the Bow.  Hard to build arrows for an unkown bow.  

[aromakr]

Well we have several correct answers to my question.
Getting the nock on in line with the axis of the shaft is by far the most important step in making arrows. let me explain why.

The nock end of the arrow is what receives the initial energy from the bow and is what starts the arrows direction of travel. Looking at the nock end pretend its the face of a clock, if you made four arrows and all the nocks were crooked. One pointing at 3:00 one at 6:00 one at 9:00 and one at 12:00 you can see each nock would start the flight of the arrow in a different direction. One direction would push the arrow down into the shelf and one would push the arrow into the riser which will magnify its error.

Applying the nock in my opinion is probably the most over looked step of making arrows, not only from being overlooked, but from construction technique. The biggest culprit is the devise used in making the nock taper.

At one time the nock standard was 11 degrees it has been changed to 11.5 degrees. This does not sound like much, but an 11 degree taper and a 11.5 degree nock will not go on straight. Plus pencil sharpener type taper tools quite often will put a crooked taper on the shaft, again impossible to place a nock straight on a crooked taper and add that to a 11 degree taper and a 11.5 degree nock equals more trouble.
The problem with this type of tool it the taper guide. Its a hole and unless the shaft fits very snug in that hole there's a good chance the taper will be crooked. When I was a young man, shaft diameter's were very consistant and it was possible to use that type of tool with success.
 Today shafts will vary as much as +/-.015 with that variance the only type of guide that will work is a "V" slot or a "U" channel type that is used with the sander type tools. When setting up that tool besure the the taper matches the nock taper exactly. Also keep in mind if you use more than one brand of nock that the tapers are the same, they do vary.

Thanks to all the posted into my question, this was fun.
Bob

[Roadkill]

Bob, nice to know you're still looking after us.  I have those pencil type sharpeners and use them to start the nock taper, then I put the final on with my disc sander.  I think I now need to check to see if I'm at 11 or 11.5.
Thanks
Can you generate anothe quiz?

[Jeff Sample]

Just buy your shafts from Bob!  

[Paul WA]

putting the feathers at the nock end of the shaft and not the point end...PR  8^)

[wapiti]

I would remind all to look at the taper you cut when using glue on nocks. it should be round and even all the way around the shaft. Some shafts will have slight flat spots and make the taper cut look off but may not be. Often you can see that the taper is cut off and one side is lower that the other. EYEBALL EM if you want them to shoot where you look.  Mixing 11 and 11.5 degree tapers and nocks don't work so well. I can hit close to what i want with a crooked shaft but a bad nock............... good luck.

[8elk]

the nock

[Al Kidner]

Good thread Bob, start another one along the same lines.


AK.

[dino]

Bob,
What nocks are 11.5?  I use a grinder setup for my nock and tweak it to the nock perfectly so I guess I never noticed if it was 11 or 11.5.

[LostNation_Larry]

Bob, when are you going to invent a nock alignment tool?  I keep thinking about something to slip over the nock that will push it straight, or maybe something to put in the string grove of the nock that stands 6" tall, showing you if the nock is straight or not.  I always eyeball nocks to make sure they are straight, (especially since Bob caught a bunch of my arrows with crooked nocks at the Kzoo show) but I would love to have a tool to simplify the process.

[Cupcake]

No, no, no.

I has to be spine tesing with a Spine-O-Meter.

 

[R. Combs]

Good thread Bob

Rick

[Ia Hawkeye]

Nock/spine set=up was one of the first things I learned about making woodies 45 years ago.Gotta alighn the nock with the spine of the arrow.

[ishiwannabe]

The first thing I do after I glue the nock on is put the arrow on my spinner and check for any wobble. Good thread, I almost got a brain cramp!

[bihunter]

When do we get the right answer?

[aromakr]

bihunter:
It was posted several days ago. just read my second post.
Bob

[DesertDude]

I would love to see a "How To" on Tools, Set-Up, and grinding the nock taper.  Thanks again Bob

[Longbow rookie]

I second Desert Dude... a "How to", on set-up, and grinding the nock taper would be very helpful.  Great thread Bob!  What's next?