Straightening wood arrows? How do you ?

[barley40]

Most shafts have to be straightened. I can get them close by eyeballing and hand straightening, but not close enough. I'd like to hear some suggestions.

[EzArcher]

my favorite way is to roll your arrows on a flat sturdy table and rub a screwdriver or other smooth rod back and forth over the high spots

there are many other ways to do it though
3/8in pulley from lowes
brass hook

or use a heat gun on the bend and then hand straighten

[Jim Curlee]

Hook-em, once you alter the shaft they will stay straight.
Palming doesn't last, unless you apply enough pressure to alter the shaft.
Jim

[Don Stokes]

Practice, practice, practice.    

[Meateater]

I use a Apple arrow straightner, one of those with the dial indicator, to straighten and verify straightness.  With laminated birch and hex shafts, it also helped to heat the shaft before straightening. I usually did this over a couple days to make sure it took before applying the stain and sealer.

[SuperK]

I like the Ace roll-er-straight (I think thats what its called).  You can use it on finished arrows as well as raw shafts.  Hooking and using a screwdriver can burn through some finishes.

[Hud]

Sight down a bare shaft, and mark the high spot and put a pencil mark at one end as a reference. For shafts with difficult bends, use a tool for aligning broadheads, you can see the shaft wobble, again find the high side, and mark. Then use a large screw driver to rub the high spots. Put one end on a table, hold the other with the pencil mark up, and rub back and forth over the high spot. If needed apply more, and more pressure. The shaft will hold and stay straight longer. I usually spine the shaft to check for straightness before putting on a finish.

If you use tapered shafts, and you bundle them, don't put the rubber band over the tapered end.

[Hud]

I weigh all shafts and spine test them, then put them in groups. It is amazing the difference you will find in the weight and spine in a 100 shafts. If you order by the dozen, specify what you want.

[JRY309]

I use a brass hook and a spin tester for checking straightness,it's quicker and easier then just sighting down the shaft.

[Fletcher]

I like a Pine Ridge Arrow Inspector to spin the shaft and check for straightness.  It's by far the best spinner I've used.  It will show wobbles that you won't see or feel otherwise.  I can spread the rollers pretty wide and it spins very easily.  I start with working the shaft over my palm and finish up with the hook.  I'll use heat if necessary, esp with heavier spined shafts.

Another trick is to put the shaft in a crester.

I'm out of the Arrow Inspectors right now, but should have some later this week.

[Bjorn]

First and foremost buy quality shafting! If it is POC, Spruce or Surewood Doug Fir-just finger straighten; it is not going to take much, if anything at all. If you are buying quality, most shafts will be perfectly straight.
Hardwoods will need some heat, and then finger straighten.
Once straight I wrap shafting with rubber bands-3 or 4 per bundle and put them away for later use.

[vtmtnman]

Originally posted by SuperK:
I like the Ace roll-er-straight (I think thats what its called).  You can use it on finished arrows as well as raw shafts.  Hooking and using a screwdriver can burn through some finishes.

x2  

I straighten about three different sittings before staining or sealing.

Or you can buy surewoods and not worry about all that.        

[Benny Nganabbarru]

I've bought loads of Douglas fir shafting - the good quality stuff - and have only had to straighten a couple. The Ace roller device did the trick.

[Guru]

This is how I do it...

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000060

[Rob DiStefano]

curt's screwdriver method is the easiest and best, for me.  i looked around my shop and found that a steel guitar slide works darned good for me, too.  the concave side allows for more contact with the shaft while the rounded side can pinpoint some stubborn spots.  that's a jim dunlop 925 slide i'm using.

 

 

 

[Art B]

I use my dial indicator spine tester to check for straightness. But for about 10 bucks you can order a cheap dial indicator for some place like Harbor Freight and make up a rig to test for shaft straightness. A base board, two end post (with "V" slot) and a dial indicator will let you build very straight arrows.   ART

[Don Stokes]

I've never been able to beat my eyeballs and the heel of my hand, although these days I need my cheater glasses.     Do enough of them and it becomes easy and natural.