there are MANY good and bad ways to build wooden arrows. there are more than a few good processes that don't involve more than the basic tools - nock and point end taper sharpener, sharp knife and a fletching jig. materials will be fletching glue (duco or fletchtite), hot melt glue or epoxy, min-wax gloss wipe on polyu or birchwood-casey tru-oil, clean white cotton t-shirt, one rubber glove (surgical or kitchen type), 0000 steel wool, paper towel, correct size nocks, correct size and weight points. point cleaning agent such as lacquer thinner, acetone or naphtha.
in words alone, here's the essence of simplicity ...
prepare the shaft ...
1. start off with the best wooden shafting you can afford, in a spine stiffness to match yer bow(s). don't matter what the wood genus is, take yer pick. if need be, straighten the shaft using a screw driver to compress the side of the shaft that bends out - do this by rolling the shaft on a very flat and hard surface like a kitchen counter top, and compressing the side of the shaft that raises up off the table surface (the high or curved side of the shaft).
2. look at one end of the shaft, notice the grain, put a pencil mark about 1" down from the end of the shaft and in line with the grain.
3. cut the nock end taper with the tapering tool.
4. push on an arrow nock - do not glue! - and measure from the depth of the nock to 3/4" longer than your intended arrow length, put a mark on the shaft at what will later be the cut point. do this for each shaft. when all done, put aside the arrow nock.
seal the wood ...
1. cut a 2" to 3" square of 100% cotton white t-shirt material, put a rubber glove on one hand, fold over the material twice to form a square pad, get the resulting pad wet (not dripping) with polyu.
2. holding the shaft by the uncut end, surround the shaft with the finish pad and wipe the shaft from the nock end to just past your shaft cut length pencil mark, twirling the shaft during the wiping.
3. stand the shaft up to cure with the nock end up and point end down. repeat for all shafts.
4. when each shaft is cured dry, wrap and rub lightly with the steel wool, then wrap and rub with the paper towel to clean.
5. repeat 2 to 4 times. 2 coats of polyu will seal the wood well, more coats will add durability, gloss and shaft weight. do not steel wool after the last coat if a gloss finish is desired, else steel wool to eliminate light glare.
fletch the shaft ...
1. glue on the arrow nock, aligning the cock feather indicator of the arrow nock with the pencil line on the shaft previously marked.
2. glue on the feathers, about 1" down from the end of the arrow nock.
3. when all feathers are attached, add a tiny dot of glue to both ends of each feather.
install the point ...
1. using the SHARP knife, roll it over the shaft length pencil mark a few times, and after a deep scoring, snap off the excess shaft wood.
2. cut the point taper with the tapering tool.
3. prepare the point by cleaning out the point ferrule with the cleaning agent.
4. use hot melt glue or epoxy to attach the point - being careful to spin the shaft on the point to make sure it's in alignment with the shaft itself.
Topic: tutoral on wood arrow making.....????? (Read 977 times)
