Wood arrows

[moththerlode]

I like wood , myself I think they are more durable over the long haul. Just gotta match them and keep them straight. I do think a spine tester is a must though

[MO Bow]

You can make (or have them made) wood arrows that can be just as consistent as alum or carbon.  The last set I made for myself are all spined 74# and weigh within 6 grains of each other and shoot like darts.

I get the shafts from RMSGear and do the rest myself.  I've made my own dip tubes from PVC, cresting machine from a drill and surgical tubing.  I splurged on the woodchuck a few years ago for nock and point tapers because it's fast and easy.

If you're paying $55 for just carbon shafts, you won't be spending any more money on making your own wood arrows.

[Rob DiStefano]

diy, it's too easy and not at all a great expense.

for the most accurate woodies, they need to be dead straight before, during and after shooting 'em.  get them all matched as closely as possible in weight and spine - use a cheap digital scale for weighing and make a super simple "spine meter".  check the shaft/arrow weight and spine both before and after finishing.  yer most expensive tools will be the fletching jig (get a polycarb bohining, grayling, martin, etc for $30 - you do NOT need to spend a lot on a fletching jig!), a tapering tool for $5, some duco cement, some min wax wipe-on polyu for the finish ($9 will do hundreds of arrows).  add in shafts (surewood doug fir!), points, nocks, feathers and yer good to go.  making yer own arrows just adds another great dimension to traditional archery and bowhunting.  go for it!

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000119

[MO Bow]

You'll spend more money on trying to match shafts if you do it yourself.  You'll end up buying several dozen arrows before you get a matched set.  If you want a matched set, find someone that does it for you...you'll pay about $10 more for that service, but it's better than buying more than you need.

[Rob DiStefano]

the thing about woodies is that you can have a perfectly matched set of shafts for both weight and marked sides for the exact same spine, yet after building those shafts into arrows some will just never fly the same as the rest.  it's the unique nature of organic wood and why archers like howard hill would make up a hundred arrows and shoot 'em to find which ones flew the best and cull out the rest for other folks to use.  and you will spend more for a good set of woodies than a set of carbons or alums.  and after you use 'em they may need to get straightened out again and again.  and they will dent and scratch and splinter.  no matter how well sealed they will react to changes in temperature and humidity and fly well one day and badly the next.  they're just fraught with pitfalls, but we do love 'em, don't we?    

[Hermon]

Anyone ever notice different woods that are the same spine tune differently?   Have a combination of POC shaft/length/spine/point weight that works for me.  Tried some shafts of a different wood and when I put them together they showed weak.  Ended up dropping from 160 points to 125 to get them to fly to my liking.
Don't own a spine tester but have no reason to doubt the spine (they are from a very reputable supplier).  

Do different woods possibly react different dynamically?

[Rob DiStefano]

yep.  static and dynamic spines are two totally different things.  this is one reason why a specific size of carbon shaft can have a 15 to 20 pound spine range.  that static/dynamic range is usually much smaller for woodies.

[Prairie Drifter]

Originally posted by Hermon:
Anyone ever notice different woods that are the same spine tune differently?   Have a combination of POC shaft/length/spine/point weight that works for me.  Tried some shafts of a different wood and when I put them together they showed weak.  Ended up dropping from 160 points to 125 to get them to fly to my liking.
Don't own a spine tester but have no reason to doubt the spine (they are from a very reputable supplier

Do different woods possibly react different dynamically?

Yep, I've found the heavier the gpi, the weaker it acts.

[DanielB89]

Originally posted by Cavscout9753:
A lot of the "problems" some people have with wood arrows are made out to be worse than they are. I have bounced back and forth between carbon and wood a number of times. "But carbon are so much tougher.." I tell myself. But they never feel right out of a trad bow to me. So I go back to my woodies. They don't cost that much, to build or buy, in the long run. Many of the supplies last for more than a few dozens of building, so that cost is defrayed to an extent. Do they need straightening from time to time? Yeah, but its not hard to do, 2 or 3 seconds? And my cedars never bend that much and I live in east alabama. Do they break? Yeah, so I build or buy more. Salvage the point and nock and it goes into the pile for spares. Besides I think I've broken...2 over the last year or so. Plenty of time and money in that period to pick up feathers, shafts, etc. wood isn't for everyone, and thats okay too. I just hate to see the "reasons" why be of such little things. Pick up a dozen, keep your carbons, and just shoot some of the wood on the weekends or something. Over time it'll all seem more managable and less like you're undertaking a huge endeavor by shooting wood. I'm just about to start my own building from raw shafts up, always bought pre-made arrows or finished shafting in the past. But I know it isnt a dark art. Some paint, some stain, some poly, some fletch tape and away-we-go. I wont make arrows like snag and some of the other guys here, haha but maybe thats a good thing, I think I'd cry if I broke one of those! One of mine? Eh, fly true, look "good", do the job, and when they break, grab some more shafting and do it again. Haha happy shooting whichever road you go!

I would bet that you are right.  I bet they aren't that much weaker than carbons, but i know they are less durable.  I tend to shoot a lot and one thing I noticed from shooting tournaments is the ware that happens to the wood right behind the point after extended use.  I would love to have some nice wood arrows, and hopefully will build some in the future.

[DanielB89]

Originally posted by donnyjack:
Congats Daniel on the LTB win you shot a great score.  You might get in contact with Michael Harbison at [email protected]. He builds some wonderful arrows, he was at the S/H on Saturday, he builds some basic arrows that wont brake the bank.  Of course he also builds some works of art and if you saw the ones he donated you know what he can do. He's lives south of DeRidder in Longville and he also makes some great strings and he's a life member of the LTB.

DJ

Donny, I didn't even think about him.  I will get in contact with him and see what he charges for a dozen.  Steve Raggio said that he may be able match me up 6 or so, so I will see how they turn out.  

I may end up loving wood so much I give up carbons.. we will see! lol  

Thank you for all the replies guys!

[DanielB89]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
diy, it's too easy and not at all a great expense.

for the most accurate woodies, they need to be dead straight before, during and after shooting 'em.  get them all matched as closely as possible in weight and spine - use a cheap digital scale for weighing and make a super simple "spine meter".  check the shaft/arrow weight and spine both before and after finishing.  yer most expensive tools will be the fletching jig (get a polycarb bohining, grayling, martin, etc for $30 - you do NOT need to spend a lot on a fletching jig!), a tapering tool for $5, some duco cement, some min wax wipe-on polyu for the finish ($9 will do hundreds of arrows).  add in shafts (surewood doug fir!), points, nocks, feathers and yer good to go.  making yer own arrows just adds another great dimension to traditional archery and bowhunting.  go for it!

  http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000119  

Rob,
thank you for all your info.  I always like being "invested" in my equipment.  I already have a fletching jig so I guess I have the most expensive equipment already.  

One of the coolest parts about winning the event was that I won it with a bow I built 2 years ago.  Not the best looking bow, but it does shoot very well.

[Cavscout9753]

Haha oh man, if you're building bows I think woodys will be much easier!