bamboo arrow making

[Todd Mathis]

they are easy to tune.  I spine first, cut them down a bit, then spine again.  I always keep them a few inches longer than normal so I can cut more if needed.  Harder to add length.  then I start with glue on heads and see where they land.  hotmelt glue is very easy to work with.  I have an entire page on my website if you want to read in detail.  They group well, but they will need tuning.

[Todd Mathis]

I'm sure cavemen didn't have spine testers.  fortunately a few mellenium have come and gone.  I can shoot traditional without having to draw with charcoal on a cave wall, or dress in animal skins...oh yeah...or spine an arrow.  I also use string making material and a jig.  suspect cavemen didn't have that either...just sayin..............

[Longtoke]

Anyone use aluminum shafts to foot their canes or use aluminum shaft in the back fro you can use plastic nocks?  Saw one guy do that and seemed like a good use for bent aluminums

[Pat B]

You don't need to foot cane arrows and you can taper both the point end and nock end with a disc type taper tool to accept store bought points and plastic nocks. I prefer self nocks with a sinew wrap and I use store bought points, home made trade points and stone points on my cane arrows. Anymore I don't even add a filler to the center hole. That is not necessary either.

[Todd Mathis]

I would really like to see some close up photos.  This might be a nice addition for my blog!  Great idea.  what poundage is your bow?  Have you spined your arrows?  Are they reasonably consistent in grouping?  great ideas.  blog is bambooarrows.us by the way if you want to go look and tell me if it would be a good point of view.  Thanks much.

[Pat B]

Todd, the 2 arrows on the right are hill cane(Arundaneria appalachiana)...
 

 

 

...as are these three...
 

 

 

[Pat B]

...and a few more...
 

 

 

...the 2 outside are hill cane. the other 2 are sourwood shoot arrows...
 

[URL=http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/primitive%20archer/09huntingarrows003.jpg.html]

 

[Longtoke]

ooo very nice!

  One thing I was wondering about is that it looks like you are shaving the node down to be flush with the rest of the shaft?  Do I need to be concerned about damaging the integrity of the bamboo by sanding the node down so much?

[Pat B]

I don't sand or shave the nodes I compress them by heating and rolling on a hard, flat surface(kitchen butcher-block table) with a flat chunk of osage. This reduces the diameter without affecting the integrity. I do scrape off the pithy ring around the node though but not into the power fibers.
 I know folks that do sand the nodes but only after straightening the cane first. They can break easier if the straighten after sanding the node.

[M60gunner]

Pat B has the way I would treat the nodes. The nodes are the weakest part of the cane shaft. Reason fly rod makers stagger them in the hex or quad assemble of the rod. But for rod makers the epoxy used to glue up the rod strips strengthens the nodes.
I was wondering if heat tempering would improve the strength of a bamboo shaft?

[Pat B]

I heat treat the cane and hardwood shoot arrows for the decorative coloration and to temper.
 I do this after straightening by holding the shaft over our gas kitchen stove burner, rotating as I move along the shaft. I heat until I get the desired color then move down the shaft from one end to the other while rotating. Be careful of steam at the far end. Once I'm finished I lay the shaft(s) on a flat surface to cool completely. Some light straightening may be necessary after the tempering.
 Bamboo is plenty strong enough but the tempering helps keep them straight.

[M60gunner]

Pat B, would tempering also help the shaft come out of paradox when shot? Your thoughts. We temper the cane strips for rods so the boo doesn't take a set when cast. Then agian I may be comparing apples to oranges, an intact cane shaft vs. cane strips glued up.
I have thought about trying to makeup boo arrow shafts like I make a boo rod. Just have to adjust my planing form. Maybe a "rat tail" taper like those real pricey carbon shafts.

[Longtoke]

Where are you guys getting your cane? what types are good for arrow besides hill and tonkin?

Anyone grow their own shaft source?  I would like to plant some but need to find something that doesn't spread, can endure a cold winter, and still make a good arrow of course  

[Pat B]

M60, yes, tempering stiffens and hardens the cane(and hardwood shoots) so they don't take set, stay straight and recover quicker when shot.
 I'm sure you can make boo hex shafts with  a taper but I amagine it wouls be a lot of work. Probably not for every day shooting. The hill cane I use, like most bamboos, has a natural taper. My arrows are 30" long(for my 26" draw) and are about 3/8" or slightly less at the points end and 5/16" at the nock end. These arrows shoot well from my selfbows from 45# to about 60#. That natural taper allows for this.