Ordering Dowels....

[Hog Wild]

I done a search on this and came up empty handed.  :rolleyes:  Not that I may have spelled something wrong          

[Grey Taylor]

Atlas Dowel 5/16 ramin.  

Guy

[Shadow Hunter]

Whats the spine range of 5/16 ramin dowels? 3/8's? thanks

Shadow Hunter

[Grey Taylor]

I have only used 5/16.  A bundle seems to range from slightly undercooked noodles to about 55lb.  Most are in the 30 to 45 lb range.
If you're using a 50 lb. + bow, you'll probably want to go to the 3/8 dowels.  But that's a lot more work because they'll be way too heavy and you'll have to reduce them.  Personally, I'd go to manufactured arrow shafts in that situation.

Guy

[Brutus Hedgeapple]

I've been buyin 3/8 ramin (I think) dowels at Wally World and makin Nutters for me. Went to Lowes and got some 48" poplar 5/16 dowels and cut them in half to make my daughter some arrows. When my wife needs arrows again, I'm gonna go back to Lowes. She doesn't hunt so it shouldn't make a difference. And they were only 68 cents, I think.

 Brutus

[bluegrassbowhunter]

It would be nice if ya could find some 11/32    Kinda sux that they jump from 5/16 to 3/8 with nothing in between...

[Grey Taylor]

The 11/32 and the 23/64 size seem to be exclusive to the archery industry.  It figures that we'd have to walk to a different drummer.

Guy

[poekoelan]

I've heard that it's easy to reduce the 3/8. Actually, I checked the 3/8 on a guage and they are undersized. Actually very close to 23/64. Anyhow, if you drill an 11/32 hole in an old circular saw blade and run the dowel through the hole with a drill, I've heard that its real easy to reduce them.

I tried to do it, but my bit wouldn't penetrate the saw blade. Gonna give it a go with a titanium drill bit and see for myself if this is an easy way to go.

[darksidedsam]

I never got any money at all lol...

i go to B&Q and get arrow sized dowels for 20pence each .. .

[UKarcher]

Sam, I've used B&Q dowelling before too. But you have to be careful with it. They sell it in 3m lengths, but the lengths are often made of two or three pieces scarf jointed together. If you were to make an arrow with one of these joints in it, you could get a very nasty surprise when you shot it. Inspect them closely when you buy them and look for a small zig zag joint. I usually buy twenty and cull all the bits with the joints in and end up with a couple of dozen shafts.
Graham

[SCATTERSHOT]

I have bought dowels from American Woodcrafters Supply. Ramin isn't imported into the U.S. any more, but birch makes a good arrow. In 5/16", the spine averages 40-45#, with the stiffest I have seen being 55#. In 3/8, the spine seems to start around 70#, and goes up from there. At $25.00/100, you can experiment, find the shafts that work for you, and make kids arrows or stumpers from the rest.

[Grey Taylor]

I just ordered 500ea 5/16 ramin from Atlas last week.  She didn't say anything about this being the last of the stock.

Guy

[SCATTERSHOT]

I heard that it was due to an embargo on them because they are an endangered species. American Woodcrafters doesn't carry them any more. You may have gotten some of the last of them.

[longbowman]

I just wanted to make sure I read some of this right.  Are you guys saying that the 3/8" ramin dowels spine out in the 70# range?  If so you all are making my day!  Can somebody please confirm this?

[SCATTERSHOT]

That's correct, longbowman. In my experience, anyway. They go much higher than that, but 70- 80# is the average I have found. Guy could tell you much better than I, he's seen a bunch more than I have.

[Grey Taylor]

Actually, I'm probably no help on that one.  The only ramin dowels I've played with are 1/4" and 5/16".
I generally shoot a higher spine than I can easily find in ramin.  For my own arrows I use Hildebrand Sitka spruce.

Guy