Arrow shafts

[mzombek]

I got cedar shafts in the mail today that I had ordered. I don’t buy many cedar shafts, but when I opened the box and inspected the arrows, I found that they had sticky residue on them. Not sure if it sap coming from the wood or what. I also found  that  only 10 of the 24 shafts were nice and straight. The other 14 were not straight at all, to the point where I would not shoot them. I tried to straighten them, but could make them straight. Are these arrows are what I am to expect when buying “Premium” shafts? What is you take on this?

[Wudstix]

I personally have never got sticky shafts.
 

[M60gunner]

Yes, some sap coming out. I use Acetone to clean it up. As for straightness, I know there are folks who have got all the shafts they ordered to be straight. I always find some that are bent. Then there is where are you in relation to where you ordered them? Wood moves with temperature and humidity. I live in a dry climate and wait at least a week for shafts to get acclimated. It’s a PITA but I check for straightness during the whole makin process especially in the area that’s going to be fletched.
  Lately I become somewhat fussy, I want my shafts to be within 2# spine of each other and about the same 2 grains in weight. So out comes the sand paper and I make a little sawdust. Does it make a difference? Heck I an’it that good to really tell but I feel good about my arrows.

[durp]

premium doesnt mean straight shafts it means less grain run out...as in straight running grain...cedar is easy to straighten just take ur time and dont over do it...wood arrows take time and TLC

[Pat B]

Like M60 said, wood moves with heat and humidity and the climatic changes from where the shafting came from and where you are can really make a difference. Lay your shafts on a flat surface and give them a week of so to acclimatize to your area before working them. This works for any wood working projects. You can straighten them with just slight hand pressure, by compression(rubbing a smooth shank over the crown of the bend) or by using heat and hand pressure. With each adjustment with heat give time to cool before making more corrections on that shaft. Using heat will also temper the wood helping them stay straight.
 I've used only wood shafting for almost 40 years and straightening wood shafts is part of the process, a process I find very rewarding, just knowing I did it all myself and watching each arrow fly. If you find some that just don't shoot well, make fluflus out of them.

[Orion]

The previous three posts pretty much cover it.    Enjoy your arrow building.

[Ray Lyon]

Agreed with the above as well.  Here’s what I keep on hand to make really good wood arrows and I subscribe to the theory that shafting should be straightened continuously through building process and be cut to length and straight again before any tapering is done.

[Sam McMichael]

I don't worry about a slight amount of crookedness in cedar shafts. I have not built all that many cedar arrows, but it has still been quite a few. Never have I had a dozen in which all twelve shafts were perfect. Fortunately, they are not difficult to straighten. Even without being perfect, they will shoot tighter groups than any of us can hold. I do periodically check my arrows to see if they need an additional tweak. Go for it, and have fun making them. Good luck.

[Gdpolk]

And this is part of why I've gone to carbons.  I love wood shafts too but they have been too much of a moving target for me to want to fiddle with.  Aluminum is too fragile for small game hunting where they bounce off trees and rocks all the time.  But carbons are pretty consistent and once built they are either 100% or completely broken.

[Ray Lyon]

I use carbon, and it’s a great arrow, BUT nothing has the soul of a good wood arrow.......and I think Hill style bows shoot better with them😉. 

If anyone wants great wood arrows without doing the work, Paul Jalon of Elite Arrows (sponsors Tradgang) is the man when it comes to wood arrows. Perfectly matched with in a couple of pounds spine and within 10 grains and they spin true like an aluminum arrow.  I make a decent arrow—his are the holy grail. 

[Silent footed]

Oh yeah, it's normal. Nothing is wrong.

Here's what I do: If they aren't tail tapered, I mark  the nock ends so that shafts have the crooked end nearest the point of the arrow. My reasoning for this is that if it becomes a stubborn spot, it's easier to straighten with the heal of your hand or a roller when the crook is NOT under the feathers...this also still allows you to have your nock perpendicular to the grain too, and have the grain feathering in the appropriate directions. It doesn't matter which end you start on. It all works out in the end. 

I have always just used the heel of my hand to straighten, by the way. And I have made a TON of cedar arrows before I made the switch to Doug fir. Oh and you definitely want your shafts to be straight BEFORE you polyurethane them.

I also prefer to leave the arrows full length until they are finished, by the way. And don't cut all at once in case you find out that they are stiff in spine after shooting a couple.