Checking spine without a meter....

[bretto]

Is there any way to accurately check the spine of an arrow without a meter?

I've gone to carbon arrows and have several dz. wood shafts that I have collected over the years and most of them I didn't mark.  

Thanks

[TommyBoy]

Not really.  I can do it by flex and feel fairly accurately (within 5 pounds), but that is only after a couple decades of making arrows and spining them myself.  There are plans on this site to make a spine tester yourself though. And it only costs about 25 bucks.

[MSwickard]

If you have an arrow that flies well, you and take two nails and space them 26" apart on a wall.
Span the shaft across the nails then place a 2 # weight on the shaft. Mark the deflection on the wall.  Use this as a baseline for shafts that work for your bow.

Now take your other shafts and reference their deflection to your baseline.  You won't know the exact spine but you will know if they are weak or stiff.

[TommyBoy]

Yeah, that will work too! :-)  

[Bjorn]

But you said 'accurately' for that you need a tester-one that allows you to 'zero' between readings.

[bretto]

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll have to run down someone who owns one.

bretto