cresting with sharpiesto mark the same cresting location on each arrow, lay down on your arrow measuring tool and mark the meauring tool where you would like the crest to start and end, then transfer those marks to each arrow ...
the diy "cresting machine". simply an electric screwdriver (set so that the rotation of the arrow is away from you), with a piece of 3/8" surgical tubing over the screwdriver phillip's head bit and over the arrow nock that acts as a "transmission coupler". make up a "V" block cradle for the arrow out of wood or foam or whatever - even a "V" notch in a piece of folded cardboard works quite well. i fancied this one up a bit with an extended piece of 1/8" ply "guide" store predetermined cresting marks, but since we used the arrow measuring tool to precisely lay out where the cresting starts and ends on the shaft, this is not necessary.
i'll begin laying down a crest background main color using an orange chisel point sharpie, sweeping from the left crest pencil mark (
on the shaft) and ending over at the right crest pencil mark (
on the shaft) ...
there is no "drying time" required, so i switch over to the black chisel marker to lay down the margin stripes ... i freehand added a center stripe, with stripes to the left and right of it ...
now i'll add the silver highlight lines - this really makes a crest look great and imo is mandatory ...
i also added a tiny crest between the nock and fletches, using the same colors and scheme, just done freehand with no guide ...
all done - not worthy of an arrow contest, but looks great (to me) and makes a bland arrow look kinda nifty ...