Hex Pine shafts

[painthorse]

I'm moving to wood.Like to know how easy are they to work with ? What you like dont like about them ? I'll get them from Whispering Winds.Just like to know what everyone thinks about these shafts.

Thanks
Scott

[rabbitman]

I have hexpine shafts I purchased from Bob.  They are easy to work with and the price is right in the ballpark with other wood shafts.  You don't have to worry about following the wood grain since there is none.  The only negative I can think of is they do not take some stains well. Bob is great to work with and really knows his product.  He'll treat you right.  Google Whispering wind arrows to get Bob's site.

[highnoonhunter]

I'm also interested in hearing about the Hex Pine shafts Scott.

I've heard of them before. Do they have a web-site?

hnh

[loco_cacahuate]

http://www.hexshaftarrows.com/about_hexshafts.html

[highnoonhunter]

Thanks!

hnh

[The Ursus]

Here's my experience with the batch I got.
 
Very crooked right out of box, multiple twisting-spiraling bends on each shaft.  Hard to straighten.  I spent a lot of time bend-straightening them only to have them revert to being bent.  I didn't try heat because it would have taken me waaaay to long with so many bends to fix.  They also claim that they taper well because they are perfectly round, not so with all of them.  The lamination seams were a buggar to crest over giving me ugly lines when it was all said and done.  Maybe some additional sanding would have helped.
I felt as though I wasted my time and money with these shafts.  From now on it's only home made ramin shafts or cedar.  
A final note, they did have a nice smooth finish and seemed to take the stains I added to them well.  
Hopefully I just got a bad batch and what I got isn't representative of Hex Shaft's work.

[painthorse]

This is the kind of info I was looking for.I ran a search here and picked up alot of useful info.
I have a friend wanting to give me some maple shafts but man,talk about twist
Ursus,I shoot 5/16 ramin out of my longbow and talk about tough.Should have bought some 3/8 when I could.

Thanks for the info guys.

Scott

[Longbow Bowhunter]

I have been shoot some I got here in England, and like them allot. I am trying to decide if I will shoot them with my new bow or Carbon.

[mudfish]

I have been using chundoo and P.O. cedar for years, could not get the chundoo anymore and could not find anybody that would sell me cedar matched in spine and weight in a specific weight range.  So I gave Whixpering Wind a call, left a message, Bob returned the call promptly, he had 3 dozen that were pretty close to what I wanted and I got them in a few days.  Great service.

The shafts pretty much all had a gradual bend but straightened out easily by hand and seemed to stay straight.  I made a set of 8 arrows to start with, and tapered the last 10" using 100 grit sandpaper and a cordless drill, and stained them with leather dye, no problems.  I finished them with Parks sanding sealer and made up 6 hunting arrows and 2 practice arrows.  Probably got a couple hundred shots each on the practice arrows and they have stayed straight, but that's just shooting in the backyard into a foam target, so I don't know yet if they will have delamination problems when they go rattling through the trees in 3D tournaments.  The hunting arrows flew beautifully when I tested them.  I shot one through a deer, cleaned it up and resharpened the broadhead, good as new, it did not need straightening.  So my short experience with them so far has been real good.

But - if anybody knows where I can order some P.O. cedar in 70-75# spine and around 460-480 grains for just the shaft, I'd sure like to know.  The hexpine shafts were right on the lower end of that range in weight but were closely matched.

[The Ursus]

I guess I got a bad batch, looks like everyone else likes them.

[DesertDude]

Tried them when they first came out...Poor at best, then found the same things wrong with them that Ursus did, high spots, not round, really bent. I love the idea of them but 2 srikes in this game and you're out.....Bought first dz from the factory, second dz from a shop that carries them.  Never again...........

[DesertDude]

forgot about the price......close to $60 a dz  
TYD.  I feel...SHAFTED......  Happy Holidays

[Alex.B]

Compressed cedar shafts. the fly like, and are as straight as the arrows you're moving away from        
I get mine from Cedarsmith in Montrose,CO.
I heard great things about hexpine shafts, but they seem to be a little too "manufactured" for my very personal taste.
Chundoo is great too, beautiful, tight, straight grain, and heavy
good luck with your move, man!

[mudfish]

if I could get more chundoo it would be my first choice.  the shafts I got from Lost Nation were great, but my stash is depleted.  PS - paid $24/doz for the hexpine from Whispering Wind in  October

[RRock]

After my first go round with Hex-pine I was a little disappointed with getting them straight and keeping them that way. With cedar shafts I take an old cloth diaper get wet and wring it out as much as possible, them rub the shaft untill I can really feel the heat in my hand. At this point I can do what even I want with the shaft. Burnishing the cedars did well also. This method did not work with hex-pine. While at Denton Hill this year I got the answer, HEAT. What I was told, because of the differing grain orientation in the shaft what works for one segment of the lamination does not work for the others.
This is the remedy I was given and it WORKS. Slightly moisten the shaft and gently hold it over a heat source untill very warm to the touch, just about as much heat as you want to handle. Once your at this point start straightening the shaft by hand in the same manner as you would with a cedar and keep at it until is cooled out.
Apparently what this goes is heat the material that holds the grain fibers together when that material cools off and hardens it keeps the shaft straight and they pretty much stay that way.
This work for me, give it a try.

[painthorse]

Thanks for the good info on this shaft.Looks like it works for some and not others.May give it a try,also looking at Douglas Fir and maybe Spruce.So many choices,so little time.

Thanks for the input
Scott

[Problem Child]

I like my Hexpines very much. I called Bob and told him what I needed and that's what I received. He even asked what bow I was shooting. I used heat for the initial straightening and they have stayed as straight as anything else. I mixed Ritt Dye and denatured alcohol together for my stain and finished with Polycrylic.

[mudfish]

thanks RRock, didn't see anything about using heat on Whispering Wind's website.  I was scared to try heat, afraid the shafts would delaminate, but I'll give it a try if I run into some that won't stay straight with simple hand straightening

[aromakr]

mudfish:
Use either an eletric stove (hot plate) or a heat gun if you have one. Heat only the area needing straightening, not so hot you can't handle it, then straighten as usual. Stand the shaft upright in a paper or PVC tube to cool.
Bob

[shootrmn]

I have been shooting the hex shafts to hunt this season. No kills but I have a double four fletched flu flu that has been shot at least fifty times at stumps grouse squirrels and pine cones. Buried and dug up out of the snow and carried in the rain. I hauled it to Wyoming and back two weeks ago and it is still straight. I used the heat method of straightening that Bob recommended when I bought the shafts. I  broke on before ai learned a gentle touch but the rest straightened well and are still straight. I am going to buy more. I just can't seem to come to terms with shooting anything but wood.