Oak Shaft grain direction?

[BL_Maros]

So I've had my bow for several years now and usually have the Master smith that taught me make my arrows and I just buy them from him.

Lately I've been interested in making my own arrows and have been gathering some supplies. A friend gave me some Oak shafts to tinker around with and I have a quick question about them.

In starting to form nocks on the shafts I seem to be confused on the grain direction. I see some porous grains that are a bit wider and then some lighter much thinner stripes that seem like the actual grain. Which of these are the grain that I need to cut the nocks opposite of?

I've been a blacksmith for 10 years but when it comes to wood I'm a beginner lol.

   

[Pat B]

Cut the nocks across the growth ring, perpendicular to the rings.

[George Tsoukalas]

Thee are the grain lines you showed =. Cut the nocks this way ||. That would be at right angles to the grain. My site may help you. Jawge

[BL_Maros]

Correct, My question is which are the growth rings? Correct me if I'm wrong but that would be the wider almost porous grains right?

Thanks for the fast reply!

[LittleBen]

I hate to disagree but it seems like the growth rings run up and down in the photo, so you would want to cut the nocks from side to side.

[George Tsoukalas]

http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/nocks.html

Some of the info pertains  to reinforced nocks and not wrapped self nocks.
Jawge

[Buemaker]

LittleBen x2. Bue--.

[jhk1]

Hard to tell from the pic, but the vertical lines/grooves look like they could be saw/tool marks.

[John Scifres]

Growth rings are up and down in the pic.  It's the radial grain that you see running horizontal.

  http://www.brianboggschairmakers.com/grain-orientation-and-wood-movement/

Cut the nocks horizontal in the pic, or at a 90 degree to the growth rings.

[Iron Eagle]

I believe the horizontal lines in the shaft are the medullary rays of the oak, a wood in which they are very pronounced. The vertical lines are the actual grain of the wood. So as others have said I would cut the nocks horizontal as the shaft sits in the picture.

[George Tsoukalas]

No, horizontal...left to right. Cut the nock vertically. Jawge

[Buemaker]

This must be getting confusing for the topic starter.  
The two vertical lines with the tiny holes must be the early porous wood of the growth rings which the tree grows in the spring when it comes out of the winter "hibernation", the rest is the compact summer growth of the ring. So the nock should be cut horizontally. Bue--.

[Roy from Pa]

Why, George?

[snapper1d]

Well why not look down the side of the shaft to see how the grain runs if you cant tell by looking at the end?

[LittleBen]

Originally posted by snapper1d:
Well why not look down the side of the shaft to see how the grain runs if you cant tell by looking at the end?

hahahahahahaha painfully obvious once someone points this out ..... hahahahaha

[George Tsoukalas]

I've only cut 500-1000 self nocks so what do I know and have made self nocked arrows from oak.

BTW, BL, be sure you wrap behind the groove with thread.

I've never broken a wrapped self nock.

What some are mistaking the grain for it looks like the BL scored around the shaft with a knife and then snapped it or you are seeing

You should look down the length of the shaft to see if you have major grain violations depending upon whether the shaft was milled parallel to the back or not.

If not you will see these >>>>>>>>>>on one side and these on the other <<<<<<< but that's a story for another time.

Jawge

[fujimo]

Bl i think you need a 45 degree picture, that shows both the cut end and the length of the shaft- so this can be resolved ....for your own safety!

[Inuumarue]

I'm going to cast my vote for rings running vertical, cut nock horizontal.

Oak is diffuse-porous ringed, so your rings run with the pores in the wood.  To confuse everything further it has strong medulary (sp?) rays that run perpendicular to the ring, these show up as the sploches in oak (and lacewood)  

Check out the images at the bottom for comparison:  http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/swamp-white-oak/

[Roy from Pa]

But Jawge, what if ya cut them wrong?  

[BL_Maros]

Thanks for all the great info guys! I'll start shaping nocks today!

I've not heard much about Oak shafts, Hopefully they'll be decent at least or some target shooting!