sourwood shoot and hill cane arrows

[Pat B]

I started a new thread for this arrow build. A few days ago I selected a few sourwood shoots and hill cane to make arrows from. I did an initial straightening first. I use our kitchen gas stove top for the heating for the straightening...



...today I cut the shafts to 30", my normal length, did a bit more straightening, spined primarily to find the stiff side of the shaft. The stiff side goes against the bow. By marking the stiff side I know where to cut the string nock and I always line up the slot for the point on the same plane as the string nock for simplicity sake. I don't think it really matters otherwise for the way I shoot.



The shaft on the bottom has a naturally bulbous end so I'm making it a blunt, small game arrow. More to come...

[Mad Max]

Watching

[Roy from Pa]

 

[Pat B]

I did a bit more hand straightening yesterday and worked on the self nocks. I start making the nocks(and slot for arrowhead) by making one bandsaw cut...


...then I open the cut with a thin bladed knife...


...then sandpaper folded over and over until I get the throat as wide as I want....



...and I make sure all the edges of the nock throat are rounded over especially at the bottom where the string rides as the bow is drawn. Here is one sourwood and one hill cane nock almost finished...


...and the point end. The sourwood one will be the blunt arrow because of the natural bulbous end. As you can see I taper the point end of the sourwood shaft with a long taper then cut the slot for the point...


Next step will be more straightening and then I'll temper the shafts. This helps keep them straight.

[Roy from Pa]

Nice work Pat.

I love making arrows that way.

[Pat B]

Thanks Roy, I do too. 

[Longcruise]

Your patience and talent is admirable.

[Pat B]

You know, Mike, when it's something you enjoy it's never a burden.   

[Pat B]

I just got the shaft tempering done. I start at one end of the shaft and rotate it slowly over the flame watching for color change then move along the shaft, rotating as I go. Once I get to the far end(watch out for steam coming from the end) I check straightness again. These shafts always bend a bit when heated but a little bit of hand straightening will get them in line again. Once done I lay them flat to cool and to rehydrate a little for a day or so before messing with them again. I do this for both hardwood shoot and cane shafts. Also, the color obtained from the tempering adds a bit of camo to the shafts.


With the cane shafts I heat the nodes until I get good color then I roll and compress the nodes to minimize the diameter of the nodes a little. This also adds the camo effect...


This is my arrow wrench and the osage block I use to compress the nodes...


I did notice the growth rings on the osage block. Wish I had more osage with these kind of rings...

[Roy from Pa]

 

[Mad Max]

Nice Pat

[Roy from Pa]

[Mad Max]

Those are nice too roy

[Roy from Pa]

Thanks Mark

[Pat B]

Nice cane arrows, Roy. I like that fletching style especially. 

[Roy from Pa]

Thanks Pat.

[Longcruise]

Your chopper doesn't look like an exact match.  Do you position the feather to get that shape?

[Roy from Pa]

I snip the front end off with a knife after its chopped out.

[Pat B]

Now it's time to haft the point. I like to do this now so I can be sure the point is aligned properly with the shaft before adding the fletching. I first fit the individual head to the particular shaft to insure a good fit. A little knife work and sandpaper work will get a good fit. I then mark both for good alignment when I'm ready to haft.


I not only check it this way...


...but also this way...


...once I'm satisfied with the alignment it is time for the pitch glue to be added into the point slot on the arrow. I heat the head and the pitch glue and mate the two making sure of the alignment with another spin test...

[Roy from Pa]

Awesome..