who MAKES there own aluminum arrows

[blacktailchaser]

i am thinking about going from wood to aluminum arrow making ...is making them any harder and what is the process like...thanks

[glenbo]

With aluminum you don’t have to stain and seal them. No tapering points or nocks. Very consistent and straight. Pretty simple John. Good luck

[the rifleman]

All you need is a plumbers pipe cutter, something to chamfer with like reloaders case chamfering tool.  Some acetone to prep before fletching and you're all set.

[blacktailchaser]

thanks guys...you are a help with ideas..

[McDave]

For a while, Fletchtite changed their formula, and feathers would fall off aluminum shafts like leaves from a tree in the fall.  I switched to NPV.  I haven't heard of that problem lately, so maybe Fletchtite fixed it, but I stayed with NPV for aluminum, Fletchtite for carbon, and Duco for wood.

[Steelhead]

Yaa a pipe cutter is what you need for sure!Go slow and work your way down till you cut through.Its easy!I sometimes file the end lightly with Bastard file to clean it up.I use duco glue for the nock application.I use fletch tape and it works well with aluminum for me.

[LookMomNoSights]

When I shot aluminum shafts (xx78’s),  I would always cap dip them first,  in clear or get fancy with the white and cresting.  This gave the fletch tite something good to stick to.  I used ferrule tite hot melt for the inserts.  I don’t shooting aluminum any more though....... it’s wood or carbon for me.

[alaninoz]

I find aluminum arrows much faster to make than woods. No staining, laquering, straightening, etc. I still use woods for some purposes though.

When fletching aluminums I sand the area the fletch will go with fine grit wet and dry and then wipe down with isopropyl alcohol. I use Loctite 401 glue and find it sticks well and sets quickly.

[Dave Pagel]

I shoot all aluminum out of my recurves and wood out of my longbows.  I would hate to guess how many dozens of each I have made over the 30+ years.  I don't like shooting ugly arrows so I doll them up most of the time.

I use Bohning paints to do the cap dips, Testors fast drying enamel for the cresting and Saunders NPV for the glue.  It has been a winning combination for me for years.

D.P.

[Archie]

Been shooting bows since the 80's, and have never used anything but aluminum shafts. Be careful using a pipe cutter.  It's easy to slightly indent the shaft when cutting, which can make it difficult to install inserts.  I made a jig for my Dremel tool for cutting aluminum shafts. 

[Dave Lay]

I’ve shot aluminum for 40 years with some wood along the way. I just made up my first carbons ever this spring but doubt I’ll use them. With that said, aluminum is so easy to build. I prefer the legacy’s with the swaged nock end. But I use a simple tubing hand held tubing cutter and use a  old snuffer head to clean the burr after the cut. I usually use cap wraps and fletchtite , with aluminum you can heat the shaft to turn inserts or to help adhesion of hot melt , unlike carbon     Good luck I think you will be pleased with the ease of building aluminum arrows

[M60gunner]

Been revisiting aluminum arrows lately. Just finished up half a dozen for my Bear TD . I used to cap dip but not anymore, I use wraps. I buy Orcal 651 or 751 12”x12” sheets at Michael’s craft store. I use my paper cutter to cut to size. I get a dozen out of a sheet for my 2014 shafts. Each sheet is about $2.50.  I prep the shaft with Acetone then apply the wrap. I use Bohning fletch tite for glue. I also crest the wrap using Acrylic paints. I used to use an xacto saw and miter box to cut the shafts. I cleaned up the cut edge with rat tail file. These days I have a cheap Harbor Frieght cut off saw that works for my carbons as well.

[Red Beastmaster]

I just made up a dozen aluminum this morning. Cut to length, glue inserts and nock, chopped feathers, fletched with tape, dab of super glue gel at each end, screw in points, DONE. Less than two hours.

Not that it was a race. I just wanted to see how long it took.

[JDunlap]

I really like aluminum. Very easy to work with. Pipe cutters and a pocket knife to ream out. They are straight and have good weights.

[Wheels2]

Get yourself a piece of wood dowel that its inside of the shaft if using a pipe cutter.
FWIW, aluminum is the most consistant arrow material

[Archie]

I used to use a small tube cutter, but if you don't tighten it in very small increments, it pinches the aluminum down a fraction.  Then if you ream out the end of the shaft with a knife or other object it creates a small angled ramp on the inside shoulder of the shaft wall, which encourages the insert to be jammed up into the end of the shaft if the arrow hits something solid.  I had several arrows get wrecked that way, then someone here on TG made a comment about that very issue, and explained the root cause.  I switched to using my Dremel jig, and the problem was resolved.  I assume it's because the Dremel leaves a 90° shoulder on the shaft for the insert to rest up against.  No more tube cutter.

[Wild Bill MCP 808]

Go for it, easier to make than wood less steps in the process. I think aluminum is a great choice they are straight and very stable in flight. I prefer them over carbon for me I think they stabilize a little faster then carbon, again that is just my perception.

[Buggs]

Like Wheels2 said, put a dowel inside the shaft before cutting and it will reduce or eliminate the crushing/crimping

[M60gunner]

A drill bit works as well to keep the cutter from smashing the shaft. They used to sell a small tubing cutter, think it was 3R. I have one because when bare shaft testing at the range with no electricity a cutoff saw is worthless.

  Now that our club has an indoor range I can avoid the heat. I am using my aluminum arrows more now. Don’t have to worry bending arrows that might miss the backstops.

[Slickhead]

aluminum is sooo easy. as mentioned a pipe cutter something to debur. If you like you can dress up by capping and cresting. Or just do wraps. I love wood but they are harder for me to use. Aluminum is louder imo (but I like to put paracord in them to quit the hollow sound. Im thinking of making up some 1916's myself. I can get fall stalkers dirt cheap. Not as strong but once you get them tuned you shouldnt have to worry about bending them (unless I hit a tree) lol