??’s Wooden Arrow Builder’s

[JohnnyBa]

As interest in wooden arrows grew to getting a set, and loving them, to wanting to build my own, I have a few questions. From reading a bit, I see that “good source for shafts” is a requirement and then some straightening is involved along with checking for grain run off, etc. My question is about the heating, if it’s required. Temp? Length of time at that temp? Spot heat or entire length heat? Then, what I am getting at, if the length of the shaft needs to be heated, WOULD it help to just build a heat box to gently heat a dozen shafts at a time?  As far as sources go, 3Rivers or Rose City any good? I just got my 1st dozen from the later and they look great upon inspection. They came 32, I need 28 and just plan on trimming 2”from each end as they had no serious spin issues. Then thinking of stain colors……

[Kelly]

Heat is not required at all!

If you need a 28” back of point arrow then it needs to be cut to 29” length, then apply the point taper and nock taper. It can be cut from just one end.

[cuboodle]

 
Addictive archery- has some of the best tutorials on youtube many episodes to watch and learn from plus its fun.  Making arrows is a great way to pass the off season winter blues along with tying some flies. 

[LookMomNoSights]

I shoot alot of carbon and alot of wood......... here's a few things I can tell you about wood:
Get a spine tester if you don't have one.  I say buy the best one you can swing.   ACE,  with the rollers.
Surewood Shafts,  Douglas Fir ......... about as good as you are gonna get.
If you want a primo match dozen,  try to order several dozen bare shafts,  and make sets from those.   Hand spine them all,  weight them all, and spin/roll them for straightness on an old mirror or piece of glass or such.   You'll get some dead straight.  You'll get some that you'll have to tweak to straightness.  You'll even get a couple here and there that you'll have your work cut out to get them straight.  You can straighten most wood shafts with just your hands and sighting down the shaft.   With practice you can get very proficient with that.
Grind your tapers.  Get a cheap bench top disc sander/belt sander combo and either make an angle guide block yourself or buy one from 3Rivers ......it'll have your 2 angles routed into it for point and nock taper.
Poly Urethane is an excellent shaft sealer / finish and with that use Duco Cement to fletch. You can use colored poly,  or alcohol base stain on the bare wood and poly over that.
If you use Bohning products to dip paint, seal and crest (Excellent!) use Fletchtite Platinum to fletch.  Use the same Platinum for nocks.
Use holt melt for your points .......... kimsha or Big Jims.
I love both carbon and wood and for different reasons.   But there is and will always be just something special about a wood arrow that flies true.
I have never had a need to heat a wood arrow shaft.

[Maclean]

I second what has been mentioned above. I've never had to use heat to straighten a shaft. Andy's videos are the best I've seen, clear and concise, and  takes you through the entire process step by step. Definitely check them out.

Finding a good source for shafts is essential, and you'll probably need several sources depending on what type of wood you're looking for. For douglas fir it's hard to beat Surewood Shafts, the best shafts I've ever seen, period. For sitka spruce I just order them from Andy at Addicitve Archery. He gets them from the Canadian source and his prices are comparable so I find it much easier. Cedar has been a bit more hit and miss over the past few years and I don't use it that much anymore, but Raptor and Rose City are good sources if you really want cedar.

One of the most important choices you'll have to make is whether the sealers, stains and paints (if crown dipping & cresting) will be solvent based or water based. Without getting into a lengthy dissertation on the pros and cons of both, I started with solvent based but later switched to water based mainly because of the fumes associated with solvent based products. I do the vast majority of my arrow building during the winter months and where I live that means doing it indoors, and that's impossible with solvent based products. I'm just as happy, if not happier with the results I get with water based products. And if that's the way you go you can't beat True North, and I've found the best prices directly from them.

Good luck on your arrow building journey, and again check out Andy's YouTube channel, you won't regret it.   

[JohnnyBa]

Thanks Kelly, Maclean, LookMomNoSights, and Cuboodle, great info! Wasn’t sure if heat was required or not but already had some sort of something designed in my head to warm up some. I will probably go water based products to stain and seal. What coatings allow the use of fletch tape? I sure like the almost zero wait time of CA glue to fletch carbons with, possible with wood as well or does that make the un-re-fletchable? My, my, my…..

[dnovo]

I recommend Wapiti Archery for shafts, especially cedar. Surewood fir is great if you want a little more weight.  I use Duco cement for fletching over poly. I've never been in such a hurry I need to use superglue. I have a multifletcher and can do 6 arrows in an hour using Duco.

[Maclean]

I've never used fletch tape so I'm no help there. True North recommends Duco with their finishes.

[M60gunner]

Only heating of arrow shafts I have had to do was for shafts made from Hickory and Bamboo. I used my heat gun on low. Otherwise I use my shaft tamer if it’s a stubborn bend. I check my shafts during the whole arrow making process. Change in humidity from one day to next can affect them. Making a set of matched arrows isn’t for the person in a hurry. I

[Stumpkiller]

I agree. The only heating may come from friction on rubbing a shaft with a straightening dowel.

[MarlinMark]

Surewood Shafts for the Win!!!

[Walt Francis]

I shoot alot of carbon and alot of wood......... here's a few things I can tell you about wood:
Get a spine tester if you don't have one.  I say buy the best one you can swing.   ACE,  with the rollers.
Surewood Shafts,  Douglas Fir ......... about as good as you are gonna get.
If you want a primo match dozen,  try to order several dozen bare shafts,  and make sets from those.   Hand spine them all,  weight them all, and spin/roll them for straightness on an old mirror or piece of glass or such.   You'll get some dead straight.  You'll get some that you'll have to tweak to straightness.  You'll even get a couple here and there that you'll have your work cut out to get them straight.  You can straighten most wood shafts with just your hands and sighting down the shaft.   With practice you can get very proficient with that.
Grind your tapers.  Get a cheap bench top disc sander/belt sander combo and either make an angle guide block yourself or buy one from 3Rivers ......it'll have your 2 angles routed into it for point and nock taper.
Poly Urethane is an excellent shaft sealer / finish and with that use Duco Cement to fletch. You can use colored poly,  or alcohol base stain on the bare wood and poly over that.
If you use Bohning products to dip paint, seal and crest (Excellent!) use Fletchtite Platinum to fletch.  Use the same Platinum for nocks.
Use holt melt for your points .......... kimsha or Big Jims.
I love both carbon and wood and for different reasons.   But there is and will always be just something special about a wood arrow that flies true.
I have never had a need to heat a wood arrow shaft.

2X

This is how I was taught many moons back.