Time to pass it on.....the results,pg. 6!

[Guru]

That's right....it was time Cade to start making his own arrows.

 Just like Joe Skipp passed the knowledge of making wood arrows on to me 22 yrs. ago, Cade and I both agreed it was time for him to try for himself.
I would show him every step and be there when he needed help. Of course some things were very awkward for him, but in time he's gonna be a heck of an arrow maker with a much earlier head-start than I had!

 I can't remember why, but my bud Charlie Lamb sent Cade some seriously nice,very light spined cedar shafts....but I do remember him saying something to the effect of..." a boy has got to have good arrows to shoot"...Thanx bud

So let's get started....

We started out by deciding what color feathers he wanted. He decided he wanted 3 different colors and the brightest I had so they'd be easy to find at the Muzzy shoot. So 3 colors it was.

Counting them out......
 

Then I marked them at 4", and he cut them down...
 

 

He wanted them "pointy at the back", and that worked out good because with the low brace of his bow, a 4" feather would be better anyway....
 


From there we turned our attention to the shafts. Like I said these were primo cedars, so what little tweeking they needed to be straightened, I did with the ol' screwdriver technique. Then I cut them all on my table saw(didn't think he was ready for that yet      ).

Then it was time for tapering. I just gotten one of those Bear's Paw taper tools from the St. Jude auction. By far the best hand taper tool I've ever used! Cade found it very easy to use as well.....
 

 

Seriously nice taper tool.....
 

a lot more to come......

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Way to go!  

[BowHuntingFool]

Very cool! This is going to be good!

[gsdmikko]

Memories that will last a lifetime..

[Guru]

Then he put the steel wool to them to really get them silky smooth.....
   

That done, we figured out how he wanted to stain them. He decided on an orange stain(like I said he wanted bright) and to leave the top 8" or so natural. So he marked a line on them to know where to stop the stain.....
   

Then he went to work...we used Rit dye with iso. alchohol...
   

   

   

All finished with the stain, and not bad at keeping them at the line...
   

When the stain was dry, it was time to put a coat of Minwax polycrylic. I like to get one coat on before any cresting. This is the part he had the most trouble with. I use a 1" foam brush to wipe on my poly and he had a hard time keeping the brush on the shaft as he made long even strokes. But he did try and will be better next time. If I used a dip tank, it would have been easier for him. But this is all I had so I helped him and did most of this step......(check out the new haircut)
   

Then it was time to get out the super, high tech cresting machine I've been using for 20yrs....but hey, it works! I've never been one for fancy cresting anyway. Put the nock taper on the hole in the wood at one end and the other rests in the v-notch on the other end....hand powered!

I showed him how I do it and he did a super job with his one line crest(my favorite too)....
   


more to follow....

[oneshot-onekill]

To cool....let me know when he goes into full time production. Good looking young man as well!

[Guru]

Then his sidekick showed up to "help"....
 

 

 

I did 2 more coats of poly for him over the next couple days. When everything was dry, we were at it again.....

Next it was time to glue on the nocks. First I told him about how the nock should be oriented with the strong part of the grain,or perpendicular to the grain. Showed him how I hold the nock with the flat part up in one hand and spin the shaft to get the glue evenly around the taper and get the "points" or <<<<< >>>>>> look of the grain on top......
 

 

My beautiful daughter Emmie mae...she'll be making some soon too!
 

More tomorrow...time for UFC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Barney]

[paleFace]

Curt you got yourself a good looking crew of arrow-smiths there. Cade is getting down to business with that high & tight hair cut, following right in his dad's foot steps for sure.

glad you posted this thread, my nephew will be here at the end of the week and he and my son both have a dozen to make for Denton Hill.  They can just follow right a long with Cade. Tell Cade thanks for the build a long....      

[Lewis Brookshire III]

AWESOME!!!!

Man I hate that I am missing the Lesnar vs. Mir fight! Ugh.....

[knobby]

Very cool Curt...both a Little Guru and a Gurette. Have fun!
                      knobby

[vermonster13]

       

[Shaun]

Cade, could you make a set just like that for next year's St Judes auction? I promise to bid em up high! (Let your dad help a little - like with the poly seal - makes him feel useful).

[steadman]

Great Curt!! Enjoy them now they grow up quick! You got your hands full with Emmie in a few years, she's a cutie!  

[joe skipp]

The Memories Curt...brings a tear to this old mans eyes...This is what traditional bowhunting is all about, passing on the skills to the next generation of great bowhunters!

There's gonna come a day Curt when you will be helping your grandson in the skills of arrow making and shooting. This type of thread really warms the heart!!!

           

[Bonebuster]

Great thread.

You can see the determination in his eyes.
Your daughter is an angel.

I wouldn`t have guessed you as a UFC kind if guy.  

[yellow bow]

Great pics Curt,thanks for sturing up  some old memories

[Stone Knife]

Very cool Curt, I cant wait to see those arrows in person at the Muzzy  

[Whip]

That is just too cool Curt!  It's amazing to see those two grow up so fast.  You and I have never met face to face, let alone your kids, yet it seems like I know them from watching here.  You are raising a couple of very fine people!
Thanks for sharing once again!

[Schafer]

Very Nice