Does anyone check for the spine when building arrows?

[Lt. Dan]

Does anyone account for spine when building arrows?  I'm not talking about the spine (amount of flex) that archers are familar with.  I'm talking about where the spine is on a graphite shaft.  This is the spine that fishing rod builders and golf club makers are familar with.  It's very important and I'm surprised that I haven't heard of anything that would suggest that the arrow companies are putting the spine in the best spot or at least the same spot for each arrow.

[moebow]

Lt, I am a long time rod builder and tried to find the spine on some Grizzley Sitkas.  I was unable to do so.  I don't know if they're too short to find the "pop" or what , I just couldn't find it.  I ended up with the MOST inconsistant 18 arrows I've ever owned.  These were my first (and only) try at graphite.  I'll stick with what I know -- wood and aluminum.  Been building them for 50 years and think I have it figured out.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

I don't think very many carbon shafts have what you describe. Perhaps two or three at most. I do check all my carbons before I turn them into arrows, and haven't found more than one or two pounds of spine difference around any of the shafts.

[Javey]

Older post I know..I am also new here but not to Traditional Archery, and not to building fishing rods. In fact my brother and I were just discussing this topic. So for my .02.
I do believe the less expensive shafts have a major and minor spine the more expensive higher quality shafts maybe not so much. But I don't shoot those I'm a cheapie..!!..
Anyway to find the shaft spine, give ema bath.
Plug the ends and put em in the tub add a little soap to reduce surface friction the shafts will rotate and float with the minor spine "weak side" up.If th shafts don't rotate then they are pretty well balanced most of the better more expensive shafts won't evensoem of the less expensive ones are built really well.
OK I know first post and its a long one.
Sorry for the drone

[Javey]

And the poor spelling...fat fingers

[AllenR]

I definitely look for the point on the arrow with the stiffest spine.  This probaly relates to the spline of a fishing rod.

Most carbon arrows are wrapped and there is a spot where the layers overlap.  Often this is the stiffest side, but not always.  

I use a homemade spine tester that really is only good for finding relative spine.  

Keep turning the arrows to find the stiffest side, mark it and always put that on the high side.  Some people use the float test method for finding the heaviest side which usually relates to the stiffest side.

Of course the final test is to shoot groups.  It doesn't matter what side the stiffest spine is unless the arrows shoot together.

I've found that when I group tune arrows that are built this way, it doesn't always work out that the arrows shoot better with the stiffest side oriented the same way.  Sometimes an arrow won't shoot with the others no matter what I do it.  Sometimes turning the nock to the next fletch works, sometimes not.  These go into the pile that I use for blank bale work.

[katman]

Most of the carbon shafts I have played with I have not found a seam or stiff side but grizzlysticks and arrow dynamics did. Just to be sure I will glue the insert in bare shafts of the correct length and shoot them all with field points bare to make sure all are hitting the same place, the same as the fletched shaft. Very rarely will I need to adjust nock position for a weak or stiff arrow out of a dozen unless they are the two mentioned.