Wood shaft internal fractures

[WESTBROOK]

Got out some arrows last night I havent shot in a while, hardly ever shot. Went to check them for straight, one of them just stays which ever way you flex it. The arrow is staight but about 6" from the point just goes left. Its like you cut the shaft off clean and spliced it with scotch tape, you can see the finish wrinkle. There is NO sign of damage to the shaft.

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this type of thing. It could be a bomb waiting to go off.

It is a Sitka Spruce shaft, not that it matters.

Eric

[wv lungbuster]

I had some wood shafts do the same thing, I lost a few arrows one day stump shooting found them about a week later and they did the same thing I think being in the moisture for so long did it.

[moebow]

Sometimes the wood is just "punky".  It looks good but has no strength and will take a bend too easily. That's just the nature of wood.  I see it every once in a while but luckily it's not real common.  All you can do is discard that shaft and press on.

[Bjorn]

Yep, had that too, with different woods. Bend enough of them and you'll find one!

[reddogge]

Yes, I had a cedar arrow like that.  The found arrows that layed in the moisture do get bendy but I found if I dried them out for a few days they would be fine after straightening.

[Ceb]

I tend to shoot only one arrow at a time when practicing on my McKenzie target. So that arrow gets shot a lot. This summer I suddenly started shooting very poorly, kinda kicking myself, couldn't figure out what was wrong. Checked the brace height of the bow and knocking point, nothing there. Looked at the arrow and could see nothing, rapped it against my leg and could feel no vibration of a cracked shaft. Finially on a whim I put it on my spine tester, what should have been a 65-70lb shaft was only spining 40lb. Bingo! While there was no visual defect, I suspect that pulling that arrow time after time out of that McKenzie had some how broken down the shaft internally. Noticed that if I flexed the shaft one way or the other it would stay there. Took the point off and dicarded that shaft. It was Doug Fir, by the way.

[Old York]

Try removing the finish with some MEK, right were
the suspect spot is. Then look at that area with a
magnifying glass, whilst flexing the shaft. Me thinks
you'll find a micro-crack. I've had an occasional
"copper-wire" effect on some shafts.

Ceb - thanks for that story on the one-arrow problem,
I have one too, flies like a screwball. Never would have
thought of testing for a change in spine.  

[LostNation_Larry]

I have a box full of them.  Whenever I taper shafts, about 200 dozen per year, I straighten the shafts first.  While straightening I will occasionally find what I call "Gumby" shafts, named after that famous toy of my childhood.  These shafts are not useless.  They make great fire starters, they can be used for the little peg on bird houses, and sometimes you can retrieve those lost items from under the couch with them.  So don't throw them away!

[M60gunner]

I Just threw away a couple spruce arrows that took a bend when I tried to straighten them. I have had these arrows for a few years. I think the ligaments in the wood break down after awhile weather the arrows are being used or not.

[WESTBROOK]

I've had a few "soggy" shafts, but this one is in one precise spot, bends just like a hinge. It is an almost new shaft, hardly been shot, never wet.

Thanks, just wondering if anyone else had got any of these.

Eric