Fixing Wood Arrow Shafts

[Ssamac]

I always thought that you could not repair a broken arrow. Now I don't mean broken in half but a crack or fracture lengthwise. Then I met a guy at the range who showed me some arrows he repaired - glued with epoxy and clamped.

Well I didn't even want to stand to near but he shot them over and over from a 60# bow and told me some were fixed a year ago.

Is he just lucky? I don't have many cracked arrows and not sure I want to chance this, but just wondering if anyone here has fixed an arrow successfully.

Thanks
sam

[Jim Curlee]

Sam;
Are wood arrow shafts so expensive that you would risk hurting yourself, by repairing a broken shaft.
I wouldn't risk my hide.
I know a guy that has never lost an arrow, he will spend hours looking for a lost arrow, rake up a half an acre, give me a break. Somethings are just not worth the effort. Repairing wood arrows would have to be at the top of the list.
Jim

[Shakes.602]

My Opinion?  BREAK That BAD BOY, and Call it A LOSS!!      Personal Safety call for  YOU  Sam! Better sticking out of the Scrap/Kindling Box, than out of  YOUR ARM!!  Of course, cabbage as much as you can save off of the Shaft before ya Trash it, Feathers (Exacto-Knife) Point (Stumper?) & Nock, Unless the Nock is Cracked.  

[Pepper]

If you don't care about your own safety, think of those around you.
The risk isn't worth the reward.

[Fletcher]

In general, a glue joint is stronger than the wood around it.  I'd add a foot to a shaft with a broke off point, but I'm not shooting a split shaft no matter how much glue is in it.

[rickshot]

It really only takes a miniscule fault in a wooden shaft to increase the chance of breakage. After decades of shooting woods I had one explode before it got free of the bow and I’ll not go into any details here, but I’ve learned to be far more diligent with checking my equipment.

I have no more reservation with breaking an arrow in my hands than getting into a shooting contest at rocks with my friends…it’s a small cost when compared to the rewards. Besides, coffee cans with the feathered ends of shafts sticking out give a bit more color to my surroundings. Of course, my outlook on owning arrows is also a matter of experience and fulfilling childhood dreams…I’m not going to run out anytime soon. Rick.

[Hud]

The problem with a crack in POC is getting glue into the full length, nearly impossible. All arrows can develop problems. I was standing close to someone that was shooting aluminum, and for some unknown reason it broke on release and the point when through his hand. No one saw it happen, just the sound and cursing that followed.
Footing a broken shaft is one thing, fixing a crack is crazy.

[JAG]

You can build a new arrow everyday.  Its harder to do with splinters or a shaft sticking out of your hand or arm.

[Tom Leemans]

I've thrown away arrows that have been creased by other arrows. It is possible that the glue joint is stronger than the surrounding area. It's that surrounding area I'd be very worried about. Those wood fibers are damaged goods. This isn't a static piece of furniture. It will oscillate every time it is shot. It will likely fail if shot  enough .

[Eric Krewson]

It depends on where the damage is for me. If I do a slight robin hood and have a 1" crack at the nock, I remove the nock, spread the tiny crack, apply super glue and clamp the cracked area. Apply new nock and I keep shooting, never had a failure with this type of repair.

If the damage is anywhere from the back of the feathers to the point, the arrow gets broken across my leg.

If it is only the point end of the shaft broken I use a reprarrow footing and restore it to the proper length.

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

...thats why God grows new trees ...so we can make new arrows. Get good at it before you walk through the gates !!!

[Roy Steele]

I would'nt but if it was a homemade arrow[primitive]but never a wooden shaft.

[turkey522]

Scrap it not worth getting hurt or some one else.

[Ssamac]

Thanks Brothers.
I always thought the same but figured maybe I missed something new. Kind of worried me standing very close to the guy, but he said he's been doing it for years and never had a problem.
I have a basket of broken/damaged shafts that I use for spare parts - feathers tips etc. They make nice plant stakes too!

I think I'll stick to using sound shafts. Never had a sound shaft break in my hands but kind of nasty to hear that could happen too. Every time you get out of bed I guess you take some chances, lol.

Let's all be safe and well in 2010. Good shootin

sam

[Jim now in Kentucky]

How in the world could a guy have the POINT of an arrow go through his hand if the arrow broke--unless he over drew so far...Nope. Not even then. I don't get it.

[Bjorn]

Depends on where the break is........reparrow is perfect for repairing breaks behind the point.
And footing has been the standard for hundreds of years.
What's the fuss guys?

[Bowferd]

I'm saving the arrows broken behind the point to foot later, when I acquire the time.
The cracked shaft is a horse of a different color. I'm saving those to use as pegs in the Pine wall for hanging my bows and quivers, and I'm leaving the fletching on.

[rraming]

Here is what I would do, break it in half, smell the cedar and throw it in the trash - if it's not cedar, don't bother smelling it.

[jcar315]

I don't think I have ever "cracked" an arrow. I have broken lots of them but most were broken by the point of the arrow and I keep them and cut them down for my kids to shoot.

I have "split" some but it never would have even occured to me to even try to save them as they were in two seperate pieces.

[frank bullitt]

I read this post earlier today, and thought, Well I'm crazy!

Nothing new to people who know me.

I have and probably will repair split, cracked and broke arrows. Who said something about furnitue, static wood, Uhhhh! Laminated bows, glued, not static?    

I have been shootin, and killed a squirrel with an arrow that was split at Cloverdale, at the ariel launcher this past summer!

Cedar, split down the nock, almost full length.
Titebond glue and new nock!

If your standing next to me at the bales this
summer, and I pull out an arrow with red fletch......RUNNNNNNNNN