They take about 6 wks to dry. Get a dozn or so bundled together after you peel and straighten them (over heat). Bundle them tight as you can with string or twine, stack in a corner and forget for 6 wks. Then got to work. You'll probably need to re-straighten some and sand off the "bumps". They do check a little but I've not tried leaving some bark on the ends. I've always had enough length to cut that part off.
I carry bypass pruners when I'm hunting and usually need them to get thru the nasty stuff when hunting around here.
Mr. Creason is right, the good stuff is usually in the middle of a big nasty bush. You have to gingerly snip your way in to get it. You WILL bleed! Try to get only the best with no "kinks' or little branches shooting off. It is surprisingly hard to find really good shafts considering the volume of it that grows.
They are worth the trouble though. The shafts are almost as strong as fiberglass, easy to self knock and cut slots for the stone. They are heavy for their diameter compared to cedar.
I tried soaking some in Fornbys but they really didn't absorb much weight although it does make a nice "primitive" style finish. (No shine). I'd say an overnight soak would be sufficient. You can also use any other style finish you want and they will take leather dye pretty well if you want to tone down the "white".
I hope this helps. Sorry to highjack the thread. I've been experimenting with it for a few years. I was tickled when I found a use for the danged stuff, but it ain't easy to "harvest".
Also, Make sure to only cut living plants. the dead stuff is too brittle.
Topic: MULTIFLORA ROSE PRIMITIVE "STONE" HUNTING ARROW (Read 1116 times)
