Author Topic: crafting excellent woodies the easy and cheap way (Read 5671 times)

Margly · « **Reply #40 on:** February 02, 2011, 03:42:00 PM »

Excellent Rob!
Thank you for taking us along

Margly

Dave Earley · « **Reply #41 on:** February 02, 2011, 03:51:00 PM »

Let us know your secrets for ensuring perfect nock and broadhead alignment !

Rob DiStefano · « **Reply #42 on:** February 02, 2011, 04:11:00 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Dave Earley:
Let us know your secrets for ensuring perfect nock and broadhead alignment !

there really are no secrets.

first, make sure the shaft is as true as can be by rolling on a dead flat surface (i use a corian kitchen counter). any high points need to be heated (hair dryer or heat gun) and compressed (screwdriver, hook, or my fave - a dunlop 925 steel guitar slide, using the finger groove on the shaft).

cut good tapers for both the nock and point.

push on the nock and rotate/spin the shaft to see of the nock is true. if so, glue on the nock... if not, adjust the nock taper (sand very little at a time) until it pushes on and spins true, then glue it on permanently.

push on the point and spin the shaft on the point. adjust as above until the shaft spins true on the point. hot melt glue in place.

woodies are so much more work than carbs or alums. :D

shoes · « **Reply #43 on:** February 02, 2011, 04:16:00 PM »

Really nice Rob,this will help out alot of people.

akdd · « **Reply #44 on:** February 02, 2011, 04:29:00 PM »

Great info.Thanks Rob. I hope that this makes it way to the how to section.

mmisciag · « **Reply #45 on:** February 02, 2011, 04:30:00 PM »

Just bought four shafts and nocks. I start tonight!

I'm building arrows for the "Arrow if Light" Award.

Do you have any advise for a blue stain? I was thinking yellow feathers and a white nock. I have walnut stain for the front portion and plan on cresting the transition in Boy Scout red with green pinstripe.

Thanks for the inspiration!

Martin

Rob DiStefano · « **Reply #46 on:** February 02, 2011, 04:38:00 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by mmisciag:
Just bought four shafts and nocks. I start tonight!

I'm building arrows for the "Arrow if Light" Award.

Do you have any advise for a blue stain? I was thinking yellow feathers and a white nock. I have walnut stain for the front portion and plan on cresting the transition in Boy Scout red with green pinstripe.

Thanks for the inspiration!

Martin

way cool, have fun.

i just checked, 3rivers has a nice assortment of stains for $5.40/each and they're water based ...

mmisciag · « **Reply #47 on:** February 02, 2011, 04:42:00 PM »

Out of band, you and I are gonna need to talk about guitars.

Thanks!

Martin

Larry m · « **Reply #48 on:** February 02, 2011, 09:40:00 PM »

I have always been a dip person until recently then I began to spray. ( To much waste ) This is GREAT STUFF Rob!!!! Can't wait to see more......
Thanks

Gator1 · « **Reply #49 on:** February 03, 2011, 07:16:00 AM »

Rob,

Great job on this fantastic tutorial. I'm sure this will get archived.

Thank you...

Stumpkiller · « **Reply #50 on:** February 03, 2011, 08:48:00 AM »

I can attest to the water-based dye Three River's sells. It's Fiebing's Leather Dye and works very well.

Here's the yellow (one wipe) and also their pecan alcohol based stain.

« **Reply #51 on:** February 03, 2011, 10:06:00 AM »

Rob,
Cool! I never knew a guy could effectively straighten wood shafts. Too easy!

CRS · « **Reply #52 on:** February 03, 2011, 10:45:00 AM »

Rob,

Great post, but I have never found crafting woodies to be cheap (in time) or easy (labor intensive).

Straightening the shafts is absolutely paramount to the "good". This is also where the saying you can't make a silk purse out of sow's ear comes to mind.

Have you had trouble with the poly coating sticking in targets and get all mucked up? I have noticed this with 3-d and bale type targets. It is like the heat from the friction melts the poly as it is penetrating.

I like to use a mixture of acetone and two ton epoxy for the final coating. Must apply in well ventilated area and wear gloves. But the finish is hard and very durable. 3:1 ratio works for yeoman shafts in 2-3 coats. A 6:1 results in a thinner mixture but takes more coats to apply, and results in a nicer finish.

I have recovered lost arrows in my canyon after being exposed to the elements. The poly seems to peel easier while the epoxy finsh is very tough and holds up better.

madness522 · « **Reply #53 on:** February 03, 2011, 10:46:00 AM »

Dang Rob you make it look so easy!! Nice job!

Rob DiStefano · « **Reply #54 on:** February 03, 2011, 11:00:00 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by CRS:
Rob,

Great post, but I have never found crafting woodies to be cheap (in time) or easy (labor intensive).

i like to think that my method is the easiest and bestest of all the methods out there, yet still produce a good lookin', durable arrow :D

Straightening the shafts is absolutely paramount to the "good". This is also where the saying you can't make a silk purse out of sow's ear comes to mind.

earlier today i added a segment to the 1st post on straightening wood

Have you had trouble with the poly coating sticking in targets and get all mucked up?

nope, not at all

I have noticed this with 3-d and bale type targets. It is like the heat from the friction melts the poly as it is penetrating.

yes, i've heard that can occur

I like to use a mixture of acetone and two ton epoxy for the final coating.

yep, the 'massey finish'

Must apply in well ventilated area and wear gloves. But the finish is hard and very durable. 3:1 ratio works for yeoman shafts in 2-3 coats. A 6:1 results in a thinner mixture but takes more coats to apply, and results in a nicer finish.

I have recovered lost arrows in my canyon after being exposed to the elements. The poly seems to peel easier while the epoxy finsh is very tough and holds up better.

the diluted epoxy finish is best, but not for everyone to use ... and one must consider that the roving/hunting lifespan of a woodie is less than a carb or alum. min-wax wipe-on polyu is still the easiest, fastest woodie clear coat, and it's quite durable. imo. ymmv.

Rob DiStefano · « **Reply #55 on:** February 03, 2011, 11:01:00 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:

Quote
Originally posted by CRS:
Rob,

Great post, but I have never found crafting woodies to be cheap (in time) or easy (labor intensive).

i like to think that my method is the easiest and bestest of all the methods out there, yet still produce a good lookin', durable arrow :D

Straightening the shafts is absolutely paramount to the "good". This is also where the saying you can't make a silk purse out of sow's ear comes to mind.

earlier today i added a segment to the 1st post on straightening wood

Have you had trouble with the poly coating sticking in targets and get all mucked up?

nope, not at all

I have noticed this with 3-d and bale type targets. It is like the heat from the friction melts the poly as it is penetrating.

yes, i've heard that can occur

I like to use a mixture of acetone and two ton epoxy for the final coating.

yep, the 'massey finish'

Must apply in well ventilated area and wear gloves. But the finish is hard and very durable. 3:1 ratio works for yeoman shafts in 2-3 coats. A 6:1 results in a thinner mixture but takes more coats to apply, and results in a nicer finish.

I have recovered lost arrows in my canyon after being exposed to the elements. The poly seems to peel easier while the epoxy finsh is very tough and holds up better.

the diluted SLOW SET epoxy finish is best, but not for everyone to use ... and one must consider that the roving/hunting lifespan of a woodie is less than a carb or alum. min-wax wipe-on polyu is still the easiest, fastest woodie clear coat, and it's quite durable. imo. ymmv.

Rob DiStefano · « **Reply #56 on:** February 03, 2011, 02:35:00 PM »

fourth and final wipe of clear on all 12 shafts, cured nicely overnight.

stained and cleared, cleared only, raw wood - shown so you can see the color differences ...

... you can see that clear alone will mute the brightness of raw wood.

push a nock onto one of the shafts (don't glue!), set the nock into the finishing nail of yer shaft/arrow sizing jig ...

... and mark at the length to cut the shaft down to arrow size. you want to make that mark at 3/4" more than the final length of each arrow. i want these woodies to be 29-1/4" long, so i made a pencil mark at 30" ...

... mark up for each shaft first. then cut the shaft right at the mark, either by rolling a knife on the cut line mark and scoring deeply before snapping off the excess, or cut off with a saw blade ...

add the point taper ...

after all the shafts have been point tapered, i like to put some finish/sealer on the freshly cut point tapers. either some clear polyu, or duco cement. or, as i just did, by wicking in some water thin cya (CYAnocrylate super glue) - this seals and hardens the point taper at the same time.

next up - fletching!

$bowhunter$ · « **Reply #57 on:** February 03, 2011, 03:06:00 PM »

great job rob. where did you get that bearpaw tapertool. at least i think its a bear paw. i cant seem to find the new ones like that anywhere.

steven

Rob DiStefano · « **Reply #58 on:** February 03, 2011, 03:17:00 PM »

bearpaw taper tool from kustom king.

huey · « **Reply #59 on:** February 03, 2011, 06:44:00 PM »

Gotta love this site. Rob I do die some shafts, but the cresting is where I always mess it up. I have used paint, markers, sharpies and so far either the ink has ran or lines not straight. Alway's something wrong with my crest. All that just to say I am watching you. Thanks for shorting my learning curve on many things dealing with a stick bow.


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Author Topic: crafting excellent woodies the easy and cheap way (Read 5671 times)

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