Wood Arrows

[X2]

How many still use wood arrows, and how much trouble do you go to when making them?  I start with the best shafts I can find.  I use 11/32’ tapered to 5/16’s POC.  I then spine each one, and write the spine on each shaft.  I make up my dozens in 3 lbs groups.  Like 55,56,57.  I match my dozens no more than 10 grains apart.  I am very careful about the nock and point taper.  I spend a lot of time straightening them.  Sometimes I paint them up pretty, and sometimes just leave them plain.  This takes up a lot of time, but I enjoy it.  What is your routine, and how much time do you spend on them.

[Hot Hap]

I still use them, but I've worked so many hours the last few years that they do not turn out as good as they used too in the past. I match them up about like you do but don't worry as much about the weight. Try to keep within 25-30 gr. Paint and stain all of them. I have a Horizon taper tool and a Woodchuck, but use my own jig on a disk sander now. I've got 6 Dz. footed shafts that I've been wanting to get started on for over 3 years now. What part of Idaho are you in? Hap

[Mike Gerardi]

X2, Sounds like your reading my life story off of a index card. For me half the fun of archery is making my arrows. I use doug fir, and cedar. I love to use different styles of flecth and cresting.  Then I watch'em fly
                      Mike

[Frank V]

Still using them? I never quit. Tried the others & came back to wood. I use split hex shafts from Bob Burton very plain for practice/stumping. I use Profin finish without any cap dip or crest. For hunting I use the same arrows from Bob only they are footed,the Gryfalcon. My bows love them. Frank

[madness522]

Still using them?  You mean to tell me there are arrow made from anything else??

This is my first year hunting with a stick bow and I like making wood arrows so that's what I'll be hunting with.  I do have couple carbons to stump with.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Ash wood'n arrows for me, I do have some Easton 2016's, but the woodies are the first to go out in the woods. All mine are plain Jane, just sealed with  wipe on poly ( works for me )and I'm good to go.

[geno]

I have a 1/2 doz. ready for fletching today. A little tung oil, a little stain or just poly.I am using a disc/belt sander and some jigs I made.What brand fletching are you guys using and from where??  I will be trying some splicing here shortly.

[zilla]

I use em.. I have found that for some reason woods fly better out of my bow.. I am using Sitka Spruce right now with great results..  I do have some POC arrows, Hexi-shafts, and laminated birch made up.. The POC and Spruce seems best..

[Aeronut]

I just can't shoot anything but wood from my selfbows.  I have a few aluminum laying around but shoot nothing but wood now.  Never could justify the cost of carbon and it seemed just another high tech item like compounds that I wanted to get away from.

Dennis

[TSP]

I like wood, hunt mostly with wood and enjoy making my own arrows.  Whatever the chosen shaft material making arrows is kind of a minihobby within a hobby, and making wood arrows is the dessert part of that minihobby.

Wood is good!  Pass the chocolate sauce.  

[skillet]

How do you store your finished arows? I have two dozen that I just finished (sitka spruce) on the kitchen table now. I am sure someone will want them moved soon.

Up-right? In the quiver ready to go? Horizontal?

[George Tsoukalas]

It's no trouble at all.    jawge

[kctreeman]

Wood bows, wood arrows.  I like going to the trouble of building my own.  Just another part of the whole experience.

[Lost Arra]

Wood arrows you make or at least seal and fletch are always more accurate.  

[Dingus]

Gotta go wood... ramin dowels.  If you've seen my boys at MOJAM and OJAM, you know we go through some arrows.  See MOJAM PICS under events.

Keeps the cost down to about a buck an arrow (not counting labor of course) and the kids are involved.  Quality time!

Got back from MOJAM last month and had to start on another batch.

 
 

Golden Oak Min Wax and green Rit Clothe Dye

[Lost Arra]

Mike:
It's no wonder your boys go thru arrows, Green Shafts???    

Where are you getting your dowels?

[Griffon]

Took the words right outa my mouth X2.  I used to use mostly POC, but now I use mostly 11/32 Sitka Spruce shafts.  Spine-matched beforehand and then barrelled at both ends to 5/16 using nothing more than a measuring tape, a small woodplaner and some fine-grade sandpaper.  (I would like to add that I'm a real purist when it comes to woodwork, but the truth is I have just never got round to buying the right tools!).  Then sealed and finished with different shades of Danish Oil.  Time consuming, but....Beautiful.  Rgds

[toddster]

Here is my routine.  I get a dozen shafts, with appropriate spine for bow I am shooting (talk about that later).  I then straighten them once a day for 3 days, so they will roll across a glass table with no wobble. I will then go in my shop and cut them. I will then sand them, and go through staining/painting/crowning and cresting them, then I will seal them, taper and nock them. My draw length for my longbow is 27.5".  I will cut an arrow 29, one 28.5, one 28, and one 27.5".  I will then take them out to my butt target at 30 yards without feathers and shoot them, each three or four times.  Each time marking which one hit the mark and groups.  I then will usually have to cut the rest to where the groups are at and discard wild ones for fluflue's.

[Artur]

I used aluminum for the very first set of arrows I ever had (seems like 100 years ago!), but decided wood was much better after having to use 'em for re-enactment/re-creation stuff. Mine are POC, straight, spined as close to 52# as I can get them -- usually 11/32" diam -- and finished weight is 430-460 grain (at least, 445-450 seems to be the average); 125 grain points, shaft cut to 30" to back of point. I do need to straighten them before I can think of building them, but I suppose that's normal for all woods. I just use a clear finish on mine, so the natural wood grain shows. I can usually get a dozen arrows done in about a week, working on 'em a couple hours a day; four days, start to finish, if I spend at least 8 hours a day on 'em.

Oh, and I used to taper the point and nock ends with a True-Center(tm) taper tool, but didn't like how it would sometimes tear the wood instead of cutting it -- so I bought a Woodchuck(tm) taper grinder; Slick! Now I only use the True Center(tm) for field repairs... And I usually buy TrueFlight(tm) feather fletching, but have on occasion stripped/cut/ground my own from Canada Goose feathers.

The last dozen I built cost a total of $45 for shafts, fletching, nocks, points, glue and lacquer finish.

[Artur]

Originally posted by skillet:
How do you store your finished arows? I have two dozen that I just finished (sitka spruce) on the kitchen table now. I am sure someone will want them moved soon.

Up-right? In the quiver ready to go? Horizontal?

I keep mine in my quiver. I check them for straightness, if I have been away from shooting for too long.

For bare shafting, I use the time-tested method of storage: In a bundle, tied tightly at both ends and in the middle, to prevent excessive warping; if one shaft is going to warp, they ALL have to warp.