Crafting woodies-basic instructions for a rookie?

[Cavscout9753]

Hello all. Well my head hurts, I've read numerous versions of making woodies from the bottom up and I guess I'm too far removed from the process to grasp it. I think I get lost when folks get into which specific brand or type of materials they use and prefere. If anyone has some time, could you jot down here the basic steps and general type of stuff? As an example, I want to do a simple stain, white cap, and basic cresting. But do I steel wool first, stain the whole shaft, tape of, paint cap, then crest, then coats of clear poly to seal everything, or am I supposed to stain, poly, paint, then poly? Ugh. Maybe im over thinking it? Also, if you decide you can help can you say which type of products? As in -" water based stain". Not so much "this brand".  My goal is to just write down the steps, buy the products, and go slow. But I also know if I poly prematurely i can ruin a step or at very least make added work. Thanks in advance, just once I'd like to bring something to the table here instead of just asking so many questions! Haha maybe one day. Happy shooting!

[Biathlonman]

Check the "how to" section for good build alongs. Basically

-buy shafts from Surewood
-light rub down with steel wool
-Minwax stain from Walmart, little yellow can
-next day,steel wool gently, Wipe on, "Minway Wipe-on poly" silver can
-Keep adding coats of above when one before is dry, waiting at least 4 hours between coats and hitting gently with steel wool between coats.
-Wait at least a day from last coat of poly, tape off line and use White Rustoleum spray paint (the slow dry stuff).
-Wait a day, crest.
-Wait another day, add another coat of poly like before.
-Wait until dry, next day better, and fletch/shoot.

[ChuckC]

You can do nearly anything you want to, hand dipping, hand painting, burning, spray painting no painting, cap dip or not. . .  anything.  Folks use special (Bohning) type paints, auto paint, kids water color paint from Walmart.

Look at the "How To" sections and "build alongs".  They will help you get started.  Show us pix of what you do, good or bad.

Ask your questions.  Eventually you will bring stuff to the table.  Don't worry about that.

ChuckC

[jrchambers]

make straight before seal.  spin test nocks.

[Tracker2]

Sure wood shafts are REALLY straight when you first get them. This is what I do:

-Straighten arrows using an old padlock.

-bundle together with rubber bands (the more the better) to keep them straight. and repeat in a few hours.

-Sand them (wire wool is perfect too) If you use sand paper use something more fine. like 800-1000.

-find your nock and point ends and mark them (Read about the grains and which way they should be. Bascially you want the grain to run perpendicular to the shelf of your bow. This will put the arrow at the stiffest point on your bow. They should shoot better    )

-taper your nock end.

-If you want to stain them now is the time. some people use leather dye. that works well too.

-coat with a lacquer of some sort. I use polyurethane. I have used boiled linseed before too. let COMPLETELY dry between coats. sand or wire wool between coats as well.

-apply 3-5 coats. (however you like them)

-crest

-I brush the cresting with polyurethane to protect the finish.

-Glue your nocks on. make sure your index lines up wit the grain properly.

-Fletch. I like to star with the cock feather so i dont mess that up. do it every time!

-Dap the tapered end of the fletching with glue to protect the fletches so they dont rip off as easily. (I like DUCO for woodies)

-Measure the length of the arrow and remember its a 1" taper.

-GLUE points on with Ferr-L-Tight. If you use any sort of oil be careful not to burn the shaft. You can burn the ends easily.

-Nock on your string and let em TWANG! I love woodies.
 
NEVER be in a rush to make wood arrows. Enjoy the process and really pay attention to detail. If you do you can make arrows that fly just as good as carbons. You won't be disappointed with SUREWOOD either. They are the best IMO

[Cavscout9753]

These responses are perfect. Thank you for taking the time to write that. It was the order of events that kept losing me. The only other thing I need to look at is the grain thing. I saw it in one of the build alongs but I dont recall where. No worries though, should be easy enough to find. Oh, yes I had planned on surewood shafts without a doubt. Thats really the last thing I have left to get aside from the poly and paint. Thanks again folks. If it doesn't come out horrid I post some pics of the result. I plan on spending an hour a day after work for the steps to keep me from rushing any step.

[ChuckC]

I have purchased Surewood shafts several times in the past.   There is a real problem there.

If you buy their shafts, you likely will never get any practice in straightening arrow shafts, cause they are already straight as... well, an arrow...

If you really want to learn, I suggest you get more than just a dozen, then make batches of 3 or 6 at a time.  Start with a basic, not fancy arrow, so you can have some to shoot, then  play.  

Get fancy, get better, get riske'.  then get pictures on the forum.

ChuckC

[D.J. Carr]

I'm in the same boat as Cavscout.  So the grains should run up and down?
This may sound silly but how do you determine your nock end and point end?

[Cavscout9753]

Ok, so for basic ideas -
Stain: minwax wipe on, oil based?
Poly: wipe on minewax poly, no real prefrence? sorry, not really sure how many types or versions of poly there is. "Silver can" seems easy enough to remember though.
Cap paint: slow dry, high gloss enamel?
Crest paint: how about like model paint fromt hobby lobby? Not sure if its an oil based or what. Does it matter? My fear is of course bleeding between components.

[Cavscout9753]

DJ: from what I can gather..

(Nock)>>>>>>>>>>>>>(Point)
        ^^^^(This is the "feathering" of the grain and should be facing up)

[Bud B.]

Dip tube and hanging rack seen here:

 

My "kit"

 

I mix the polyurethane and mineral spirits about 50/50.

I dip the shafts before rubbing down with 0000 steel wool. This seals them. After a thorough dry I smooth with 0000 steel wool aggressively for a baby butt smooth feel. I wipe down with an alcohol moistened cloth (old t-shirt material) to remove debris and dip again. Thorough dry. 0000 steel wool again (lighter pressure this time). Wipe down again. Dip again. Thorough dry again.

When the finish is smooth and slick when dry I crest with unthinned Testors.

After cresting I use the water based Delta Ceramacoat high gloss to seal the cresting. It will run if you don't seal it. I use the cresting machine to seal the cresting only and just beyond the crest paint onto the shaft. Let the clear water based coat dry well. (a few hours) Lightly 0000 steel wool it again. Wipe off debris. Dip again (I usually dip twice more). The finish you then have will be almost bomb proof.

If you cap dip (just make a shorter dip tube) use high gloss exterior water based paint from the hardware store. Dip as above and 0000 steel wool and wipe off debris as above. With the water based cap dip you won't have to allow it to dry as long (I let the poly dry for 10 or more hours between dips. Paint could be just a couple of hours, but make sure it's dry when you steel wool it. Lightly steel wool the cap dip. I cap to bare wood first then start my poly process.)

Oil based poly will give you the better more durable shaft protection in my opinion. Who cares if over time it yellows a bit. Then your arrows will be vintage and if they make it that long before you break them stumping or hunting or Robin Hooding you're doing great anyway.


The shafts above a poplar dowels from Lowe's for my nephew for Christmas.

[NY Yankee]

Please allow me to clarify a few things. Most all the advice above is spot on. 1. Minwax regular or spar urethane is best IMO and gloss gives the best results (you can buff it down later if you want to).  2. what everyone calls "wipe on poly" is actually brush on. They do make one labled wipe on but its messy and involves cleanup. Use the regularone and a foam brush. You will get good results like that. The only cleanup is toss the brush and wipe off your fingers. PM me if I can help more.

[ChuckC]

OF NOTE.... If you are worried about the lay of the grain regarding rift as it pertains to your own safety... and pay attention here if you are purchasing arrows pre-made..  If you make them for righties, it will be wrong for lefties, etc

From that respect, arrows are not ambidextrous.


ChuckC

[Bud B.]

Chuck is correct. I had to orient the grain for my nephew as a righty. But with low poundage bows it is not as important. His is 20# so I have no worries using the hardware store dowels. Make sure any grain runout "V's" point towards the tip of the arrow (like in your post above CAV) and is on top of the arrow for the intended shooter.

[Cavscout9753]

Thanks for all of the help folks! My confidence is a bit higher now, haha.

[D.J. Carr]

Tighter grain at the point end loser grain at the nock end

grains should be vertical

when you are looking at the nock end tightening grain should be up

is that all correct?

[Prairie Drifter]

No, grain should be horizontal, perpendicular to the string when nocked.

[D.J. Carr]

Earlier it was said grain perpendicular to shelf?

[30coupe]

Originally posted by D.J. Carr:
Earlier it was said grain perpendicular to shelf?

Parallel to shelf/perpendicular to the string or your arrow can break at the shot. My cousin had a cheap store bought arrow snap and the fletch end lodged in his arm. I had to pull it out. Believe me, you don't want to experience that!

If you wet the straight cut end of the shaft with a little mineral spirits, you can easily see the direction of the grain. Sometimes the saw marks make it hard to tell if you don't wet it a bit.

If you have a spine tester, it is easy to see why you orient it this way. The spine will be weaker the other way.

[Bud B.]

Originally posted by D.J. Carr:
Earlier it was said grain perpendicular to shelf?

Depends on how you look at "shelf." Maybe perpendicular to riser would be a better phrase.