Question or Eric krewson

[Stephengiles]

Mr. Krewson I hope you don't mind but I noticed your from my home state. I also get the impression that you make most of your own equipment, correct me if I'm wrong. What I was wondering is do you make your own arrows from local materials. I've always shot aluminum but thinking about switching to wood. My first set or two will be Douglas fir but I would like to eventually do them from scratch. Do you have a favorite or ones I should avoid. I have the tools and I work in landscaping so every so often I have to cut some trees up. I was carpenter for about 15 years so I can read wood fairly well but what can I say I've never made an arrow out of it. I know oak and hickory are decent arrow woods but what about a tight grained pine. Any way I could keep rambling but I won't. Once again I hope this isn't too forward

[Eric Krewson]

I made a router shaft machine a few years back. It turned out really great arrow shafts but I had trouble getting good arrow wood to run through it. The best wood I found was tight grain doug fir from Lowe's. I would get 13 shafts from a $6 board, the problem was I would have spines from 40 to 60 from the same board.

Back then you could get a dozen matched shafts for $12-$15. I quit making shafts and bought them, much easier.

I also went through my poplar dowel phase. I would start with a 3/8 dowel, barrel taper it and sand the middle to get the spine down. I made great arrows but the process was very labor intensive.

I went through my cane shaft phase as well, made great arrows but again, very labor intensive.