Would Like to Try WOOD Arrows...Can You Get Me Started??

[Nala]

Hey all,

I have never shot a wood arrow.  Now I have a hankering to try them.  I enjoy putting together my aluminum and carbon arrows, but I know that building wood arrows is a different animal all together.

I don't know the first thing about making wood arrows.  I don't even know what size or spine to order or what woods are the best to use.

I'd like to get some advice from you all on what I need to do from ordering the shafts to the finishes.  I don't have a spinner so the crest would most likely be one color to make it easier.

I basically need to know what shafts to get for a 48 pound Hill Style longbow.  My arrow length is 30"-30 1/2".  Which wood or brand of shafts to get and who has the best prices with the best shaft material.

I know they get stained, but do they get sealed or anything before the stain goes on?


Thanks all for the time and any help you can give me.

Nalajr

[shreffler]

It's really not as hard of a process as you think. Surewood Shafts (sponsor here - find their website at the top of the page) is a good source. I'd say the most common wood is Port Orford Cedar.

The average size shaft for hunting weight is 11/32 I'd think, and for a 48# bow something spined like 55-60 should shoot well.

Here's how I do it:

Check arrows for straightness, correct this first if any are out of alignment.

I like tru-oil to stain, so I add a few coats of oil. I then tape off the ends and dip in paint to create a cap.

Usually I clean up the end of the cap with a small crest just to make it look clean, and dip it in polyurethane. I've used just basic minwax polyurethane from Lowe's or Walmart with great luck. I have a PVC tube that I capped the end with and dip my arrows in that.

There are a bunch of GREAT step by step tutorials in the "How To" forum located on the main page, and I'm sure people will come by here with great detailed instructions. Read all you can, but the greatest learning tool is hands on experience    

Good luck!

[shreffler]

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000119

[Wandering Archer]

Do some searching, as mentioned there are some great step by step tutorials out there.

If you don't have a spinner, just use a cordless drill, that's what I do and works pretty well.

Personally, this is how I do it. For my 40# bow, I used 45-50lb Port Orford Cedar (POC). For my new 47lb. bow, I just bought some 50-55lb POC, but haven't made the shafts yet. I have a 28" draw and use 125gr. points. If you use heavier points, or want to be able to leave your shafts longer, then you may want to use 55-60lb. shafts.

My process:
* Taper nock end of shaft
* Straighten shafts if necessary (roll on granite counter to find the high spots, then use a screw driver shaft to rub the high spot against the counter, repeat until straight enough)
* Stain entire shaft (any wood or leather stain)
* Tape off where I want my cap to stop.
* Dip, or spray paint (enamel) my cap.
* 1 coat of sealer, I use gasket lacquer and a dip tube, but you can also use a rag and wipe on poly
* Straighten any shafts that went wonky during the dye/paint steps.
* Chuck shaft into cordless drill and use a vise to pull the trigger.
* Crest with Testors model paint.
* 2 more coats of finish


* Glue nocks onto all shafts
* Point taper 2 shafts and apply points with hot melt glue
* Shoot arrows at target from 5 yards, moving to 20 yards if they are shooting straight.
* If shafts fly and impact target with the nock pointing left(for right handed shooters) then your spine is too light. Cut 1/4" off and re-taper and add point. Repeat this until the shafts fly and impact just as straight as a normal arrow. (If you get too short that your point is touching the bow at full draw, then you need to start with heavier spined shafts)
* If shafts fly and impact target with the nock pointing right then you bought shafts that are too heavy in spine, and you gotta start all over with lighter shafts next time  

You can do the above with all your arrows, but for my purposes it's close enough to just tune 2 or 3 arrows then cut all arrows to the length of the tuned shafts.

* After all shafts are cut to length and have points on them, and fly well at 20 yards, it's time to fletch.
* Using a fletching jig and fletching tape, Fletch your arrows. I like to add a drop of glue to the ends of the fletching when using the tape.

[dragonheart]

Had great quality from surewood shafting.

[dragonheart]

[dragonheart]

For a Hill bow it is more predictable for me if I get the arrows no longer than they need to be, that is one 1/2" to 3/4" extra length for broadheads, just enough to tag my finger with the blade when I draw.  If you call Wapiti or Surewood they can hit that spine if you know your point weight, string type and exact draw length when you are shooting. Many times people draw a little shorter with Hills than they think.  My bows are a bit faster than than an average Hill and my sight windows are touch deeper than an average Hill so I add five pounds.

[Zradix]

As with any shaft material, a spine test kit is very nice to have.
...really takes the guess work out.

Don't really need much to get going.
1. a saw for cutting to length.
2. A taper tool. The cheap plastic pencil sharpeners work ok with cedar.
I like the bearpaw DELUXE (METAL ONE) taper tool the most. It eats thru cedar, ash, spruce, doug fir, and bamboo with ease.

3. clear sealer

4. steel wool

5. round shanked screw driver..yep a screw driver.

6. a 2x4 with a bunch of holes in it.

7. alcohol (methanol works great cause it evaporates very fast)

8. metal bottle cap ( I use a hoppes gun solvent cap)

9. glue

You can buy all kinds of fancy stuff to make em.
I prefer to be cheap...but still well done.

Use the shank of the screw driver to straighten the shafts.
Just roll the high side of the shaft up on the table and run the shank of the screw driver back and forth along the high spots of the shafts till it's straight.

Then wipe some alcohol on the shafts to raise the fuzz.
Steel wool or fine sand paper it off. Sometimes small bits of steel can get stuck in the wood at this stage but it's normally not a problem

Stain the shafts if wanted.

Seal the shafts. I use minwax wipe on poly.
I just pour a bit out into a bowl, bottom of a plastic bottle etc.
It's nice to use the plastic bottle cause you can squeeze it and easily pour the excess back into the jug.
anyway, I use about a 5"x3" section of BOUNTY paper towel folded in half to apply the poly.( use the all white towels. The printed dyed kind can run) Just saturate the pad of towel. Squeeze out some of the excess and give each shaft a swipe. Works well.

This is where the 2x4 with holes comes in nicely. just put the tip of the shafts into the holes to hold em till dry. you'll taper or cut off this section later anyway so don't worry about the shaft resting on the holes and ruining the finish there.

Steel wool a little between coats. I normally do about 7-8 coats.
wipe off the dust, and coat again.

After you get a few coats on check for straightness again.

glue the nocks on so that the open parts of the grain are on the top and bottom.

Duco (green and yellow tube) works great with poly for the fletch and plastic nocks.

I use the metal cap as my "burner" for the hot glue.
just pour in some alcohol and light it up.
JUST DON'T SPILL THE DARN CUP WHILE LIT..lol

I probably missed something in there but it pretty much sums up my way of doing it.

[monterey]

I suggest you use Stu miller's spine calculator to select your spine weight.  When the instructions are followed carefully, the results are very accurate.

I built three hill style bows for family members a few years back.  They had a lot of individual variations and the shooters draw lengths ranged from 27" to 31".  Using Stu's calculator the arrows built for each recipient shot perfectly from the git go.

[monterey]

Zradix, you posted while I was typing.  Just wanted to add that he can't go wrong following your advice.  Only area I disagree on is the taper tool.  I have several Whiffen and Bearpaw taper tools but don't even look at them since getting a Tru Taper V2.

In fact, the first person to send me six dollars for postage can have them!

[Zradix]

Monterey,
Haven't tried the tru taper V2.
I found the bear paw DELUXE is much easier to use the the original tru taper.

Are the bearpaw tools you have the deluxe model?

I just realized bear paw makes a plastic taper tool.
I DON'T have the plastic one and wasn't referring to it.

I have the bearpaw DELUXE. Which is made of metal and similar in design to the tru taper.

I'll make a correction above.

Good catch monterey.
       

[slowbowjoe]

Zradix, I've been thinking about the Bearpaw deluxe tool myself. How long is the taper you get with it?

Monterey - same question - how long a taper do you get with the V2?

[Zradix]

The taper on the bear paw deluxe is just a hair under 7/8" in length.
It leaves the point of the taper 3/16" in dia.

The points mount to the taper with no problem or wobble at all.

The only problem I've had is with the bleeder blade holes on zwickey 4 blades.

The shaft won't plug the holes..so I filled em with glue.

I'm interested in the V2 as well....but I'm very happy with the bear paw.
One thing I like about the bear paw deluxe is that there isn't any adjustments on it. The blades only go in one way, in one spot.
I had problems getting the taper angle adjusted in the tru taper original.
And something about the blades or the shaving angle on the bear paw gives really clean cuts on harder woods too.

[Zradix]

I just looked at some vids of the tru taper V2.

Looks basically identical to the bearpaw deluxe in function and result.

[monterey]

Indeed, I was talking about the plastic bear paw and whiffen tools.  The taper with them is never straight!  

The bear paw deluxe is apparently a whole different animal.

As far as length of taper, I have never tapered a point of nock end to maximum length.

[Zradix]

Originally posted by monterey:
Indeed, I was talking about the plastic bear paw and whiffen tools.  The taper with them is never straight!  

The bear paw deluxe is apparently a whole different animal.

As far as length of taper, I have never tapered a point of nock end to maximum length.