Author Topic: Some english style arrows / first arrows from my router jig, also new fletch jig  (Read 14619 times)

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Offline toomanyknots

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Fast fletch binding just takes a bit of practice.  I used to do it with a needle but gave up as it's too much faffing about for me! Once you find a method that works for you, you can get a lot done pretty quickly.

Anyway, those are beautiful arrows Daniel.  I love ash shafts - especially when finished with just oil as it brings the grain out superbly.  Very nice work, and would be a more than acceptable set for a warbow shoot!  Just need to make 'em half an inch thick now and put some hand forged heads on ;)

Thank you Will!
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline WillS

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If it's any help (I notice on a couple of yours you can see the hard edge of the feather quill even underneath the wrapping and that can catch the back of your hand or just generally reduce aerodynamics a touch (not important on hunting/re-enactment arrows but more so on distance/flight shooting with warbows if you made them for the bigger bows!)) I use a hot piece of steel like a knife held in a flame for a few minutes to burn the feather quill down into the arrow shaft at a taper.  It seems to work a bit better than just cutting them at an angle and gives a really neat, flush finish.  Once the binding is put on, you can't see the end of the quill at all. 

I think for my next set I'm going to copy yours - I really love the look of the natural barred turkey against the two white feathers.

Offline JEB

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Great looking arrows.  The wraps look great.  I bought a 1/4# spool of brown silk thread at a  yard sale to use to wrap feathers. Reading the posts sure helps with how to do that.

Your needle and thread and WILLS and his hot knife to taper the  quill.!!!!!


Offline Archeress

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Hey Daniel...heres one of my war arrows.  your superb arras made me go and look at mine to see how misaligned my whipping was.   I promised myself to make another set after xmas with perfect whipping..i may use a needle.       oh and the reason the horn inserts are so black is because i used a texta before i oiled them up.  Makes them stand out.

Archeress is a long way from home

Offline Archeress

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Archeress is a long way from home

Offline WillS

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I love your little initial Kel.  I still haven't come up with something neat and tidy that stands out for shoots.

Offline JEB

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Archeress, very nice arrows and I really like your footings. Guess I am going to try to do a wrap after all these photo's.

Offline Archeress

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Thanks guys...i put the pics up to show the comparison between knots and mine.  Daniels are awesomely perfect..my whipping is not quite there yet. 
Archeress is a long way from home

Offline JEB

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Forgot to ask.  How do you cut the slot for your footings?

Offline Archeress

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believe it or not i use the tile saw that i use for the nocks.  Yes it is a deep cut and can be fraught with mistakes but i was just careful and slow.   I plan on buying one of those metal block jigs from richard head longbows.  make life easier.
Archeress is a long way from home

Offline toomanyknots

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Thanks guys...i put the pics up to show the comparison between knots and mine.  Daniels are awesomely perfect..my whipping is not quite there yet.

Your whipping looks perfect! Very nice arrows! I think yours looks better than mine, and nice inserts too. I took a tip from big bow brum on youtube and use some hacksaw blades glued together to cut my inserts. I screw them up all the time too, it is hard to get them perfect! I wanna get my hands on one of richard head longbows jigs too,  :).

If it's any help (I notice on a couple of yours you can see the hard edge of the feather quill even underneath the wrapping and that can catch the back of your hand or just generally reduce aerodynamics a touch (not important on hunting/re-enactment arrows but more so on distance/flight shooting with warbows if you made them for the bigger bows!)) I use a hot piece of steel like a knife held in a flame for a few minutes to burn the feather quill down into the arrow shaft at a taper.  It seems to work a bit better than just cutting them at an angle and gives a really neat, flush finish.  Once the binding is put on, you can't see the end of the quill at all. 

I think for my next set I'm going to copy yours - I really love the look of the natural barred turkey against the two white feathers.

I'll try that out next time, thanks for the tip!
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline paulsemp

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Tmk those are some beauty's for sure!

Offline Archeress

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au contraire..yours are perfect..love them. 

here is what i use to cut nocks and horn slots.



Archeress is a long way from home

Offline Archeress

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yes nick B does some great instructional vids
Archeress is a long way from home

Offline toomanyknots

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au contraire..yours are perfect..love them. 

here is what i use to cut nocks and horn slots.





Well I'm still sure your 1/2" shafts would kick my 11/32" target shafts A$$ still,  ;D. I use a saw blade just like that for doing nocks in the horn tips of bows, but it always leaves scratches that are hard to burnish away. It does cut super fast though. I always use it for temporary nocks as well, before I put the horn nocks on.
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair