Black locust for arrows?

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Like the title states, how is black locust for arrows? For some reason I've been wanting to try it. Due to a lack of good arrows I have arrow building on my mind. When I cut some stave trees I'm thinking about keeping back some shorter straight grained sections to try as dowel arrows. Think it'll be worth the time and effort involved?

Thanks,
Kyle

[Pat B]

Should make good arrows. Will probably be heavy physically.

[bowandarrow473]

I made some black locust arrows a while ago, they seemed to fly well but I don't know the specific weight or spine as I don't weigh or spine stuff (I use my hands) but the flight was simalar to my dogwood and hickory arrows so the weight might be around the same.

[TimBo]

I planed some out from a board a couple of years ago.  It seems like a great arrow material, but is very dense.  Mine are too heavy to use with the 50-55 pound bows I shoot.  If I got them down to 5/16", they might work.  As I remember, they heat straightened very easily.  I did self nocks and didn't feel that they needed any reinforcing (but who knows about that since I didn't shoot them a lot).  Jay Massey mentions black locust in the arrows chapter of TBB vol. 1 - maybe that's where you got the idea.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I'm glad to hear that it won't be any issue using black locusts. I've actually never read any of TBB books. I got to thinking about it with how stiff the stuff is in the form of a bow and got to thinking that it might make for some high spine for small diameter arrows. And it splits so easy I feel like you can split it down into shafts fairly easily. It'll be a while till I cut some more locust, but once I do and make some arrows I'll report back on what I think of them. So far I only have hickory and pretty soon some either white pine or Douglas fir (came from a 2x3) arrows to compare to.

Kyle

[riverrat]

ive plained them out in the past after splitting some out. tell ya what, i loved them. makes awesome shafts! respond well to dry heat bending as i recall. if some are bent a little.look very nice.Tony

[PortlandJoe]

Black Locust shoot shafts are not worth the time  in my opinion. I've never tried split for m a board but it sounds neat.

[riverrat]

not split from a board. split from a log.just like a stave.actualy think of it as a small stave. then you debark, get rid of sapwood..."if you want". and then split out your arrows.thats how i did it anyhow.
Tony