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Kiln dried Douglas fir = bad
RBLusthaus:
About a year back, I purchased a KD doug fir board from my dealer. 85 bucks. I figured over 100 shafts, easy. Best grain I ever saw in a board - almost perfectly straight with very little runout. I thought I hit the lottery with this board.
Maybe three shafts made it thru my doweler without breaking or tearing out something awful. My experience seems to be the same as yours. I stopped trying and used the supply of 1/2 inch squares as very expensive wood stove kindling.
If you still have some, maybe try spritzing them with water prior to running them thru the doweler. I have not tried this, but promised myself I would next time I have this problem.
I am not sure if the problem was the KD or just case hardened wood, or something else entirely. I have not tried DF since.
Russ
willie:
--- Quote from: Bryce (Pinecone) on November 28, 2017, 01:07:10 pm ---The problem probably lies in the material itself........The best way in my experience is a shafts plane.
--- End quote ---
My thoughts also
--- Quote --- If it's not good-straight, old growth/ tight ringed fir it won't make the best shafts.
--- End quote ---
Bryce, the last time I was looking at doug fir at the specialty supplier, what they stocked had very straight grain, but it was light weight and looked like the interior variety from the color. Ever try it for arrows?
Bryce:
--- Quote from: willie on November 28, 2017, 03:20:03 pm ---
--- Quote from: Bryce (Pinecone) on November 28, 2017, 01:07:10 pm ---The problem probably lies in the material itself........The best way in my experience is a shafts plane.
--- End quote ---
My thoughts also
--- Quote --- If it's not good-straight, old growth/ tight ringed fir it won't make the best shafts.
--- End quote ---
Bryce, the last time I was looking at doug fir at the specialty supplier, what they stocked had very straight grain, but it was light weight and looked like the interior variety from the color. Ever try it for arrows?
--- End quote ---
It's the only wood I shoot. Sometimes stores sell hemlock right next to fir and even sell it as fir, but it ain't. Fir heartwood can be light brown to a pinkish hew.
Good dense fir is worth the work.
Cut into 1/2" squares and then plane the rest of the way 11/32. And I like the last 10" of my shafts tapered to 5/16 at the nock base.
willie:
from usfs website
--- Quote ---Pseudotsuga menziesii has two widely recognized varieties: menziesii, the green variety indigenous to the area west of the summit of the Cascade Range in Washington and Oregon and of the Sierra Nevada in California; and glauca, the blue Douglas-fir native to the interior mountains of the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains in the United States, and to Mexico. The division between the two varieties is not as clearly defined in Canada, although menziesii is commonly considered indigenous to the area west of the crest of the mainland Coast and Cascade Ranges.
--- End quote ---
what i have seen from the rockies seems to be quite different in color and density. Not sure what surewood uses, but if they source local, I will bet that it is coastal, which can be stiffer.
loefflerchuck:
Bryce, The wood was perfect grain and between 26-30 rpi. Pretty tight for fir I have seen. Surewood does it best. I see they hand split their fir to season. I like the ease of the two blade shaft maker but guess if I want to use this wood hand planing is the way. How long does it take to hand plane 120 shafts? Maybe be done in a few years.
Russ, sounds like we had the exact same experience. Wish I talked to you before my purchase. You paid $5 more than me. I may give your idea a try.
The 3 shafts that did survive are around 55-58# spine at 11/32
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