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Phragmites arrow help

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jeffp51:
In Utah I am sure they used sandstone for arrow straighteners. I would heat the shafts all the way around. It seems like I remember being able to get the most bending on the first heating, and then it got harder to do much each heating after that. It is easy to have the Reed crush in compression, so be careful. It is also easy to scorch them. Under the best conditions, though, I would expect to ruin nearly as many as you succeed with.  Look for shafts with the thickest walls. I have a couple of phragmites arrows from Utah lake fletches with goose feathers from geese shot on the lake tipped with knapped glass points from bottles found on the shore. The pitch glue is from closer to the mountain-and the sinew is local too.

turtle:
Its been several years since I made any phragmitie arrows. I ruined several before I got the hang of straightening  them. I heated them all the way around over a tea candle and bent them gently by hand. Takes a few shafts to get the right feel for temperature and correct amount of pressure. I also found that a light sanding and a coat of boiled linseed oil a day or two before working on them greatly reduces the chance of them scorching. Boiled linseed  oil is a flame retardant.

Redhand:
Marin
I also live in Utah.
I have made arrows from phragmites they can get tricky to straighten out. I use a straightening tool made out of soap stone. I hear up the straightener on a hot plate. I will heat up all sides when straightening the phragmities. I straighten between the nodes and the nodes as well.

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