Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Medieval arrow shaft production methods
WillS:
--- Quote from: burtonridr on December 03, 2018, 03:35:43 pm ---Thanks for all the replies, this is really interesting stuff! It does seem likely that most are shoot shafts from the sound of it.
WillS, when you are making arrows by splitting, what are you using for wood? Cut your self or store bought? Split dry or wet? Can you provide some more detail on how you are creating the shafts in a quick efficient way?
--- End quote ---
From what I've seen, I would suggest the opposite. Some were certainly shoots, but the majority that I'm familiar with were split from timber.
For mine, I aim to be as historically correct as possible so the timber that I'm using will be alder, linden and mainly aspen - not "poplar" as this is now the common name for tulipwood or "yellow poplar" but true aspen or Populus tremula. I get most of my aspen from contacts in Scandinavia, and occasionally from within the UK. When it's available I also use black poplar or P. nigra but as it's so endangered and rare I don't get the chance to use it often. That said, it's almost identical to P. tremula so makes very little difference except to the real purists!
If I'm using readily available English timber such as the alder and linden I will harvest it myself, taking straight lengths of trunk or bough wood, and splitting numerous times once seasoned until the blanks are the correct size. If the timber is aspen or other less accessible woods I'll get them shipped to me in crates as square blanks.
The corners of the blanks are then planed off using the block plane and "chuting board" until a many-sided cylinder is formed. At this stage the tapers are established according to individual shaft weight and rough spine. If I'm making exact copies of specific arrows I'll select shaft blanks that seem most likely to finish at the weight of the originals and then copy the profile of the arrow I'm replicating. Once the shafts are almost circular they are sanded either with modern sandpaper or two small blocks of sandstone with a groove filed through the middle.
If you're struggling to split accurately, it may be worth doing it in a similar way to splitting bowstaves from a log that you think might twist or warp - set a primary split line using a sharp axe that follows the line you want, but doesn't go deeper than about 1/2" into the log, on both sides. Then start at one end holding the axe vertically between the two shallow split lines and begin opening it up. The split will follow your primary guidelines instead of running off to the side.
Hawkdancer:
Kindly refresh my memory on construction of a "chuting" board. I know it is fairly simple, requiring a couple boards and a bit of patience, but,- the mind goes first, I don't remember what goes second >:D. Thanks! Both a fun and informative thread!
I just noticed there is no little arrow maker emoji!
Hawkdancer
WillS:
Just a plank of wood! You can get fancy with V grooves, or setting a second strip down to give you a right angle to plane against, but a simple plank does the job fine. You only need something to support the blank as you work on it.
I've added a couple of marks to mine for 13mm and 8mm so I can check the sizes of shoulders and nocks as I work, and some marks to show me where to split for nock inserts and where to mark for applying the fletching compound but other than that, it's just a plank of wood.
I could sell you one, if you like? ;D
Hawkdancer:
Real genuine wood planks, squared and all the neat stuff? >:D. Might work a trade, sell and buy seem to be verboten here! Be glad to make you a trivet to rest your sharp tools on while you work, or your coffee cup to keep it off the cold bench top! :)
Hawkdancer
burtonridr:
--- Quote from: WillS on December 04, 2018, 07:03:36 am ---
--- Quote from: burtonridr on December 03, 2018, 03:35:43 pm ---Thanks for all the replies, this is really interesting stuff! It does seem likely that most are shoot shafts from the sound of it.
--- End quote ---
From what I've seen, I would suggest the opposite. Some were certainly shoots, but the majority that I'm familiar with were split from timber.
--- End quote ---
Oh ok, I just saw somewhere that a big majority of the shafts were tapered, so I just assumed they were shoot shafts. Interesting that they even took the time to taper the shafts.
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