Main Discussion Area > Arrows
Reducing shoots
Sagebrush:
Ummm... ok I've been making bows poorly for a few decades and I've fletched my arrows for about 30 years. Over the last year I have gathered rose, red osier, and ocean spray in an attempt to make some shafts. My wife always laughs as I emerge bleeding and "victorious" from some nasty evil thicket... unless it's a public area and then she and the kids walk away with quickened pace, eyes averted as if they have never seen the lunatic in the bushes before in their lives.
My question for you guys is how do you reduce your shoots to approximate size? I have used a plane and a grooved arrow track, scraped them with my knife until I was bored to tears and hammered them through a dowel maker until my hands went numb. Then I scrape and sand them to a bit of a barrel taper. I'm I doing this right???
I feel like each of these stupid arrows are my kids and they each have names. Am I doing this right? Suddenly buying a dozen nameless children (stock arrows) seems like a sound investment (no I wouldn't dare).
Advice? Thanks.
Buck67:
I found that putting on some music and sitting at my workbench for a couple hours with knife in hand while working on removing the bark from a handful of shoots is quit relaxing. I choose to make wooden self knock arrows because I'm not in a hurry and I enjoy the link with the past.
However, I have found that one of the cheese grater type wood planes will speed the job along if needed. Make up a Vee shaped rack to hold the shoot in place to make things easier.
Pat B:
I use a small thumb plane to reduce shoots when needed. I think I got the thumb plane from ACE Hardware for about $10.
jeffp51:
Harbor freight belt sander and an 80 grit belt. Take off the gruard, rotate the bed to horizontal and spin the shaft on the belt. If the shaft is straight enough, you can Chuck it in a hand drill, but I usually do it by hand.
Wear a dust mask.
artcher1:
This method works for me...…….
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