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Heat straightening pointers?

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WhistlingBadger:
Hey, all.  I finally got some hickory arrow shafts that are the right size and spine.  They need some straightening pretty badly.  I hear that hickory needs heat treating to stay straight.  Not sure how to go about it.  Any help?  Thanks!
T

StickMark:
When you straighten, you pull as you straighten. Your heel of the palm will be sore after a few arrows.

Also straighten one section at a time, and let the shaft sit a while, like a day, then hit it again, either that section or another.

JW_Halverson:
One thing I do first is to inspect every shaft several times to determine which end is naturally the straightest. Then I mark that end and that is always the end where I cut in the nocks. Once fletched, you are screwed trying to straighten if they go back to their old wicked ways. Easier to straighten if they are on the pointy end!

I use a cheap countertop electric hot plate and gently warm the shafts until I can barely touch the spot that needs straightening that I am focusing on. Like StickMark says, I simultaneously try to stretch the shaft as I bend it across the heel of my hand.

Yeah, they are hot. You can make the palm of your hand sore awfully quick, so grab a leather glove for the hand that deals with the hot end of the shaft. Work on one short section of the shaft at a time. sometimes a long sweeping curve will need several adjustments of short sections until the whole curve has been straightened. I straighten until the whole set is finished, put them aside for a day or so, then go over them again. I usually rinse and repeat for at least four treatments and I am out of minor adjustments to make.

And one thing I learned long ago with a particularly naaaaaasty set of ash arrow shafts, if the shaft is corkscrew it's not an arrow shaft. It's a tomato stake if it is lucky, otherwise it is kindling.

WhistlingBadger:
Thanks, guys.  I guess that all makes sense.  Assume I know nothing about heat straightening (I've heat bent a couple bows, one of them successfully, and I've hand straightened a lot of spruce arrows). If anyone could point me to some sort of tutorial that walks me through the whole process, that would be helpful.

So, I heat a small section.  Once it's just almost too hot to touch, I bend it the opposite direction of the kink.  How far/how hard?  Then I hold it there for a bit.  How long should I hold it?

Pat B:
When you heat an area and straighten it lay it flat to cool and move on to the next shaft. If you try to straighten an area near a warm previously straightened area you can reverse the first straightening.
 I use our kitchen gas stove on low for straightening shafts and lay them out on our butcher block top center table to cool. By the time you go through a dozen shafts you can go back to the first shaft and continuing straightening.
Once I've straightened all the shafts I start at one end and reheat the whole shaft twirling the shaft as you go. You can add a little scorch color for camo or decoration. Watch for steam coming out the far end. Once a shaft is "tempered" lay it flat to cool over night. You may need a little light hand straightening but they should stay straight under normal use.

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