Main Discussion Area > HowTo's and Build-a-longs
Mary Rose Replica Bow Build-Along--An Entrance into the World of War Bows
duffontap:
Yeah Ragi, but I'm lazy!
Thanks for the tips. I do taper the quills out about 1/8" in the front but I've never done it in the back. As it is, these arrows take a long time to make so I get to rushing the details--shame on me. :(
How long does it take you to wrap fletchings on a dozen arrows? I think it would take me about 3 hours with the spacing on the arrows above. :P
J. D. Duff
ragi:
heheheh I am lazy too. I have carpal tunnel issues in the left hand so figure 20 min per arrow. it normally takes 2 good movies of sitting on the couch to get a dzn done but I also dont wind them as tight as all that. say 1/4 inch spaceings.
I then paint over the windings with hide glue tinted with a little dark green food coloring.
Dane:
JD, again, thanks for continuing this topic. I use linen thread for my fletching, which has been very robust. The fletching on my current arrows has managed to survive a 3D shoot and lots of target practice fine so far.
You mentioned the cost of war being high, referring to how much effort just the arrows are. What is the cost of defeat? Much more so, I think, so the coin spent on arrows for a campaign was cheap in comparision to the alternative.
By the way, I am about to plane some shafts out of probably poplar for a project for Regia Anglorum, a group I belong to. A member is going to smith some Anglo-Saxon period broadheads. Not socketed, but tanged heads, which should be fun to work with. I'm looking forward to seeing the bodkins you are going to use. You don't also smith in addition to your other talents, do you, great one? :)
And before I forget, thanks in advance for vendor names for yew staves. I'll be looking for that. Do you need my email address?
Dane
duffontap:
Ragi,
Thanks for the reply. Does the hide glue help much? I should try that.
Dane,
You're right about the cost of war. I think it's slightly amusing that the heavy consumption of alpine yew and arrow woods (let alone labor costs) of the medievals is so similar to how expensive war is these days. It takes me a month to build a good bow and set of arrows, but with war-sized resources, a carefully made arrow was expendable. I would have loved to stroll through those weapons stores and looked at a pile of 10,000 hand-made arrows and 2,000 Yew bows. That would blow the mind.
J. D. Duff
ragi:
If you look at a lot of period examples of arrows, there is evidence of some sort of thick varnish laid on and over the wrapping. it lasts where nothing but the shaft does so it is something significant.
Jaro says is is a mix of hide glue and verdigris, I have spoken to Mr Soar and he says it was pitch and beeswax and verdigris.
the hide glue is easier and works well to hold the fletching down. I cant say I like how it looks with the green dye and it does not really hold if you paint it over the polyurethane finish I use but regardless it adds a period touch to the arrows and it locks the wrapping in place.
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