Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Dictionary on March 15, 2013, 05:32:04 pm
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What do you guys think is easier to produce into arrows? Wooden shoots or bamboo and rivercane?
I searched but couldn't find a thread on this and I was just curious what other's thought.
I'd say wooden shoots simply because there isn't a need for wooden foreshafts or nock inserts.
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That may be a tie.
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Well, Think. With wooden arrows, you have to carve the whole dang shaft from a block after you split it out, then tie in/carve a point.
with cane, just make a foreshaft/pin, then mount the point. Shoots are probably the easiest to make, no carving at all.
now if you buy shafts, go for wood. its quicker.
I just cut a dozen cane shafts around 1/2 inch diam...
I personally prefer cane. I like it b/c it is IMO less work. I work with hand tools, no jigs, nothing like that.
with modern power tools, wood might be easier.
-Squirrel
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Probably the easiest is doweled shafting. With cane all you have to do is straighten it and with hardwood shoots you usually have to reduce the shafting some and straighten. Each type of arrow has it plusses and minuses but they are all part of our archery addiction. Heck, the arrow is the most important part of the archery experience. The bow just propells it.
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To me it comes down to how well you want the bamboo/cane to work for you. I can take a dozen dowels and make a dozen arrows ready to shoot before I can get one bamboo/cane arrow finished the way I like them.
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To me it comes down to how well you want the bamboo/cane to work for you. I can take a dozen dowels and make a dozen arrows ready to shoot before I can get one bamboo/cane arrow finished the way I like them.
Then why bother making Boo or cane arrows?? ;D
I agree with using dowels. They hardly need much straightening and they are perfectly sized although they lack the natural taper which allows a slightly heavier front end. However I have stuck mainly to natural shoots. I find them in the right diameter with the proper taper so that there isn't much need to reduce them down too much more. Season, Scrape off the bark, and begin straightening.
I was told though that boo/cane arrows are less spine sensitive than wooden shafts. So you could shoot more of your bamboo arrows through different weight bows than you could with your wooden arrows. Is this true or another myth?
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My bamboo experinece the last few years has shown me that bamboo shafts seem to have a slightly larger range. I have 50-55 shafts, but they will shoot from 48-50 up to 60# bows great. They seem to like going over more than under. They stiffen quick.
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Then why bother making Boo or cane arrows?? ;D
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Give it whirl and you'll see why. All part of the journey
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I've never used wooden foreshafts or nock inserts on my cane/bamboo arrows. I haven't tried any dowel shafts yet. I bought some several years ago and never did anything with them. I love the bamboo because of the look of the nodes, they are already tapered, and they are just more natural than dowels. To me bamboo arrows are like a bow from a stave, and dowel arrows are like a bow from a board. Just my opinion. Make and shoot what ever makes you happy.
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I don't use footings or inserts in cane shafts either. I cut in self nocks and haft stone and trade points and I taper some for glue on points. As long as you add a wrap(I prefer sinew) at the self nock and behind the hafted heads they are good to go.
Take the time to learn to make good cane arrows and you will know "WHY"! ;)
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I've used everything in my neck of the woods;You cant beat switchcane! JMHO God Bless
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I've never used wooden foreshafts or nock inserts on my cane/bamboo arrows. I haven't tried any dowel shafts yet. I bought some several years ago and never did anything with them. I love the bamboo because of the look of the nodes, they are already tapered, and they are just more natural than dowels. To me bamboo arrows are like a bow from a stave, and dowel arrows are like a bow from a board. Just my opinion. Make and shoot what ever makes you happy.
The main thing keeping me from trying them was because I thought inserts and foreshafts were necessary. Bamboo splits so easily I figured it was impossible to cut into it.
I'm going to cut some bamboo(I don't think I've seen rivercane anywhere round here) before I leave......may make a believer out of me.
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I have got some really great bamboo shafts from the garden department of Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart. Check out my recent post about the target arrows. They have self nocks and no foreshaft. The wrapping prevents them from splitting.
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Inserts are not necessary, for bamboo shafts, just try to cut the knock, and arrow head notch with a node close to it. But even that is not really needed, it just helps, but you can't always get the node where you want it. But yes, like they said, do wrap in front of the nock, and behind the arrowhead, and tightly! And for the head, you want at least an inch of wrap, even with a node. Like they said, try making a nice boo arrow, and you will see why so many go the extra step. Boo also stays straight longer than, dowels, shoots, and store bought shafts, plus they have the fibers running straight the length of the shaft, you don't have to worry about grain run out. ;) I don't think they are any more work, than lumber shafts, or dowels, as again you have to look for grain run out, and still need to be straightened and then finished, so I don't see a whole lot more time in making a boo shaft, versus a shoot, or dowel, or board shaft. I hate to run a saying in the ground, but it is true, boo is nature's carbon arrow material. There are many types of boo shafts to choose from, and each has it's own list of pros, and cons. Tonkin seems to be king, as toughness, and flexibility. Sort of like the ugly stick fishing rod, in the abuse it can take. But if you don't have access to it, use whatever you have at hand, or whatever, you can make the best arrow with. After all, it will be you who will be praising, or cussing, after making the arrow, out of whatever choice of material. ;
David and Cora Knight are the resident experts on cane shafts on this forum. They make some extremely fine shafts, and if you did not know anything about boo, you would think it was a carbon shaft. Which comes back around to nature's...... well anyway, just my opinion, each material has it's own pluses and minuses, but like Osage being the majority preferred bow wood, I think that boo is the preferred shaft material. There are excellent shoot, and wood shafts out there, Spruce, birch, dogwoods, etc., and those that swear by those materials. But for me, I think the boo is king. If you can get it. Which is really not a problem.
Wayne
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The reason for me Dictionary is one, the challenge. And second, nothing comes close to the durability of cane/bamboo arrows. And no where did I say anything about it being a bother to make them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. My point was if anyone took a dowel and a piece of cane/bamboo and laid them side by side, and started them both at the same time, I am quite sure no one can complete a cane/bamboo arrow in the same amount of time as they can a dowel?????
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I like cane arrows for their durability. They outlast aluminum in my experience. I don't fool with inserts and use self nocks and hafted steel or stone points with good results. I haven't tried shoot shafts, but would agree that it is pretty quick to make an arrow from wood dowels. The heating, straightening and sanding is what takes the time with cane. We saw up boards and reduce it to dowels with a block plane and make arrows too. I think starting with a board or a dry unstraightened piece of cane and comparing the time involved to make an arrow, there isn't much difference. I find that my cane arrows will shoot from bows that vary in draw weight from 45 to near 60, while my wood arrows are spined more for a specific draw weight bow. That may have to do with it's natural forward of center weight distribution, I don't know.... Cane makes a good arrow and gets the nod in the durability category. The arrows I have made show maybe a slight edge in accuracy going to my wooden shafts, but not enough to quibble over. I have meat in the freezer now from a cane arrow!
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Then why bother making Boo or cane arrows?? ;D
if it was easy any one could do it >:D, the path less traveled is why, it's a heck of a lot easyer to just buy everything, but it shure aint as much fun ;), bub
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I like to shoot and use Cane/bamboo but I hate making them. they are kinda 1 at a time thing and my time is so limitied I'd rather at least feel like I'm making more progress than that. Pluss it seems to me that per a bag of 12 i get some random number of actual arrows that are matched to the bow I'm making them for and several that are all different weights.
I make footed wood arrows mostly now simply becasue 1) I have the logs laying around and I can cut out the straight grain sections. 2) i can set up a process and cut a bunch at a time and take the group through the stages togeather. 3) i get more that are closer to the spine weight characteristics that i want.
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here is another point- which is more "primitive"? This is PRIMITIVE archery, not lets-go-buy-some-arrows archery. Now I am not condemming dowels. I just have a hatred of dowels after I had to pull pieces of one from my arm...
-Squirrel
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Squirrel, if you had chosed the proper dowels with good grain the chances are slim it would have broken.
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I do make my own dowels from poplar and they are some great dowels to make arrows from, and is what I use when I use wood. But for me, the satisfaction of shooting a cane or bamboo arrow is just unmatched as I feel closer to the primitive side of archery when making them. If it makes any sense, it is sort of a completed connection between me, the arrow and the bow, and that is all I am after guys. It gives me comfort in making them, and satisfaction in shooting and using them. To each his own. There is no on set of rules that any of us have to follow. Find what works for you, and enjoy the journey, and forget what every one else thinks. ;D ;D ;D ;D
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I picked the dowels that had the grain running the length of the piece.
The rest were breaking sort of diagonally, if you know what I mean.
The ones I chose broke in tension except one, which had wierd curly grain.
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I prefer hardwood shoots or cane for arrows. Like you I like to keep it simple. I do have some poplar dowels that Stringstretcher sent me and they make great arrows ...but I still prefer the more "primitive" type of arrow.
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I'm a cheap tightwad so I like anything that is free. ;D I have a rosebush and a butterfly bush in my front yard that I coppice every year so I get a nice crop of straight shoots off em every year. Got a few years backlog of em. Also got a couple of mock orange bushes and a huge viburnum in the backyard. Don't have to go far........Oh that reminds me..have to go dig through that pile of Laurel branches the neighbor cut off and threw in the back alley....saw some nice bow stave size branches in there... :laugh: