Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: JackCrafty on February 21, 2009, 10:59:08 pm
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This weekend I am resuming work that I started a while ago on an archery set for my oldest daughter.
It is based on California NA style archery equipment.
The bow is juniper, the quiver is a bobcat pelt, and the arrows will be river cane.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/002.jpg)
I've already tillered the bow and painted the back with acrylic paints.
The string is elk leg sinew and has been dyed to resemble backstrap sinew (don't ask me why....seemed like a good idea at the time ::) )
It still needs some fine tuning on the tiller and a final finish.
I'm not going to describe the process I used to make the bow in this build-a-long.....there's already quite enough bow building info out there. ;D
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/003.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/004.jpg)
I wrapped thread around the tips (glued with TB) temporarily, so it wouldn't break during tillering.
I will remove this later and apply sinew or rawhide......haven't decided yet.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/005.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/006.jpg)
The handle is thicker than the rest of the bow, but it still bends through the handle.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/007.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/008.jpg)
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Looks like you are well supplied and ready to go. I can't wait to see more.
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The bow had about 2 inches of natural reflex when I started (can't remember exactly).
I used heat to remove some of it....and set has removed about 1/2" of reflex.
The bow's draw will be 20" and it pulls somewhere in the 30lb range.
I'll record all the stats later.....and tiller it so it will be pleasant for my daughter to shoot.
I'm not sure what the final weight will be yet.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/010.jpg)
The bobcat pelt is case skinned and commercial tanned.
It is in excellent condition except for damage to the face and a small bare spot in the fur.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/013.jpg)
My daughter did the sewing of the holes after I cut out the front leg skins, ears, and nose area.
I cut away quite a bit of the damaged face but there was still enough left to preserve almost the full length of the pelt.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/014.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/015.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/016.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/017.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/018.jpg)
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Here's and end view of the river cane I will be using.
As you can see, there's a lot of variation.
I hope to get about 6 arrows out of this batch.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/012.jpg)
The way I process river can is probably different than most other methods.
First, I wipe off the dirt, mold, and remove the leaves.
Then I peel most of the outer skin off in order to remove blemishes (dark patches and stuff).
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/108.jpg)
I also trim the leaves completely off the nodes.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/110.jpg)
I sand off the leaf stems and clean up with a knife.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/112.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/113.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/114.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/115.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/117.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/118.jpg)
I scrape the nodes with the knife to clean them up further.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/119.jpg)
Here is a "before and after" picture.
You can see there is quite a difference in the final look.
The bare shaft not only looks good (to me), the paint sticks a lot better to the shaft.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/121.jpg)
I will show details of how I straighten and finish the shafts later.
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OK, while I still had some daylight left, I decided to make a few bone arrowheads.
The bone is from cow's leg and I cut the blanks on my band saw.
I used picture of an actual bone arrowhead as a guide.
The picture represents the arrowhead's actual size.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/023.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/024.jpg)
The first step is to sand the arrowhead to the proper thickness....a little less than 1/8" thick.
I'm guessing this is "proper" because most leg bone shards end up being this thick after they are sanded flat.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/035.jpg)
The next step is shaping the arrowhead so that there is a central ridge.
I've noticed this ridge in several pictures of this type of arrowhead.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/045.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/046.jpg)
More shaping and comparing to the picture....
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/049.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/050.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/054.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/052.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/057.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/059.jpg)
Next, I sand down the hafting area.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/060.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/061.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/063.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/066.jpg)
Then I draw the shape of the notches and cut them out....
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/068.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/069.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/070.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/071.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/072.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/073.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/074.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/078.jpg)
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Final shaping and sharpening of the arrowhead....
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/079.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/080.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/081.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/082.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/083.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/084.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/095.jpg)
OK, now that the first one is done, I use it as a pattern for the others.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/086.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/087.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/088.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/096.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/097.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/098.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/099.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/100.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/102.jpg)
Final shaping.....
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/106.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/103.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/104.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-21-09/105.jpg)
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I'll post more tomorrow. ;D
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Nice Job....Can't wait for More....this is My Style of Bow and Arrows....gottta Love them West Coast Bows!!
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Very cool thread.Ron
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Today I'm going to work on the arrows.
Here's my setup: spine tester, grain scale, shafts, etc.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/003.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/004.jpg)
Before I start work on the arrows, I need to make some decisions concerning the bow.
I've decided to make the final weight 25# @ 20 inches of draw.
Here are some current stats on the bow:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/005.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/007.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/008.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/013.jpg)
Technically, in order to have arrows that spine at 25#, the deflection needs to be .8" or a little more than three quarters of an inch.
I checked my batch of river cane and found that they were all way too stiff.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/014.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/016.jpg)
I tried scraping the cane a bit more and checked the spine again.
It worked, but I was not even close to the amount of deflection I needed.
I was going to give up on the river cane idea (and choose another shaft material) but I decided to stay with the cane.
I chose a dozen of the weakest canes (out of about 85) and scraped them until they were all deflecting at about .35"-.37".
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/018.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/023.jpg)
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Great build along Those points are a perfect match. Looks like you have a nice camera too
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The spines feel plenty flexible at .37" of deflection so I'm not too worried.
I can scrape the arrows a little more (if I need to) when I test them by shooting.
The long foreshafts should weaken the dynamic spine, and the 1" wide handle doesn't need much paradox, so I think the arrows will work out fine.
Now I match the nodes (on the front of the shafts) and make the shafts exactly the same length.
When they are all exactly the same, I weigh them.
I also cull any canes that are larger in diameter from the majority.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/028.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/029.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/032.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/033.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/034.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/035.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/037.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/038.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/039.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/042.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/043.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/060.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/062.jpg)
Then I straighten the shafts.
Normally, I would have straightened (and sanded the shafts smooth) before spining.....
but these were pretty straight to begin with and river cane doesn't need to be sanded smooth (like wood shoots).
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/046.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/074.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/068.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/072.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/073.jpg)
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There's about a 40 grain variance in the shafts.
I will put the heaviest foreshafts with the lightest shafts and then fine tune the weights by removing wood from the foreshafts.
This next series of pictures is the forshaft construction process:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/063.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/066.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/070.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/071.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/075.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/076.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/078.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/079.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/080.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/081.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/082.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/084.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/085.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/088.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/089.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/090.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/097.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/091.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/094.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/096.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/098.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/101.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/102.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/103.jpg)
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Hafting the arrowhead on the privet foreshaft:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/105.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/106.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/108.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/109.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/110.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/111.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/112.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/113.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/114.jpg)
The foreshaft and arrowhead weigh 100 grains combined.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/115.jpg)
I made a foreshaft out of ipe just to see how different the weight would be.
The ipe foreshaft is 1" longer than the privet foreshaft.
I think I'll cut it down and re-weigh it, but, as you can see, the weights are not that different.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/058.jpg)
Next, I attached the foreshaft:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/116.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/117.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/118.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/119.jpg)
Total length of arrow:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/120.jpg)
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After the sinew dries for a little while, I smooth it down by "rolling" over it with a stick (with an ipe backboard).
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/130.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/131.jpg)
The nocks will be lined up with the arrowheads.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/132.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/133.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/134.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/135.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/136.jpg)
Painting the shaft.
The green is acrylic, the red is red ochre with shellac binder.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/142.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/143.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/145.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/144.jpg)
Next comes the fletching.
These are pheasant tail feathers.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/122.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/123.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/124.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/125.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/121.jpg)
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My fletching technique:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/126.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/137.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/146.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/147.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/150.jpg)
Both sinew and feathers into the water.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/151.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/152.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/154.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/155.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/157.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/158.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/159.jpg)
Pulling the fletches tight (not too tight!).
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/160.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/161.jpg)
Smoothing back the feathers with a little water and a little heat from the heat gun.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/162.jpg)
OOPS...too much heat....I burned the cock feather.
I yanked this feather out and installed a new one.
White goose wing.....I thought the contrast might look cool. ;D
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/163.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/164.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/165.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/166.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/167.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/168.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/169.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/170.jpg)
The sinew blob at the nock looks too big (to me).
I might remove the sinew and re-do it.
I may also trim back the rear points of the feathers. Don't know yet.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/171.jpg)
Total weight of the arrow:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/02-22-09/172.jpg)
That's all for today. ;D
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absolutely beautiful arrow dude....stunning!!!
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Beautiful work Patrick. Great build along.
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Thanks guys. :)
I've been thinking.....I'm going to change the foreshaft a bit for the arrows that will not have bone arrowheads. The 3 bone-tipped arrows are wall-hangers (I'm not matching them closely or making the shaft/foreshaft joint very strong). The other three will be target arrows, with sharpened wood forshafts, and I will pay closer attention to matching the weights (as well as spines) and I'll make a stronger shaft/forshaft connection.
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Great buildalong!! Really nice work
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Wow! Nice job.
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Patrick, you always amaze me with your talent. You do the most authentic repoductions I have ever seen, including the bow and arrow you made for me.
If you ever decide to sell your works, add me to the list of clients.
take care,
Donnie
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Great job brother, your craftsmenship is awesome.. I look forward to seeing more...Hawk
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Donnie, thank you.....and you're now on my list of potential clients. ;D ;)
Thanks Hawk. There's quite a bit more to do on this set, so more pics are coming. That is, if my wife will let go of the camera.... ::)
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Lookin great Patrick ! Thanks for sharring !
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Thanks John. :) And sharing is the least I can do after learning so much from this site.
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Another great buildalong. Those arrows look great.
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Thanks Barrage. :)
Well, I managed to get a few hours of time this weekend to work on the set. I'm not going to add much narration to the following pics....time is short.
Fletched a couple more arrows.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/002.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/004.jpg)
Added the foreshafts.
In my haste, I forgot to weigh the foreshafts and then glue the heavy one onto the lighter arrow.
So, in order to try to equalize the weights, I reduced the diameter first and then trimmed off a bit from the heaviest one.
I also left the lighter one a bit longer in order to keep it as heavy as possible.
This makes the arrows unequal in length, but this was common among NA arrows.
There is a 40 grain difference in weight between lightest and heaviest but I might be able to close the gap by adding more sinew to the lighter one. I realize these arrows are going to be for display only and I could have made them exactly the same length (and not cared about the weight) but in trying to equalize the weights they LOOK authentic and LOOK like they have been made equal in weight. O:)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/041.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/038.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/039.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/040.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/042.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/043.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/053.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/046.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/047.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/056.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/051.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/050.jpg)
Adding arrowheads.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/057.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/060.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/061.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/063.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/065.jpg)
I'll glue the heads and wrap with sinew later.
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I took some wood off the bow's tips and belly.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/009.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/008.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/007.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/013.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/012.jpg)
Bow weight @ 12" draw.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/016.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/017.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/022.jpg)
Bow weight @ 18" draw.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/027.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/028.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/031.jpg)
Bow weight @ 18" draw.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/032.jpg)
The bow has taken another 1/4" of set.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/033.jpg)
The tips are significantly narrower now.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/034.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-01-09/035.jpg)
Since the arrows are a bit stiff for 25# of draw weight, I may stop here.
I'll crunch the numbers this week and see exactly where I stand.
Right now I'm just estimating.....I'll have to get more exact when I build the target arrows.
That's it for now.
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I had missed this,thanks for sharing,that was cool. :)
Pappy
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wow, what a buildalong. awesome.
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Much appreciated. I've learned much from it - thanks...
Parnell
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Well, it's time to resume the construction of the arrows. Trying to arrange some daylight working hours when the camera is available has been tricky lately. Sorry for the delay.
I decided to shorten all the arrows after I took a good hard look at the one I finished.
It was way too long for the 20" draw....it felt awkward having so much arrow sticking out beyond the bow.
So......I cut them all down to 22".
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/242.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/244.jpg)
The deflection is about .3"....which is good for about 70# @ 20" draw.
*Edit* - April 1, 2009
These shafts were deflecting @ .35" to .37" when I scraped and spined them previously (reply #9). I wonder what happened. ??? They now seem to be spining @ .30 or so. Maybe it was due to a change in humidity? I seem to remember that they felt pretty flexible (reply #11) and it was bugging me that the bareshaft session showed that the arrow I was shooting was too stiff. I'll address this issue when I resume the build along.
I don't use the numbers to the right of the deflection scale,
(they are for 26 and 28" arrows anyway)....I use the formula: spine = span divided by deflection.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/379.jpg)
The remaining 2" of arrow plus 6" of foreshaft reduces the spine by about 40# (8x5=40).
So, theoretically, the arrows should be fine for a 30# bow. (70# - 40# = 30#)
These calculations are simplified, I know, but they give me a ballpark idea.
Here are the forshafts cut and weighed.
I'm going to put the heaviest forshaft with the lightest arrow and vice versa (like I should have done in the beginning)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/240.jpg)
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To remove the arrowhead I glued on earlier, I tried soaking the tip in water for 30 min.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/245.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/246.jpg)
The sinew peeled off easily and so did the acrylic paint:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/249.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/248.jpg)
The fish glue holding the arrowhead on wasn't affected at all.......so I had to do major surgery....
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/254.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/255.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/256.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/257.jpg)
I tried breaking the tip at the foreshaft/arrowshaft joint......it broke easily.....my fears confirmed.
I'm definitely going to use a stronger joint in the future.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/253.jpg)
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The bowstring was bugging me, so I replaced it with a lighter sinew string (not dyed this time either... ::) )
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/258.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/261.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/260.jpg)
Here I begin to apply the first foreshaft with a better (stronger) method.
I use a triangular arrowhead to ream the inside of the cane.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/279.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/281.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/282.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/284.jpg)
Then I make the foreshaft to match.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/275.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/290.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/291.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/292.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/293.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/294.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/295.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/296.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/297.jpg)
I used a piece of sandstone for the final shaping....just for grins.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/300.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/302.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/303.jpg)
The tennon was rattling around inside the hole....so I wrapped some thread around it for a tight fit.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/304.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/305.jpg)
Then I heated some brewer's pitch (with a heat gun) and glued the foreshaft on with it.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/309.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/310.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/311.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/312.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/314.jpg)
After inserting the forshaft, I give it a tap to seat it.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/317.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/318.jpg)
Then clean my fingers with a rag soaked with some olive oil.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/319.jpg)
The pine pitch was pretty hot....so I'm going to use a stick to apply the pitch in the future. :o
:)
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Time is short...so I'll post more tomorrow.
The next thing I'm going to show is how I test the arrow's spine by shooting "bareshaft".
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This is a REALLY cool thread, thanx for sharing!
F.
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This is some of the best eye candy I've seen in quite a while. A whole box of chocolates! :o
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Excellent thread.
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Here is a series of pics showing the results from the first bareshaft shooting (no fletching on the arrow). The target is 11 feet away an is made of a cardboard box stuffed with cushion foam.
Here is a shot of the nock wrapped with thread....so it won't split.
I also make a mark on the top so that I align the nock the same each time.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/337.jpg)
Here is a series of shots made with the bow pulled to about 17" draw.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/333.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/338.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/339.jpg)
Then at 18" draw.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/340.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/341.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/342.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/344.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/345.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/346.jpg)
As you can see, the arrow nock is leaning toward the right in every shot.
This indicates the arrow is too stiff for the bow weight at that draw.
Another thing you might notice is that the arrow straightend out a bit when I increased the draw to 18".
I'm starting with shorter draws (less than the 20" final draw) for two reasons:
One, I don't want to miss the target. ;D
And two, as the arrow straightens out, there is no question that the draw weight is affecting the arrow....
as opposed to the release affecting the arrow, for example.
Here is another series of shots....now @ 19" draw.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/355.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/356.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/357.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/358.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/359.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/360.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/361.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/362.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/363.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/364.jpg)
Well, there's not much difference, but the arrow is generally shooting straighter.
My release isn't that good....so that affects the arrow as well.
(all that fumbling with the camera is distracting me....that's my story and I'm sticking to it ;D)
Also, I sometimes forget to make sure the font of the box is perpendicular to my line of fire,
so that messes with the arrow as well.
Some shots @ 20" draw:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/366.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/368.jpg)
I flip the box around....starting to get too many holes....which might affect the arrow.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/369.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/370.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/371.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/374.jpg)
The arrow nock flipped to the left on some of the 19" and 20" shots...that's a good sign.
The only problem is I don't know if the "flip" was caused by the increase in draw....
or if I unconsciously made the arrow do that by changing my release. ???
The only way to know for sure it to keep shooting until I feel confident that the results are real.
At this point I could scrape the arrow and weaken the spine and shoot some more,
but I'm afraid of weakening the arrow too much....it's already been scraped quite a bit.
I decided to fletch the arrow and try a few more shots:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/385.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/386.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/387.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/388.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/389.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/390.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/03-14-09/391.jpg)
Obviously, the arrow's spine is still too stiff, but it shoots well and everything is working as it should. I'm going to finish up the rest of the arrows and come back to shooting when all the arrows have tips and fletches.
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This is where I am on the set of arrows.
I've attached all the foreshafts (with pitch) and removed the black thread wrapping so I can apply the sinew wrapping.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/3-22-09b/255.jpg)
I finished fletching all the arrows and trimmed back the rear portion off all the feathers to match an illustration of some Northern California arrows I saw in a book.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/3-22-09b/256.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/3-22-09b/257.jpg)
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Great build-along. I know you're trying to keep this as a Californian reproduction so to speak but those points appear real light. If you were able to put use heavier points it may help with the spine problem. Just a thought.
Bill
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Superb Jack! I like these short, wide bows. You should make one sinewbacked. Would it be possible to put in some copies of the points in your book?
Regards Uwe
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Thanks guys.
Chessie, yep, some heavy points would help. Maybe stone? I think they shoot pretty good as-is, though.
Uwe, I'd like to do another bow like this with a sinew backing for sure. To save time, this one is a self bow. As for the points, what book are you referring to?
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Thanks for reply! I would like to know something about dimensions, shapes of bonetips. The side of your book and the tip you`ve made have a nice shape.
The tipforms in some book are the usual ones. So some of "exotic" forms would be what I`ve been looking for.
By the way: the art of your fletching makes understand how the little distance of sinewwrapping and pinchgrip work hand in hand.
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Uwe, I'll measure the arrowhead soon and post the dimensions. If you have access to "The Official Overstreet Indian Arrowheads Identification and Price Guide 9th Edition" , the arrowhead is shown in full size.
Yes, the sinew wrapping not only holds the fletching in place, it strengthens the nock and helps with the pinch grip too. :)
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Oops, correction: the bone arrowhead appears in the 10th edition of the Overstreet Guide, page 974.
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After reviewing my previous posts in this build-along, it appears that my arrows increased in spine for some reason (see reply #32 and reply #9). Maybe they dropped in moisture content and became stiffer.... ???. Maybe the shafts became stiffer after straightening with heat (heat tempering)? I don't remember using a lot of heat (reply #11)......hmmmm.
Anyway, I'll try to figure out what happend and see if I can get them shooting straight when they are ready for another shooting session. I might try scraping them a little more.
Time is short this week. Hopefully I can resume the build along next week and finish up. :)
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I use garden bamboo for my arrows and have been straightening them with dry heat. I haven`t have any problems with the spine even with thicker ones (5/16"- 3/8"). I soot them on a short, about 55" Osage recurve bow. May be I`m lucky in the correct spine range or ....?
Thanks already for some measurings or scans.
Regards Uwe
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Uwe, send me a PM with your email address and I will send you a drawing of some bone/antler arrowheads from the book and from the web. It is in pdf (Adobe) format...I can't scan images right now. The drawing contains 7 arrowheads with dimensions (including the arrowhead in this build-along).
When I am able to scan the drawing as an image, I will post it here.
Anyone else who's interested.....send me a PM with your email. :)
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Patrick, it takes years for cane to dry if the wax is left on, when you removed the "skin" the shaft started drying and the added heat helped spend the drying. Cane will increase in spine a good bit with drying. If I leave the "skin" on my shafts I punch a small hole with a thin knife as I heat the shaft to release steam/moisture. It's surprising how much moisture will come out of a shaft cut a year earlier.
Take a shaft and cut it in half, now add heat to the open section and watch the water/steam.
take care,
Donnie
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Thanks Donnie, yeah, that makes sense. You recognize those canes? ;)
I wish I had recorded the weights of those shafts just before I added the foreshafts. I'll bet they got lighter too. Next time, I'll have to remember to spine the arrows AFTER peeling and straightening.
Anyway, I'll post more pics soon....when the set is finished.
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I went by the cane patch last week and the state (state land) has mowed and poisoned the cane. I have other places to cut but this was the best quality i've found, so far.......
Contact me if you need more,
Have you made any arrows from the sparkleberry yet?
Donnie
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Ah yes, the sparkleberry.....nope, no arrows yet. Made two kids bows from it, though. ;D That sparkleberry is tough stuff.
I've got a half-dozen of your sparkleberry shoots prepped and ready for blunt-tipped arrows. The others are waiting....
I'll contact you for more cane if I don't pick up some at the TN Classic.
-
It works really well for foreshafts.
I've been using black cherry saplings for the kids bows, seems to work pretty well.
take care,
Donnie
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Very well done build a long. I appreciate all of the effort and your willingness to share it!
Wells ;)
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Thanks Wells. :)
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Finally finished the set.
This first picture is me showing off the prize I got for winning the johnstone knapping contest:
;D
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/037.jpg)
This next series shows the finished items.
Time was short so I didn't take pictures during contruction (sorry).
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/076.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/077.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/078.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/079.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/080.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/081.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/082.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/083.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/090.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/091.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/092.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/084.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/085.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/087.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/086.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/088.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/089.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/097.jpg)
I took some pictures of a California-type set and as far as I can tell, there is no stiffener in the quiver....
So I didn't put one in mine.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/105.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/106.jpg)
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/107.jpg)
Close-up of actual arrow tips:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/05-13-09/108.jpg)
The End.
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Patrick, you did it again. The best repoduction equipment I've seen!!!!!
When should I place my order!!!!!
take care,
Donnie
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Thanks Donnie! Glad to see you're still lurking around.... ;)
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Wow !! Patrick you did a amazing job on the set.. ;)
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Thanks David. :)
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how the hell do you take pictures and use powertools at the same time. . id end up laying the camera down on the beltsander while it was running. ;D awesome job man
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Jamie, I would never do something as unsafe and foolish as using power tools while I'm taking a picture.... O:) ;)
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Patrick, I don't know if you remember me from the classic, you taught me to make the sinew bow string with Rick, I have to say your attention to detail is incredible, the buildalong was fantastic.
VB
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Thanks VB, yes, I remember. I also remember that you got the hang of it really quick. Have you put the string on a bow yet?
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Just saw this :o WOW you are a very talented man! great work!
Josh
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Thanks Josh! Dang, I forgot how "picture happy" I was...heheh. No wonder my camera is always at the repair shop now...