Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: hillbilly61 on February 09, 2010, 09:04:18 am
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Where do you look at Home Depot to find the bamboo shafts. Trying to get into the bow making and arrow making. Also where can I find the BB books? Thanks for answering my questions guys. I build custom fishing rods so I do have the Patience to try this ;)
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where i get mine is in the back of the garden center. mine is by the pool chemicals. there is two lengths 5 and 6 foot. be selective about what packages you get. i got a package last night of 6 foot and ended up with 5 arrows 29 inches long. some were too thin, some were too thick, but i had pretty good luck, i got 5 arrows out of 6 shoots. but like i said, be choosy. look through and find the size you want, and check straightness while your there. once you go bamboo(cane) youll never go back!
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Here's a link to Horsefeathers Ranch, PA's sister site they have the Bowyers Bible series plus lots more :)
http://www.horsefeathersranch.com/archery.htm
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Aero Thanks I went to HD today between calls and found them. I got them b4 I read you post :-[ But since I don't know what I'm doing yet, :-[ I reckon I'll just stock up.
DanaM That is the web site I need. All I have to do now is talk my wife into getting the BB for Valentines day.
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I was just at Michael's (craft chain store) and was impressed with the quality of the bamboo I saw there. Much more consistent than what I saw at HD. Pricey though.
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yeah, home depot is the way to go if your not going to make to many. its like 5 dollars and some change for two packages of the 6 foot stuff. if you work it right you could get between 6-12 arrows, if you dont break any, like i tend to do.
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Howdy Hillbilly, aero86 and Group (again),
So, you go to HD and get bunch of 6' boo shafts, and you go through that bunch to find the "right size." How do I find that "right size?" I mean, do I use a sort of gauge? If so, what size is the "right size" / diameter of boo shaft?
Thanks,
Canoe
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Canoe, I get mine shafts from Lowe's. They have them in like 4 ft sections and sold individualy for around a buck. I look for 3/8" at the nock end, no more than 3 nodes per arrow length and straight as possible. Also, I looked them over for cracks and cuts around the nodes.
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I get mine at Lowe's too. I like being able to pick them out individually and to be able to inspect each shaft before I buy them... I just bought 12 of them and it cost me a whopping 11.96 with tax... cant beat it! Also the guy in the garden center took an interest into why i was being so picky about my tomato stakes (by the time he came over I had half the stack divided up and propped in different piles against the wall) When I told him what I was REALLY gonna do with the "tomato stakes" he thought it was cool as all get out and told me he would call me when a new batch came in... How sweet is that? :) -josh
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Do like they say, but id get a batch from home depot first that way u have a bunch to practice on. Especially when straightening nodes. You gotta learn how much you can bend at a time, and that takes breaking a few. I know I've snapped a few that I was working on the last node. Then when you think you've got it, go be picky at lowes
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Thanks guys. I have 1 1/2 dozen shafts now. All from HD. I hope that is enough to practice with :) If not I reckon I'll go back and get some more :-\ By then our first trad shoot will be here and I can ask a real pro :) I'm going to try to straighten a few tomarrow after gluing the handle on my first board bow.
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Try watchin that video I posted. It might help a bit if u can tell what I'm doing! At the end I explain my process
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Billy-
Suggest you start right off hard.
Begin straightening with the most God awful crookedest piece you've got.
Then you know fer sure, it only gets easier from there. ;)
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riarcher-- Now that sounds like a good idea.I looked at them and started to pick the best one to try :-\ but if I do what you suggest I'll be able to see progress better ;D
earo86 I like that idea too, but with dial-up it takes fooorrreevveeerrrr to download a video :(
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Howdy Group,
Hedge apple, you said, "look for 3/8" at the nock end..." So, is the nock end the smaller end, so the other end will be over 3/8"?
Thanks, I'll be heading over to HD or Lowe's real soon to get me started in boo arrows - Thanks again guys. Ya, I'm really excited about making more of my own arrows. Next, I'll be lookin' to do some flint knapping.
Hillbilly, good luck on that first board bow. I love board bows - quality huntin' weapons ;) I made one for my buddy, he took it hunting this past year, and he loves shooting the thing.
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In the process of trying to make 2. Got the handle glued on one today and will put the backing on sometime tomarrow :) Then glue up the 2nd handle. If the first fails then I have the second to not make that same mistake on ;D
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Canoe, Yes, the 3/8 will be the smaller end. 3/8 seems to be as about the smallest diameter for self nocking. I really suck at making self nocks. Lately, I've be plugging the cane with a dowel, tapering the ends and using commercial nocks. Most of the time the cane and shoots are wider where they grow closest to the ground and get narrower up the shoot. This creates a natural tapered shaft.
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I have never made a Cane or Boo Arrow that was 3/8" at the Nocking End...that was under 80 Pound Spined....all of my Arrows are Spined for 50-60 pound Bows...and are betweem 1/4" and 5/16" at the NocKing End...and 3/8" to 7/16" at the Point End...I have always found that when 3/8" at the Nock End...they are way overspined for my 60 pound Selfbows.....JMO
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El, I will differe to your experience and knowledge :) I'm still learning to match spine to bow. Some of mine arrows do seem a bit over spined while other seem pretty good.
I've seen the question anwered before on here, but couldn't find it last week when I did a search:
If the nock end leans to the left of impact is the arrow over spined or under spined
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Don't forget bamboo has a stiffer side. That's the side u wanna spine for
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No...if the Point Hits left and the Nock leans right...for a Righty...not a Lefty now....it's overspined... and yes...remember that if yo push down straight on a shaft of Boo or Cane...the Arrow will bend towards to weaker Side...
The Picture....
1) Spined Correctly / Nocked Correctly
2) Nocking Point Too High
3) Nocking Point too Low
4) Underspined
5) Overspined
6) Underspined / Nocking Point High
Hope that this helps you........
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It helps me, thanks Mike.
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Thanks El. That's what I was looking for. :)
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Shopping the home and tool "salvage store" yesterday and found a corner with a bunch of plastic bags containing 6 bamboo or maybe tonkin poles that are 60 inches long...the package says they are "plant stakes". I bought 2 packages for 1.99 each. Brought them home and cut them at 31 inches and as close to the same size as possible. I've got 12 decent looking shafts for perhaps a 50-60 pound bow. Now to clean, sand and straighten them....I like it!
Looking on the web to see if I got a deal or not and found this site..http://www.amleo.com/index/item.cgi?Words=n601&cmd=view
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I don't want my arrows 3/8" at the point end, much less the nock end, most cane or boo I've used that would make them stiff as a fence post. Most of my cane arrows wind up about 23/32" or 11/32" at the point, and around 5/16" at the nock end. And that's leaving them a few inches longer than my draw length.
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El destructo, are you using the shaft in the tapered way? Big end pointy end small end nock end? I'm just making sure ur post kinda jumbled me up
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Howdy Group,
El D., I'll be shopping for those smaller boo shafts; (1/4" - 5/16" at the small ends). Also, thanks for the paper tuning tutorial.
It's almost lawn and garden season at the HD, where they'll be putting out all those gardening supplies - including fresh bunches of garden stakes. I'll be there.
Thanks for your help guys,
Canoe
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I tried to straighten a few this morning. I used a propane torch. Had trouble with one out of 4. Three turned out to be pretty straight. My question is the torch scorched it a bit, is this normal? Also what about the nodes. Do you sand them flush?
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El destructo, are you using the shaft in the tapered way? Big end pointy end small end nock end? I'm just making sure ur post kinda jumbled me up
Thats exactly right...read above...Steve (Hillbilly) hit it right on the Nose too.....
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El D, just to clarify, here...
TBB III pg 230 shows underspined arrows shooting off to the left and overspined to the right. Is that a goof-up?
Garett
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If you are shooting without a cut in Window in the riser...in my experience...a too Stiff Arrow will deviate to the Left ...from a Right Hand Shooter...will not Paradox around the Handle/Riser of the Bow...an Underspined Arrow will overreact and shoot to the Right...An overspined arrow is not as forgiving as a perfect to slightly underspined arrow..... All arrows bend when shot to a certain degree..
http://www.papertuning.com/
If the Point hits..and the Feathers Lean Right...the Arrow is Overspined.....Point Hits...and the Feathers hit Left....Arrow is Underspined
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Thanks, El D,
Experience definitely trumps theory!