Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: markinengland on November 28, 2010, 06:34:19 pm
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I have just completed a set of six bamboo arrows for a horse archer.
They turned out quite nicely and I thought I would share them.
I started off with 33 inch tonkin cane shafts, weight and spine matched. Due to a heavy bow and long draw length these were failry stiff shafts.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010177.jpg)
These were cut to 32 inches long to suit the archers draw.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010178.jpg)
I then drilled out the point end to 4mm for 2 inches and the nock ends to 1 inch.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010182.jpg)
The next step was to prepare some bamboo plugs to glue into the ends of the shaft to strenthen them. perhaps not strictly necessary, but as these arrows will be shot from horseback and strike targets and extreme angles I thought it a sensible precaution. It didn't take too long with a knife, hole gauge and file.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010185.jpg)
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010186.jpg)
The next step was to glue the plugs in. I used gorilla glue because of it's good foaming and gap filling properties.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010188.jpg)
I used a slightly adapted low cut banana feather chopper to cut the fletchings from dyed grey barred left wing fletchings.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010191.jpg)
These arrows are to be four fletched.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010193.jpg)
I ground down the point ends to suit the screw on brass pullet points. These were glued on and mirror polished and then an inch or so of the shaft behind bound with black silk ribbon to further strengthen them.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010207.jpg)
I cut and shaped the nocks. These too were bound with silk ribbon.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010212.jpg)
The bare shafts were now finished and time for fletching.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010206.jpg)
I used a Bitzenburger fletcher as this allows a variety of fletching patterns. I used a straight clamp as this is what the archer wanted, set straight with fletchings at 4 x 90 degrees.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010214.jpg)
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010215.jpg)
Fletching as always is a careful process to try to get the same alignment each time. Just takes time.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010219.jpg)
All six arrows fletched. Look nice I think.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010220.jpg)
Next step was to bind the fletchings with black silk ribbon front and back.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010239.jpg)
Arrows basically complete.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010240.jpg)
I do like the look of barred flaetchings.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010239.jpg)
My makers' mark.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010243.jpg)
I'm quite pleased with how the nocks turned out.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010244.jpg)
Each arrow numbered.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a277/MarkinEngland/arrows/P1010245.jpg)
Now, if only I could keep them!
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Beautiful work Mark!
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Really Nice ! ' Frank
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Very nice set Mark, great job on detail
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Beautiful arrows. :) Nice work. :)
Pappy
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Those are nice, Mark, you do good work.
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Great looking set of arrows.
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Nice work Mark, as always. When are you going to be around at Company of Sixty, or nearby? I really need several dozen of your bamboo shafts (they dont last forever with my shooting!), but I dont do Ebay nor Paypal......????
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Bob,
You got any shoots on that might lure me in your direction?
One thing I forgot to mention - these shafts are spine rated to 105-110#! Amazing for 11/32nds diameter.
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Wow! :o Those are beautiful!! 8) I prefer the delta type fletching, mainly for aesthetics, but the more I think about it, the the Banana style just may be more aerodynamic. Those look like they will flat out haul butt! :o Man, the guy that is shooting that is bow, is quite a bit more of a man than me! 105-110 lb. Whew, I couldn't even string it! That Tonkin is some amazing stuff! Man, a bow that heavy, I would have had to .......dare I say it?......well I would have to put uh.....wheels on it. ::) Can you imagine the effect on the Turks, and Moors, if the English had .......wheel bows back then? That would give the Pikers a bit of a sticky wicket a what ?! :o;D But those arrows are absolutely beautiful, and Mullet was right, you do very nice work. In fact if I were king, I would hire you for the Royal Armory. ;D ;D
Wayne
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Wayne,
The guy who will be shooting these has a hornbow of around 85lbs at 28 inches but has a long draw, shoots with a thumb ring and wanted extra stiff shafts to suit. It seems that spine rating for thumb ring works quite differently to that needed for finger release. In Korean traditional archery I think they basically have two spine ratings, stiff and very stiff!
Having made these arrows I want to make a set for myself just to see how they do. I've never tried four fletch before and these should work well for speed shooting etc.
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beautifull work there and the inserts should be an asset. i to like the 4 fletch been shooting 4 for several years and i realy like that i can pull one out of the quiver and not give any thought to how i knock it. again great work..
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Nice work.
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Bob,
You got any shoots on that might lure me in your direction?
One thing I forgot to mention - these shafts are spine rated to 105-110#! Amazing for 11/32nds diameter.
Hi Mark, yep, we have some shoots coming upP
Sunday December 5th Ron Pavitt Memorial Open 3d & Faces *
Sunday December 19th Mince Pie shoot - friendly
2011
Saturday January 1st New Year's Day friendly
Sunday January 23rd Friendly shoot
...I certainly wont need 105-110# though.....just 45-50# please!
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the 4 fletch was definitely for speed shooting and easy of attaching to the string while riding horse back, not looking for the cock feather..
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Those are just gorgeous. Excellent job. Jawge
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really nice work
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Fantastic work Mark - do you make to order...? ;D
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very nice. im no good at makeing arrows myself, but still love to do it, just havnt had time to put in much practice.
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Very nice arrows Mark.God Bless
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Amazing arrows- thanks for sharing!