Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: PeteDavis on December 26, 2010, 10:37:24 pm
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Would folks with experience using viburnum dentatum as an arrow shaft share their thoughts on this material as an arrow wood.
Pictures would be a plus. Found a few archived but sporadic.
Will this material hold up? Apparently there is a lot of it here along the Maury River.
Thanks in advance.
PD
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Pete, I haven't used V.dentatum(arrow wood viburnum) but I have used blackhaw viburnam with good results. It will check if you strip the bark too soon after cutting but makes very good arrows. I gave an arrow I made totally abo to Mike(Hawk) Houston. I had peeled it early and it checked pretty bad but I made an arrow with it with stone point using only stone tools. Even with bad checks the arrow stayed straight and shot well. I guess the checks acted like lightning grooves.
Blackhaw and arrow wood are similar.
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Viburnum is my favorite shoot shaft. Tough as nails. I've repeatedly shot a tree trunk dead on and no damage or straightening needed to some arrows.
Never checks on me...I'll debark fresh cut. Here are some shoots at the top of the picture with the bark on...they have an itchy powder all over the plant.
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p67/aznboi3644/Bows/PC240168.jpg)
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Once dried, are dentatum shafts heat-straightened?
PD
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Pete, with all shoot shafting I dry them well then straighten them with heat. I use my kitchen gas stove and cooking oil(olive oil). As with other heat straightening I start with the worst bends first, get them straight then let cool well before finishing the rest. It sometimes takes 2or 3 sessions depending on the severity of the bends.
After everything is straight I redo each shaft, starting at one end and heat thoroughly(tempering), sometimes to a slight scorch(for color) and work my way down to the other end, rotating the shaft as I go. When done I lay the shafts flat until completely cool.
Be careful when you reach the end after "tempering" because any moisture that remains after straightening will come out the end as steam and can burn you.
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We also have a lot around here.I use it dry with the bark on. Heat to straighten. It's a tuff wood and stays straight. I like it.
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I've made quite a few from it, they don't call it "arrowwood" for nothing, makes good shafts. It has good weight, stays straight relatively well, and is tough and hard to break. As Pat said, it'll check easily, though. I dry it with the bark on.
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These days, since I am retired, I hand straighten the shafts every couple of days. That eliminates the need for massive ehat straightening later. Jawge
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I'm with jawge...I never use heat on any of my arrow shafts unless its bamboo.
Usually I'll just debark 6 or 7 shafts at a time and straighten them while I watch tv every night.
I don't know why my viburnum never checks...I'll debark them fresh cut and man are they wet under the bark but they never check on me.
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I'm with George I don't get in a hurry.. Most can be strighten by hand or with a screw driver on most bends. But after a few straightings I can tell the beens that need heated.