Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: douglasb on February 05, 2011, 12:23:51 pm

Title: wal mart dowels
Post by: douglasb on February 05, 2011, 12:23:51 pm: hi,
have a question for you guys, i want to make my own arrows but i have never tried it before , i was thinking about trying some 3/8 dowels from wal mart for my first attemt has anyone made any out of these dowels, iam not even sure if it would be safe not knowing the spine weight i dont even know what kind of wood they are, picked up six the other day with little stickers on them that say product of brazil , they were the straitest ones of the bunch and the wood is dark ,they are darker than the ones without the sticker ,but still i dont know what their made of any help would be appreciated
Title: Re: wal mart dowels
Post by: Pat B on February 05, 2011, 12:32:15 pm: As long as the grain is straight and the runoffs are few and long you should be OK. You might be better served going to Lowe's or HD just because they specialize in building materials so you might have a better selection.
Title: Re: wal mart dowels
Post by: osage outlaw on February 05, 2011, 03:26:27 pm: Our local Lowes has poplar dowels. Would that be better than the cheap ones that walmart has?
Title: Re: wal mart dowels
Post by: stiknstring on February 05, 2011, 03:54:00 pm: I have had good luck with Lowes poplar dowels. Made a half dozen for our state games a few years ago and STILL have four after various stump shooting and rabbit hunting excursions. Check the grain carefully and get you a spine o meter of some sort and you will be in business
Title: Re: wal mart dowels
Post by: Pat B on February 05, 2011, 04:06:12 pm: Poplar makes great arrows. I never used dowels but bought a 36" poplar board at Lowe's , cut to 3/8"x3/8" and hand planed them round by removing the 4 corners, then the 8 corners then sanded them smooth anf sanded to adjust the spine. Worked great!
Title: Re: wal mart dowels
Post by: JW_Halverson on February 05, 2011, 04:47:46 pm: I pulled a mess of 5/16 poplar dowels outa the rack at Lowes a few years ago and cut them to 27" shafts. They were all too stiff for a 50# bow. Went back and bought another mess, and those I cut to 34" thinking I could fletch'em, put points on and then shorten them an inch at a time until they flew straight. But they were perfect at 34" so that's where they stayed. Pretty darn tough shafts, but a booger to keep straight. Had to use heat every time I had to re-straighten a shaft.
Title: Re: wal mart dowels
Post by: aznboi3644 on February 05, 2011, 07:21:35 pm: The nice walmart near my house actually has a pretty decent selection of 5/16" and 3/8" straight grained dowels that make pretty good arrows.

I made a set of 3/8" poplar ones from wal mart...shafts weight between 600-700 grains. They fly pretty well outta my 45lb hickory bow...pack quite a punch too.

as long as the grain is straight...I'd say go for it.
Title: Re: wal mart dowels
Post by: jeffhalfrack on February 05, 2011, 10:03:13 pm: Go for it man !! I call them cucumber wood! you never really know what they are LOL!! I buy a whole bunch bring them home and spine them (I go 10# heavier than I need) and bring back what I don't need, I taper the last 10"before the nock this is all after you read and know what to look for in an arrow shaft right???? my buddy owns a hardware store and calls me when he opens a new box of sticks and then I spine and weigh what he and I need you will get hooked on arrow making JEFFW
Title: Re: wal mart dowels
Post by: douglasb on February 06, 2011, 08:04:49 pm: nice, thanks guys i will send some photos when i am done i have some feathers from gateway and i am going to make some of my own broadheads and put goose feathers on some from some geese i killed this year
Title: Re: wal mart dowels
Post by: JW_Halverson on February 10, 2011, 12:27:11 am: Fletching from geese you shot? Mmmm, nothing better. Big mojo. Or at least a satisfaction of making the best use of what you have taken.