Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Blood Trail on November 30, 2014, 01:05:10 am
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I got a batch of seasoned river cane I got from a guy on Facebook. The question I have is how straight is straight enuff? What are some tools y'all use in the straightening process? So I straighten the sections between the nodules first?
Sorry for all the questions, but I'd figure I'll ask the experts. Thanks in advance!
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steam from a boiling pot, heat from an element, heat gun, or fire, and straighten by hand. just heat and bend and hold till theyre cool enough for keep shape, bit by bit.
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You will probably never get your cane as straight as an "arrow", it doesn't seem to matter, they shoot great even with a few small bends in them.
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I use two hands and small candle. Just make sure you heat all the way around the diameter of the area you want to bend.
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I use these. They take some of the pressure off my old thumbs. The bottom one has a built-in straight edge to help with the little kinks and wobbles. I heat with a heat gun.
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Once I get cane arrows relatively straight I add a point. If the arrow spins true on my finger tip I finish the arrow by cutting in the self nock and fletching...and do a spin test again. As long as the point end and nock end line up and the arrow spins true the it should fly well.
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I have used a heat gun, and a torch, I like the torch better, but it is touchy, one second too long and the shaft is done.
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I prefer a small backpacking stove. It sits stable, and I can get the heat adjusted low, giving me very good control.
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I use a small can of sterno to do my heating and just use my hands to straighten. I am right there with Pat on when it is straight enough.
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I use a small can of sterno to do my heating and just use my hands to straighten. I am right there with Pat on when it is straight enough.
I use a sterno heat can to.
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I discovered my barbecue works great for the initial straightening of bamboo garden stakes. I heat the barbecue to 350-400 degrees and slide the shaft into the rotisserie hole. Leave it for about 30 seconds, pull it out and hand straighten as good as you can. Use gloves. It just takes a few minutes(well maybe a half hour ;)) to do 20 or 30 shafts I find I can get most of the bends/kinks out. I use a heat gun to get out the final bends
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I got a batch of seasoned river cane I got from a guy on Facebook. The question I have is how straight is straight enuff? What are some tools y'all use in the straightening process? So I straighten the sections between the nodules first?
Sorry for all the questions, but I'd figure I'll ask the experts. Thanks in advance!
How straight is straight enough?...I first get them pretty straight, then cut them to about 32", lay them out on a very flat table and roll them if the ends come off the table then I work on them some more.
I do straighten the sections between the nodes first and work about 9 shafts at a time working one end first and then moving to another shaft to allow the first to cool. Trying to do too much on one shaft at a time can make it more difficult.
Attached is a few pics of the jig I use with a heat gun.
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I use a piece of aluminum angle as a reflector when I heat shafts to straighten them, a few seconds and they are scorching hot.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/shaftheating.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ekrewson/media/shaftheating.jpg.html)
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Danny Bar, I like your straightening tool.
I have a table that I laid a yard stick on and made a straight line with a black marker. I use a propane torch and am very careful with it. Lay the cane along the line and match a small or long section that is straight with the line. What's not straight or bent will be easily noticeable. Heat the shaft and bend by hand or across the tables edge. When you get it straight the length then roll it a little and adjust as needed. You can get cane very straight all the way around.
You can get them surprisingly straight by line of sight, but the straight line is real close. You can even use it for atlatal cane shafts.
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been straightening cane for years..I have found on seasoned cane be sure to not overheat... get hot enough to not be able to hold and lay on a table end bend and hold for a few seconds and move on..take the big bends out first then start at one end and work to other...gut