Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Tracker0721 on September 28, 2015, 11:41:18 am

Title: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Tracker0721 on September 28, 2015, 11:41:18 am
Anyone know where I can find a resource telling me what I can use for shafting around the colville national forest or eastern washington in general. Wanting to be totally primitive and planing down shafts doesn't seem that truly primitive.
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: DC on September 28, 2015, 11:59:54 am
I would try anything that grows straight. Cut a handfull of anything, let it dry and give it a bend. See how tough it is. Label everything so when you get something that works you can remember where to go to get more.
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: wizardgoat on September 28, 2015, 01:12:13 pm
I drove through Spokane coming west a while back and you should have lots of mock orange and service berry. Probably some chokecherry too
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Tracker0721 on September 28, 2015, 01:41:47 pm
And using the pinky diameter rule will work for all shoots? How about dry time? When do you know it's ready? Weigh it till it doesn't change?
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Pat B on September 28, 2015, 02:17:32 pm
Leave the bark on while drying. Some shoots won't check if the bark is removed but most I've tried will check badly...especially in dry climates.   I'd give the shoots at lease a month or two but longer is better. Well seasoned arrows are a lot more stable and will stay straight better.
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: wizardgoat on September 29, 2015, 02:03:50 am
You can't rush shoot shafts. Like bow wood they need to season, but they don't take as long.
Cut them as long as possible, leave the bark on and don't seal the ends. I bind them up with string or zap straps. Every day or 2 take them out, hand straiten and bind them back up. This will save a lot of time for heat corrections later. After 2-3 month (longer if possible)some of the ends will check but that's why you cut them long. Remove the bark and bind them back up. This is when I start weighing them.
When they stop losing weight, make your shafts. Its easier to heat straiten  when they're long, then cut them later.
Different species will require different thickness, so you'll just have to experiment. I like cutting them a little bigger then planing them down till I reach my spine.
You should really be looking for mock orange aka syringa, it's awesome arrow wood, beautiful wood, and if you can find a big enough piece it'll make a bow.
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Tracker0721 on September 29, 2015, 12:19:56 pm
Ha! I just saw a bowyers mock orange bow this morning! I'll definitely take a look for it. Figure if I get cutting now I'll have tons of shafts to play with in late winter. I like the leave a bit bigger idea, had a few dozen I was hand planning to 11/32 all come up 10-15 pounds too weak. Because I didn't check them early. Thanks guys! Guess I'll take my field guide and get hunting some arrows!
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: wizardgoat on September 29, 2015, 02:23:31 pm
Yep, cut often, you'll be thankful later
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Tracker0721 on October 07, 2015, 02:44:27 pm
Wandering my father inlaws property on his side by side and we came into a gully full of ocean spray. Almost a mile drive with ocean spray on all sides. I found my shaft material! Anyone know how to make it heavier?
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: DC on October 07, 2015, 03:15:01 pm
Heavier?? There isn't much heavier than OS. The OS around here sinks. If you mean spine they will stiffen up a lot as they dry.
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Tracker0721 on October 07, 2015, 04:18:55 pm
I'm looking to be around 550+ grains. I didn't think ocean spray got that heavy after reading a previous thread on ocean spray. I'm using obsidian points so i won't get much weight from my point.
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: DC on October 07, 2015, 05:32:18 pm
I just weighed one of my OS shafts. It's been drying for a year or so, bark off except for a couple inches on each end. 31" long. Just under 3/8" on the fat end. Weighs 641 gr
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Tracker0721 on October 07, 2015, 05:39:05 pm
Winner winner chicken dinner. I'm so stoked now! Gonna go start cutting. So does leaving bark on or leavin just a few inches on each end work better in your experiences?
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: wizardgoat on October 07, 2015, 05:43:22 pm
OS shafts need to be seasoned a long time.
I debarked some after about 6 months and waited a full year till I made arrows.
Had them spined 45# and now they are over 70#
Just keep cutting and experimenting and find what works for you.
OS makes very good shoot shafts, the best in my parts anyways
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: DC on October 07, 2015, 05:52:56 pm
Plan on using something else this year. Bundle up a shipload of shoots, put them in a corner and forget them. The area where I walk sounds like what you have. I would walk until I spotted a straight shoot, cut it and skin it as I walked. When I was done I would stick it in my belt and start looking for another. In an hour I would have about a dozen. Do the same the next day. Any you miss you will spot the next day or so. Good for your heart, your soul and makes the walk go way faster cause you're doing something
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Stringman on October 07, 2015, 05:56:53 pm
Billy Berger has a nice article in this months magazine that explains the process real well
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Pat B on October 07, 2015, 06:43:45 pm
Yes he does. I just read Billy's article yesterday. His info is for a specific tribe's arrows but the general prep info is good for any shoot arrows.
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Tracker0721 on October 07, 2015, 09:49:43 pm
Found 20 in the past 30 minutes. Getting too dark cold and wet though so I'll go again tomorrow. I figure these will be next year arrows. And the next and next if I keep going. This is a blast!
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: DC on October 08, 2015, 12:25:24 am
Now you've got a working stock that will get you going. Now when you collect get real fussy. Only take the cream. Instead of 20 in 30 minutes just get 3 or 4. You will understand once you start working with the first 20 you've got.
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Tracker0721 on October 20, 2015, 07:18:18 pm
Well wizardgoat I found mock orange around my new house, never knew what it was before. And red osier dogwood at my parents. Lots of hopeful arrows next year!
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: sumpitan on October 21, 2015, 08:42:10 am
Anyone know where I can find a resource telling me what I can use for shafting around the colville national forest or eastern washington in general. Wanting to be totally primitive and planing down shafts doesn't seem that truly primitive.

Truly primitive is my ultimate goal, too. Just want to point out that the oldest surviving arrow shafts in the world are made of split, planed timber. We are talking about German, Danish, Russian arrows from 12  - 10 000 years ago. Heck, in Northern Europe, shoot shafts are a younger technology than split timber shafting. These guys used flint blades, too.

Tuukka
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: bowtarist on October 21, 2015, 03:17:40 pm
Love me some ocean spray. Osier is good, hazel, chokecherry. Like them all. I'm not a big fan of phragmities tho, round here it's just too thin walled and light. The encyclopedia of Native American bows arrows and quivers 2 should have some info for your area.
Title: Re: NE Washington shoot shafts
Post by: Tracker0721 on October 21, 2015, 04:22:53 pm
I need to look into that book then. Never knew there was such a thing. That's cool about the planed shafts! I like how fast I can make them but collecting all these shoots is pretty fun too. Maybe I'll make a German Primitive jaeger set to honor my ancestors and a Pacific Northwest set cause that's what I have to play with.