Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Sagebrush on May 01, 2020, 12:14:47 am
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Ummm... ok I've been making bows poorly for a few decades and I've fletched my arrows for about 30 years. Over the last year I have gathered rose, red osier, and ocean spray in an attempt to make some shafts. My wife always laughs as I emerge bleeding and "victorious" from some nasty evil thicket... unless it's a public area and then she and the kids walk away with quickened pace, eyes averted as if they have never seen the lunatic in the bushes before in their lives.
My question for you guys is how do you reduce your shoots to approximate size? I have used a plane and a grooved arrow track, scraped them with my knife until I was bored to tears and hammered them through a dowel maker until my hands went numb. Then I scrape and sand them to a bit of a barrel taper. I'm I doing this right???
I feel like each of these stupid arrows are my kids and they each have names. Am I doing this right? Suddenly buying a dozen nameless children (stock arrows) seems like a sound investment (no I wouldn't dare).
Advice? Thanks.
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I found that putting on some music and sitting at my workbench for a couple hours with knife in hand while working on removing the bark from a handful of shoots is quit relaxing. I choose to make wooden self knock arrows because I'm not in a hurry and I enjoy the link with the past.
However, I have found that one of the cheese grater type wood planes will speed the job along if needed. Make up a Vee shaped rack to hold the shoot in place to make things easier.
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I use a small thumb plane to reduce shoots when needed. I think I got the thumb plane from ACE Hardware for about $10.
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Harbor freight belt sander and an 80 grit belt. Take off the gruard, rotate the bed to horizontal and spin the shaft on the belt. If the shaft is straight enough, you can Chuck it in a hand drill, but I usually do it by hand.
Wear a dust mask.
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This method works for me...…….
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Here's some of the tools I use...……...
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Oh, and no matter what method you choose, they are going to feel like your children before you are done with them. I started making arrows because buying them seemed too expensive. Now I know why they cost so much.
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Part of the work reducing time when making shoot shafts is harvesting them the right size.
Even to the point of leaving a little natural cambium on their final look.
If they start too large I get them close with a sanding block 8" long with 36 grit paper on it.Stroking evenly on all sides keeping full length taper on them till their around 3/8" on the fat end.
Then into the drill and reduced from there with 60 grit to 80 grit to 100 grit.
All the while along the way I weigh them for mass and test spine weight.
More time consuming than split timber shafts but tougher IMO too.
Preparing a dozen is a full day for me.Still have to fletch them yet then too later.
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Well another day another dozen ocean spray shoots and another 2 dozen scratches ... oh well. Addiction doesn't make sense. My wife was less patient today and kept insisting "that one's no good" even though she was on the other side of the thicket...
The belt sander coupled with the drill sounds efficient for when I'm feeling less primitive.. Thanks!!! My buddy made a maple sled and this has helped immensely. I think I just need to light a fire on the porch and chill out a bit with my knife/scraper. Does anyone ever dowel them green and seal them with poly to dry slowly??? You guys are awesome thank you so much.
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Arrow shafts for primitive work.
Dogwood shoots from last year, and ocean spray for elk season. Cut this afternoon. https://imgur.com/gallery/Y4YeiSX
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I use the thumb plane like Pat B and swage them through a 3/8" hole in a hard maple "die" - also have larger and smaller holes in the same die board! Seems to work Dir me, but I'm in no hurry!
Hawkdancer
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I had never heard of a thumb plane before. Those are brilliant. I am going to track one down. Thanks guys. I have been using an A2 steel dye but I would totally try a hardwood version... I am a bit hesitant with ocean spray? Its density is like 0.8... the stuff sinks in water. Not sure about its crushing strength on the wood database.
Hmm... I might try to reduce these green then coat with poly. OS checks like crazy skin on and ends coated regardless. We... shall...see
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Try just sealing the last 2" of each end on a few and see if they will dry without checking. I have made arrows with checked shoots. It's about like adding lightning grooves. I sealed the checks with super glue and continued on. They may stiffen up some too with checks.
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I made a board I can screw to my bench. It has two straight, full length, 90 deg grooves routed out. One deeper than the other. I use this board and a small plane. I can reduce a fat shoot in about 5 - 10 minutes with the plane.
Your plane blade should be as sharp as it is possible to get it. You should be able to shave hairs off the back of your hand easily.
Get the shoots as straight as possible before any reducing.
Once they are close to diameter I switch to 60 grit and a sanding block with a circular groove, just over shaft diameter like 7/16ths. This enables you to get the shaft perfectly round after planning with very little effort.
Spine and check weights.
Continue until they are matched close enough for you.
Over here hazel is our primo, easy to collect shoot shaft wood. A dozen finished arrows from pre-seasoned shafts is a full days work. They are worth it though, very strong.
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Thanks. Not sure why I hadn't thought of a grooved sanding block. That seems like an improvement.
I feel like I'm getting the hang of dogwood but the ocean spray bumps and wiggles require patience. I am hopeful though as it could be used to beat a grizzly to death. Stuff is awesome. Hazel around me is mostly small and wiggly. Love the smell of it toasted though. Thanks again.
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Part of the work reducing time when making shoot shafts is harvesting them the right size.
Even to the point of leaving a little natural cambium on their final look.
If they start too large I get them close with a sanding block 8" long with 36 grit paper on it.Stroking evenly on all sides keeping full length taper on them till their around 3/8" on the fat end.
Then into the drill and reduced from there with 60 grit to 80 grit to 100 grit.
All the while along the way I weigh them for mass and test spine weight.
More time consuming than split timber shafts but tougher IMO too.
Preparing a dozen is a full day for me.Still have to fletch them yet then too later.
I forgot to mention I use a crack in my work bench to lay the shaft in while I stroke it down to thickness evenly on all sides.I've taken wiggles out completely that way also.Shafts perform well and stay straight after heat corrections too.
Hazel here will end up a trifal thicker overall for the same spine as dogwoods or ocean spray.My local plum here is the densest & skinniest of them all.Great hunting arrows.All are tough.
I've started staining them too to get away from the bone white flashing affect they can have while in the stand for a shot.
I keep a sizer around as 1 of my tools when reducing diameter too.
(https://i.imgur.com/k13Szab.jpg)
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So one thing I've found that has sped the tapering and reduction is using the sharp dowel dye as a rounded scraper. This has been an amazing quality and efficiency boost. Waiting on my thumb plane.