Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: michbowguy on January 30, 2008, 08:53:12 pm
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ok here is a step by step in how i make my 2 fletch arrows, the forshafts are made just like toms darts shafts...same same.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x74/michbowguy/100_1555.jpg)
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you dont have to have a wrap in the middle but it just makes them quieter during flight...closer to shaft, less drag, etc.
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Thats sweet Jamie. Looks fairly simple and fast. Thanks.......Keenan
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But how do they fly compared to a three feather Arrow?? Also the Ojibwa will use two Feathers on some Reservations...but they use the whole Feather....sinew one on each side of the Shaft...
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Very nice bro' They look good ta me. Good enuf ta take huntin' ! ;) ;D...bob
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Thanks Jamie. Two fletch is gonna be my next project. Pat
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Dang I went and stripped all my feathers to soon. I like that better than stripped and glued. Justin
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Those are pretty similar to the Eastern Woodland two-feather fletch like the Cherokee, Iroquois, ans many other tribes used. I use them a good bit myself, and find that they fly as good as three-feather fletches. I usually do mine like most of the old ones and lay the helical spiral to them.
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Pictures Hillbilly? ;D
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I'll try to get some, Dana. I'm actually kinda working on an article about 'em at the moment. ;D
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I only asked Hillbilly because we all know that Justin likes pictures ;)
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Yeah, he'll bug you to death about them high-resolution pics, won't he? ;D Jamie, I meant to ask you-why do you wait till it's tied on to strip the other side of the quill? Good looking arrows and fletches.
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i dont usualy but i use ALL the birds wing feathers,some secondarys are fuller than others,some lay flatter,some look like a full tail feather.
i just grabbed into my bag of feathers,maybe i should have taken more time with matching them up.
the feathers i use to make arrows i sell or trade get more attention than my own personal ones.
but you can do it a number of ways.
jamie
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That looks fairly simple Jamie - appreciate you posting your way of doing it. One of my many next projects ;).
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is it only me who can't see the pictures?
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Dustybear: thats possible, but in a thread of mine, I wasn`t able a day later to see all of my pics, only a few. But as was looking for an answer to my thread some time later, they were visible again.
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i guess it's the firewall at work, because at home i can see them fine.
great build-along jamie. just a question: i seem to remember a discussion about two-feather fletching and somebody said your supposed to use the feathers "inside out" so to speak. have you ever tried that? and if you did, what was the difference in flight?
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Very nice. I have seen these types before, perhaps you posted them, but it is cool to see a step by step photo essay. The two questions I have are (1), the back fold over, what is the advantage over just laying it flat? (2), what is the advantage of leaving the back portion of the inside part of the whole feather?
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just a question: i seem to remember a discussion about two-feather fletching and somebody said your supposed to use the feathers "inside out" so to speak. have you ever tried that? and if you did, what was the difference in flight?
Dustybaer, having your feather "inside out" as you call it creates a four fletch effect. That, along with the proper wing fletch (right or left according to which side of the feather is stripped), makes for a very nice flying arrow.
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thank you art, but i'm not sure i understood the following phrase: "the proper wing fletch (right or left according to which side of the feather is stripped)". are you merely saying not to mix right and left wing feathers on the same arrow?
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You're basically have both a right and left wing in a secondary feather. So for example, you strip/split away half of the right wing side then that leaves you with a left wing fletch. You wind up with a left wing fletched arrow with left wing rotation. Personally, I like about a 1/4 turn helical or off set on my fletching to give me some rotation for stability. ART B
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ok, now i got it. ;D thanks again.
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just a question: i seem to remember a discussion about two-feather fletching and somebody said your supposed to use the feathers "inside out" so to speak. have you ever tried that? and if you did, what was the difference in flight?
Dustybaer, having your feather "inside out" as you call it creates a four fletch effect. That, along with the proper wing fletch (right or left according to which side of the feather is stripped), makes for a very nice flying arrow.
What Art said, plus, they lay down a lot flatter on the shaft if you put them dull-side out. If you tie them on dull-side in, the natural curvature of the feather tends to bow out from the shaft and leave a gap after awhile.
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thanks hillbilly. now one more question and i'll shut up ;D how about pounding the quills? do you do that for this type of fletching? and if you do, do you pound them until you crush the quill or just slightly to flatten it somewhat?
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i dont pound anything.
i gently work the end of quill around something round like a nail in a vice...ill do this until plyable, the older feathers will dery and breal off at the end but this is where i weed out those bad spots.
i tie so it bows out, if it sticks out too far i usualy just tie down in the center.
they fly fine and this way if i wanted to put a twist to them i could,and it would the helical will stay.
the only glue i use on them is on the foreshaft and that is usualy hide glue/tb2. what ever i have....but after you "set" the foreshaft by placing some pre-stress line fractires in the end of the cane under the wrap..and tap them down...you have to almost lock it in a vise and pull....IF you CAN pull it out.
i do alot of my finish straightning after the forshaft is in place.
i would like to see some of your guys two fletch so we can see the differences and similarities!
jamie
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Jamie, I'll try to get some pics up in a few days. I agree-it would be interesting to see the variations. There was a lot of individual variation in the old ones, too.
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thanks jamie
here are my attempts. arrows didn't fly worth a crap (probably because the quill is too far from the shaft). i also tried it with atlatl darts, those worked better. sorry for the poor quality of the pictures.
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I basically do mine like your 1st and 5th arrow shown in your second picture Dustybaer. Couple of exceptions though. My finished fletch is inside out (curvature out) compared to yours (curvature in). Your main or full vane side which is right handed is left fletched. Correct those two things and these two-fletch will match a three-fletch for accuracy. Will try to add a photo.-ART B
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Let me try that last pic again ::)! ART B
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nice art!!!
hey dustybaer...your arrows probably flew bad becauce you have both right and left full feathers trying to spin in different directions...
if you want to see a similar action go fletch up an arra with 2 rh feathers and one left wing... then youll get that same erratic flight .
i only keep pcs on to SLOW the arrow down so my LARGE heads do not plane.
cool pic guys!!!
jamie
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art, thanks again for your explanation. that picture really helped. very nice fletching (as was to be expected from a master fletcher like you ;D )
jamie, all feathers on the two-fletched arrows were from the same wing, so that wasn't the problem. it must be the way i put them on (and maybe i trimmed them too much. only about 3/8 left on each side of the quill)
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That one arrow belongs to a set of scout arrows I'm making at present, glad you guys like it. Here's what I like to do for my personal arrows.
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art the last pic is a tail feather if I'm not mistaken????
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That's correct Dana. -ART B
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beatiful, art. is that nock bone or antler?
the partial wrapping makes sense. i think i still have a few tail feathers. guess what i'm gonna try next ;D
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beatiful, art. is that nock bone or antler?
Plastic >:D -ART B
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I've been thinkin about making my hunting arrows for next year like these 2 fletch. I am working on sourwood, red twig dogwood(from Germany ;) ) and some home grown switch cane(got some set aside for you Art ;) ) and a few other species I'm testing. Pat
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but please don't use plastik (unkess it's pre-historic plastik, of course) ;D
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I think you'll like the 2-fletch on you're hunting arrows Pat. You won't get as much rotation as the 3-fletch but you'll get enough. I estimate I'm getting one full rotation every 5 yards or so from 45-50 bows. I haven't had any problems with planing either. Turkey tail feathers appear to make the quietest fletch. Looking forward to working with some more of your cane. You grow the best you know ;D!
Dustybaer, that plastic nock on that one arrow has already been replace once. Hate to put that much work into one of these practice arrows only to ruin it :o. But for hunting, wouldn't use anything else but a self-nock.-ART B
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Turkey tail feathers appear to make the quietest fletch.
Art, a couple years ago I was talking to a Cherokee man over on the Eastern reservation that makes traditional bows and arrows, and he used the Eastern Woodlands two-feather fletch pretty much exclusively with turkey tail feathers. They lay down flatter than the wing feathers, too.
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Dustybaer, that plastic nock on that one arrow has already been replace once. Hate to put that much work into one of these practice arrows only to ruin it :o. But for hunting, wouldn't use anything else but a self-nock.-ART B
art, i was just teasing pat (and you a little bit). ;D i wouldn't dare criticise a fletcher of your caliber.
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Dustybaer, never thought otherwise ;D.
Hillbilly, yeah, turkey tail fearher makes fine fletching. And one of the prettiest also. -ART B
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Question, are you using 1 tail feather split???
also if I try this with a seconary can I use one feather split down the middle or do ya need two feathers
using the same side of each ???
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Two feathers. Each feather is left whole at the back 1/3 or so.
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Same wing correct?? Don't know why but I can't seem to wrap my brain around this.
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Yep, same wing, just like you would for regular fletching.
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i do the same.
i use tail feathers for last resort, they are reall good looking!
besides, if the feathers you use came off bigger birds or are stiff and have a tendency to lift in the middle, just tie them down in the middle. no harm no foul, plus if the front or back break or come out , its just something extra holdin' on the the feather.
mbg
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I made one up with 2 secondaries on boo, now I need to test shoot it,
but doubtif it will be today can only shoot 10' in the basement and its snowing again >:(
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dana, you can't just make statements like that and not provide pictures ;D
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Since they made me a moderator I can Marius ;)
I will try to remember to get a pic after work.
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oh, allmighty moderator, don't mean to be a pain in the lower region, but i can't wait to see the products of your fletching skills ;D
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Oops did I forget ::) See if I can remember after I'm done snow blowing >:(
Fletching skills :o :o :o :o :o ;D ;D Good one Marius that made laugh
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Just for Marius hope it gives ya chuckle, I know I laughed when I made I made it.
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dana, thanks man. i waited at the computer since you said you'll post a picture ;D
i think it looks great, however, i think you made the same mistake i made. you used the "belly" side towards the shaft and i think it's supposed to be the other way around. at least that's how i understood art. and you could move the thick part of the quill further to the side for some helical twist.
but is till think it looks very nice. good job. love the red wrapping.
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I need to see how it flies, looks like the snow is done, hopefully can get some shooting in.
This is a big boo shaft weighs in at 800+ grains and is way to stiff of spine but what the heck
see what it does anyhow.
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Dusty it actually flew pretty good, noisy as all heck but it flew. Think yer right I did it upside down and backwards ;)
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no, you just employed differing techniques ;D