Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: txdm on February 19, 2017, 12:19:24 pm
-
Most of my land is prairie fields, but there's a wet weather creek that runs through the middle, and all around it is a thicket of yaupons and greenbriar, mixed into the post oaks, ashe-juniper and a few mulberries.
(http://www.dmcknight.net/forumpics/bowyer/woods.jpg)
I didn't get a close pic of the thickest part of the yaupons, but you can see some of the green in the background area. There's also a nice mature yaupon getting some sun on the left in front of that juniper.
The thicket gets tight enough for crawling room only, and that's where the straightest shoots are. It's easy to imagine the original natives would have sent their youngsters in to collect the shoots. My arms look like I got into a tussle with a raccoon after all those greenbriars were done with me.
The first day I went out it was about 5:30pm, and I was eager to get some nice shoots. A pack of hogs was tramping through the leaves about 100yards away, but the brush was too thick to see them. Their racket urged me to keep moving when they sounded closer... both of our paths were leading down to the creek bed. Because I was just a little rushed, the first day's harvest was a bunch of so-so shoots that needed straightening, and some might end up too short.
The next day I set out earlier while the hogs were still sleeping. Without that added pressure I was more comfortable taking my time and crawling into the thick brush to look for the "Grade-A" stuff.
I ended up with 70-80 shoots, mostly Yaupon, along with some Possumhaw Holly (which is like a deciduous yaupon, and not the same as possumhaw viburnum), American Beautyberry (which straightens really well), and one straight shoot of Hercules Club that looked too good to pass on.
(http://www.dmcknight.net/forumpics/bowyer/shoots.jpg)
The "Grade-A" bundle were all long and straight enough to bind as they were. I built a fire with deadfall in the Webber to straighten the rest.
My end arrows would be 29-31" long, turkey feather fletchings from my own birds, and tips made from spent 7.62x39 steel casings
For now, the bundles are set aside to dry. I might glue the ends on the short ones to hopefully save their length. I'll update this thread as these progress.
Thanks for looking.
-
I've never used yaupon but I think Patrick(Jackcrafty) has. He may even done a build along.
Like most hollies don't strip the bark too soon or they will check. I've heard you can strip all but the last inch on each end and it will prevent checking while drying but I haven't tried it.
-
Thanks Pat. I'm following Hamm's Native American Bows and Arrows, and plan on leaving all the bark on until they are super dry.
-
I've never used it either but it certainly looks promising. Like to see the end product some day.
Bjrogg
-
PS maybe you can harvest one of those hogs with one.
Bjrogg
-
PS maybe you can harvest one of those hogs with one.
Bjrogg
Someday!
-
PS maybe you can harvest one of those hogs with one.
Bjrogg
Someday!
Txdm I'll be routing for you
Bjrogg
-
They look like they have a lot of taper, or is that just the camera? You might make some nice barrelled shafts from them.
-
I've never used yaupon but I think Patrick(Jackcrafty) has. He may even done a build along.
Just found the videos, thanks!
They look like they have a lot of taper, or is that just the camera? You might make some nice barrelled shafts from them.
Some of them are tapered a lot. They often grow with a little bend close to the ground. I went ahead and cut them low with that little bit to have extra wood for checking as it dries.
-
I've made and used Yaupon Holly for arrows and they are great. Leave the bark on or they well check. They are very tough, polish up beautifully, they stay straight, heat temper well and are heavy hunting weight shafts. I've found that a barrel taper has worked best for me. I have a couple at the house I'm working on, I'll post some pics tonight.
Cheers
Thunder
-
(http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh500/thundersdad/Mobile%20Uploads/20170223_114740_zpsyhu3uyyw.jpg) (http://s1248.photobucket.com/user/thundersdad/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170223_114740_zpsyhu3uyyw.jpg.html)
Here's a couple Yaupon shafts I'm working on, did more of a straight taper on these, 28 1/2" to the base of the point, 100-125 gr trade points with a total weight of 600 gr. I'll use sinew, hide glue and turkey fletching...probably a little modern paint.
I forgot to mention that you can heat temper around the point before you stain, sinew, glue, paint, and attach your point. It makes the base around the point extremely durable.
You can also heat temper mid shaft to raise the spine if you need to.
(http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh500/thundersdad/Mobile%20Uploads/20170223_114521_zpsfujy3ogy.jpg) (http://s1248.photobucket.com/user/thundersdad/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170223_114521_zpsfujy3ogy.jpg.html)
-
You can also heat temper mid shaft to raise the spine if you need to.
Those look great, and this will be a useful tip no doubt. Thanks!
-
Where you at in TX, I have gathered yopon before. But I have seen thunders and ther are good arrows.
-
I'm about an hour east of Austin.
-
Here's a couple Yaupon shafts I'm working on, did more of a straight taper on these, 28 1/2" to the base of the point, 100-125 gr trade points with a total weight of 600 gr. I'll use sinew, hide glue and turkey fletching...probably a little modern paint.
I forgot to mention that you can heat temper around the point before you stain, sinew, glue, paint, and attach your point. It makes the base around the point extremely durable.
You can also heat temper mid shaft to raise the spine if you need to.
Hey Thunder, I'm on my 5th yaupon arrow so far. Could you provide an explanation on how you temper them for stiffness? BTW, if you want, I'd be happy to host your images.
-
Nice looking bundles of shafts! The other pics got " Bucketed"! Sounds like you need to have a "hog hunting party"! (SH) (-_) (=) -C-!
Hawkdancer
-
I'm at a phase where I decide to go shoot my newly made arrows. I get all geared up and after a few shots, I pop over to the shed and start tinkering with them...this one needs sanding, this one needs straightening. And then I decide to start a new one, and before long its dark and I only shot a few times.
I kinda like making arrows more than I like making bows. Surprisingly, I found that using a metal scraper instead of a belt sander is faster and less hazardous (to me and the arrows) when stripping the bark and shaping them.
Also, my 3D hog target ate one of my copper points.
-
I read you are an hour east of Austin? Wherabouts? My family just bought a ranch south of rockdale!
-
Updating this... my yaupon arrows are seemingly "lazy"... I mean some are rubbery enough that I can bend a shaft 180 degrees without it breaking, because the wood is just not stiff enough...and so they lack "spring".
Other arrows I've done from different woods have been stiffer, including a deciduous holly that grows among yaupons that is possibly possumhaw.
Should I try to dry the yaupons more in a heated box?
-
You left the bark on, right? Maybe that's holding the moisture in.
-
I did leave the bark on while they stored for about a year before making.
I've got about 60 more shoots still with the bark on... so I should start stripping them, eh?
-
They should have dried in a year no matter what, I got nuthin' else
-
I've heard(but not tried) that you can remove the bark from shoots but leave an inch or 2 at each end with the bark on. Supposedly the shoots won't check and dry faster. It would be worth trying with a few of these shoots.
-
I have a bunch of red osier that I cut and peeled last spring, left 3"-4"bark on each end. They seem to have dried well. Haven't noticed any checking. But things dry very well out here!
Hawkdancer