Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Eric Krewson on October 10, 2017, 05:45:03 pm
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Troy Breading ran some ramrod blanks through his shaft making machine years ago and had a bunch with too much runout for ramrods, these were 48" long and really great hickory. He gave me a bunch of them when I said I was looking for a ramrod blank. I found a few with enough straight grain to make a ramrod or two but most have been used as dowels for various purposes.
The other day I decided to try to turn one of these dowels into an arrow shaft, I knew the spine would be out the roof. I chucked up one piece in my drill and ran it through my el cheapo dowel maker and reduced it from 3/8" to approximately 11/32". No matter how sharp my cutter blade was the shaft still came out like a beaver had ahold of it.
The spine of the 11/32 shaft was over 95# and I needed 57-60# so I chucked the ragged shaft in my drill and hand sanded it down to around 5/16 and 57# spine, this took about an hour.
Today I decided to make a few more and came up with a better way to reduce the spine.
I ran the large shaft through my dowel cutter;
(https://i.imgur.com/fnaCeLb.jpg)
Used a V block as a guide to put pressure on the shaft, spun it with my drill and ran the shaft in and out on my belt sander putting pressure on the V block. I was using a 120 grit belt that was a bit worn. I reduced the shaft in minutes, I would sand two or three passes after I got the size down close to 5/16" and check the spine on my tester until I had it in the right range. I did several straightening sessions during the process as well so I ended up with a perfectly straight shaft for the final trip to the sander.
(https://i.imgur.com/mrFkkiv.jpg)
The things are pile drivers, 5/16", 57# spine and weigh in at over 650 grains cut to 28". They fly perfectly out of my osage bow.
(https://i.imgur.com/4bL4Rsq.jpg)
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V block and belt sander works great doesn't it? I wonder if the heat generated helps straighten it.
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That is awesome! looks like they worked out great!
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That kind of weight in that small of a diameter is a recipe for improved penetration!
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Excellent Eric.I found hickory to be an excellent wood for shafts too.Along with black locust.Better finished shafts yet then honey locust,maple,and ash diameter wise.Walnut comes in a very close second for me though but had to barrel them for extra mass weight.Oak is'nt too bad either.
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I Like your technique, Eric. Do they shoot as expected from your static spine testing?
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very, very nicely done ;D
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Willie, I made three arrows so far, two shoot like darts, one is an inconsistent shooter and went in the dead arrow bucket. I may strip it down, reorientate the feathers, recut the nock and see if it will shoot. It shoots fairly well cock feather in.
I had bare shafted my everyday arrow shafts and found my bow liked 57-60 spine so that is what I made from the hickory.
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those look great, ,I love hickory for a shaft,, I am gonna look for some ,,
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Pine Hollow sells hickory shafts but they are real proud of them $$.