Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: backtowood B2W on December 22, 2018, 02:43:20 am
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I cutted some dogwood and hazel shoots in spring.
the dogwood didn't look like they want to become arrows, so first messed around with one dogwood and 3 hazel shafts. Heat and a wood block with a hole. Worked out but not nice, cause I left alot marks on the shafts. S the others are just bent with heat and hands. Much better result.
As the dogwood bended like gum I decided to make all: the thin and short ones are for wife and kids.
From right to left:
1:dogwood 27"draw with stone point
2,3,4:hazel 28"draw
On this ones I also did the whole fletching myself. I used some old feathers from birds of prey I collected over the years.
The stone point was a present from my sister 25 yeas ago. It has been a necklace, now its doing what its made for. She was in Oregon.
5,6,7,8,: dogwood 28" draw
9,10,11,12: dogwood 24" draw
13,14,15: dogwood 23" draw
16,17,18: dogwood 19" draw
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some more, The cherry bark quiver isn't finished yet, arrows are rattling to much.
thanks for watching, suggestions always welcome :D
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Nice work backtothewood.
Bjrogg
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You have been buzzy. A lot of work and time goes into hand made arrows, enjoy and thanks for sharing.
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Those turned out very nice.
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Nice work! Always a warm feeling to make them from scratch! I assume you are not in the US.
Hawkdancer
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Thanks for the compliment,
I have 5 dogwood bushes in the garden, hopefully there are some good shafts in there.
Next time I will debark them green.
The hazel ones are good too, not as heavy as dogwood!
Merry Christmas!
B2TW
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Nice work! Always a warm feeling to make them from scratch! I assume you are not in the US.
Hawkdancer
im from the alps, Austria
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Did you sand the shafts down before trying to straighten them? I'm working a bunch of dogwood, and some of it is more than a bit bendy. I'm using my heat gun to warm them up, but I think they will be easier to straighten if I sand the down to about 1/2"(12-13mm) before I do much straightening! Btw,
Nollag Shona! It's getting close where you are!
Hawkdancer
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Hawkdancer:
I didn't sand them before, only the spots where brunches came out.
I heat them up with a modified bathroom radiator, so I can heat the whole length or just a spot.
Keep them a bit longer, to straighten them out at the tip, cause This can be a bit hard without a tool
When they were straight I sanded them a bit. Some I had to straighten two times or even three times,
Hopefully they will stay straight now.
I've heard from a guy who cuts them green and straighten them every day unless they are dry. He says they will stay straight done like this.
I left them more or less the diameter they have been, to get a feeling for the spine.
I want more of this durable shafts but need to get some sets with the same spine.
B2TW
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Now go watch some arrows fly.that one of the joys of the craft.
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Once you get the dogwood straight, it usually stays fairly straight. I do leave a few inches of bark one the ends of the staves to help prevent checking as the shoots cure. (It would also probably help to straighten daily and tie the shoots tighter). Got to find a bunch of dead bicycle tubes to make some bindings. I did plant some. Shoots in the garden last spring and they seem to have taken. Got to water them and our fruit trees, though
Hawkdancer