How much taper?

[Kegan]

Well, my latest bundle of birch is leaving me in fits. The grain is fine for shooting the darn things, but gouge rediculously as soon as I take even a finely-set plane to taper the darn things!

Since I already sand the middle to get the spine I want, I could just sand the end into a slight taper- but not the full 1/16" taper I had before with the use of a plane.

Howard Hill said that the right amount of taper is 1/16", but he had 1/32" on his arrows, and even modern carbon arrows (Grizzly stiks?) are slightly tapred- and people seem to notice an inporved flight. But almsot all the modern tapred wooden arrows I see have at least 1/16" of taper.

How much is enough ?

[ricktrojanowski]

If you were to buy a doz tapered wood shafts I believe they are tapered from 23/64 or 11/32 down to 5/16 at the nock end.  So I guess you could figure about 1/32 to 3/32 would be about right.  This is just a guess.

[Coo-wah-chobee]

 Hill said 1/16 " because at that time he was shootin' arras he "spined " himself by shooting. There were NO spine testers yet. Later after they made the scene he changed ta 1/32 " when he spined arras, guess cause he got better flight. Remember Hill shot at longer distances in those days but in later life he shot much closer and didnt feel tapered arras were necessary. Imo they are just another unecessary frill in todays huntin' enviroment..............bob

[DanaM]

Never messed with tapered shafts except for cane and shoots and they are tapered quite a bit.
Personally I think its a waste of time to taper shafts but thats just my opinion

[Pat B]

I have heard from 5/16" at the nock to 3/8" at the pile end. Some only taper the last 10" of the shaft. I guess this would have the same effect but would keep the weight up.    Pat

[Kegan]

Okay, so long as the center of the shaft isn't smaller than the nock, I'm okay then?

[Coo-wah-chobee]

  Must be gettin "daft " er more than I already was ! Barreled shafts are smaller on the nock and business end than in the middle. I fer one never saw the need fer barreled shafts, ifn ya barrel em then yer gonna lose weight !..............bob

[jb.68]

The grain is fine for shooting the darn things, but gouge rediculously as soon as I take even a finely-set plane to taper the darn things!

I found exactly the same problem mate. What I do (with a very sharp block plane, finely set) is plane the bits as far as I can that don't tear, but as soon as I feel it catch, I just drop onto a file and finish the length of the taper with that. I use 10 mm Birch, so I don't taper much more than about the last 12" to 8" depending on what they are for. 

[Kegan]

The grain is fine for shooting the darn things, but gouge rediculously as soon as I take even a finely-set plane to taper the darn things!

I found exactly the same problem mate. What I do (with a very sharp block plane, finely set) is plane the bits as far as I can that don't tear, but as soon as I feel it catch, I just drop onto a file and finish the length of the taper with that. I use 10 mm Birch, so I don't taper much more than about the last 12" to 8" depending on what they are for. 

I tried that! The darn things left terrible "washboards" on it that I couldn't sand out.

I looked at them again- on many the grain swoops, running off in both directions !

[jb.68]

I tried that! The darn things left terrible "washboards" on it that I couldn't sand out.

I looked at them again- on many the grain swoops, running off in both directions !

Was that with the grain or across?

[Kegan]

With.

[jb.68]

I go across the grain with a medium file and then work down to a finer file. Then go onto a 120-140 sanding belt torn up. Then just go down through your usual fine finishing process.

It works for me, hopefully it'll work for you. 

[Kegan]

I never would have thought of that! Thank you !!!