getting them cane's close, now another question

[recurve shooter]

i know someone already asked a simmilar question, but here is mine:

these things are river cane. i know that you HAVE to have something in the point end, cus you caint haft points, or glue points on, to a hollow round shaft. at least thats what i think.

anyway, how do you guys fill in your point ends? i dont really want to have to find dowls to fit it, but i will. after all they are all of 94 cents a piece.

if you do use dowels, do you fill up the entire internode with it, or just use a few inches to keep the weight uniform?

basicly i need a 'HOW TO' on the point ends of cane arrows. thank yall alot. cant wait to get these puppies finished up. should go really well with an osage snake bow. 

[n2everythg]

you can do it either way. leave it hollow or fill it. I have done both with success.

Think you will get a lot of opinions on this one.

I have used dowels to fill the center. correct diameter and glued. when I did I would drill out center a bit and then use different lengths to help get overall arrow weights to match closer.

But I dont think it is necessary to fill them. last several sets I made up I didnt fill and had no issues. I guess if your cane is big diameter and the hollows are really big also you might have an issue putting on field points. But if you are hafting up stone or trade points for hunting it shouldnt be an issue if you wrap the end up good with sinew or string soaked in super glue.

think this call is up to you.

but my choice is that it is just one more step and not really needed.
wade


Oh one more 'point' on edit:
you dont really have to use anything on the end either. I have seen some really cool uses where the ends were just split for small game and frog shooting and others where they were just fire hardened etc. no point at all.

[donnieonetrack]

If needed I glue slivers of cane in the ends.

Donnie

[Pat B]

What they said!  I usually put a piece of dowel or bamboo skewer in the end of the cane shaft with TB glue. In this case it will fill any voids aroung the incert. I have made cane arrows without adding any filler also. I have also tapered the end of cane arrows to accept glue on points and also used screw in points just bu slipping the shank of the point into the center hole and wrapping just behind it to secure it.
  Some Natives would just crush the forward end of the cane, fit the point into it and wrap it to secure.  And like Wade said you don't need any sort of point added. If you cut the cane about 2" to 4" infront of a node at a steep angle, fill the void with sand(for the extra weight) and drip pitch into the end it will serve as a good, functional field or target point. One friend, Napping Dude, shot a complete 3D course with an arrow like this and the arrow held up quite well even hitting trees, etc.

[Hillbilly]

What they said. I don't usually put anything in it, but if you're tapering it for glue-ons and it has too big of a hole, glue a piece of bamboo skewer or a whittled-out stick in there and taper it.

[recurve shooter]

cool guys. thank yall. i think im gunna go with some small dowls cuz i got some pretty serious holes in the ends. i got self nocks on em and im just seeing what i should do next. thank yall for the input.

[recurve shooter]

screw in points just bu slipping the shank of the point into the center hole and wrapping just behind it to secure it.

BINGO! i found some old screw in field points and threw em on with the oh-so-primitive dental floss, electric tape, and elmers glue. 

[Pat B]

Primitive means using what you have to work with to its best ability. Sounds like you did that! 

[recurve shooter]

yup. i walked outside and shot em bare-shaft last night, and of the 4 that i have nearly done, 3 flew perfectly and stuck in the ground at about 10 yards, nocks pointing strait back at me. the fourth i had left about 4 inches to long just to see what happened. gunna cut it down, finish the other 3, and fletch them this weekend. i'll get up pics when they are finished. thank yall for all the help.

[recurve shooter]

been working on em some more. aint gunna get around to fletching this weekend, but i have 14 shafts now, just need a little final streightening and some screw in points and they'll be ready for the fletchings. i been in grandpa's shop for the last two hours with a dremel and a belt sander working on nocks, and got em all done and working well. hopefully it'll be points tomorrow, and fletchings soon.

i think i may have made them a little to stiff, but for my first ever batch, this is comeing along very well. thank you all for your help.