Got to love those cane

[aero86]

he said he did use a jig for the fletching. 

its pretty easy to make an arrow! just takes time! lol. 

i found a neat little jig i may try soon for fletching.  all it is is a piece of leather, or card board, with a hole punched in the middle.  then slits are cut for the feathers at 120 degrees apart. 

via this site

http://www.primitiveways.com/fletching_jig.html

[stringstretcher]

Canoe.  I have no short cuts to making cane arrows....lol.   I am still looking for those myself.  What is do is, since learning a little, is be more selective in my cutting of the cane.  Get the best ones that I can to start with.  From there it is drying and then straightening.  I use cooking oil mostly on my shafts when I heat them over a Colman stove.  After straightening, I spine each arrow to find the stiff side, and cut my nocks so that the stiff side is against the arrow plate on the bow.  Now as far as what spine to use???  What I was taught by a very very good friend and person that makes the best cane arrows on earth, is to put the node branch spot straight up 90 degrees to the side plate.  I also use around 10 lbs of spine heavier than I would for a normal parallel shafting because of the natural taper.  Once the nocks are cut, I use two carbon high speed blades put together on a high speed saw to cut the initial cut in the shaft, and then use a small flat file and round file to finish the nock slot to fit my strings.  From there, I put them in a blitzenburger that I have a special nock adapter to adjust the nock index so that the cock feather is set 180 degrees from the side plate to give me total arrow clearance.  After fletching, I burn the feathers to shape and then wrap each end with what ever material is needed for the function of that arrow.  In the case of the above, they are tournament arrows, so I opted for silk so that rain or other bad weather will not unset a sinew wrap.  From there I coat the wrapping with super glue and let that dry and the dip the complete arrow, except for the fletching end that I do with a brush in my finish.  All of my Nick end and point ends have hardwood dowels in them to help in making a more solid nock area since I don not cut all of my nocks at the node.  If you  have any questions, please pm me and I will do my best to answer them

[mullet]

 Great looking arrows. If your buddy is shooting in the TBOF shoot in Florida, I hope he is a good shot. Those arrows are too pretty to sacrifice to the Palmetto God.

[stringstretcher]

I am not sure what the name of the shoot is, but I will find out.

[PeteC]

Those are very nice arrows.One caution though,cane scorched at the nodes tends to make them brittle,and when they break,it's usually right on the node.I do my best not to scorch them at all,then, they are very tough arrows that will take a lot of abuse.JMHO  God Bless

[stringstretcher]

For the most part Pete, as you are right, I try not to scorch the nodes or for that matter, any of the cane.  Sometimes I just get the mentality that I am going to get you or bust.......lol.......

[Canoe]

Howdy S. Stretcher, aero86 and Group,

Wow, thanks for the detailed explanation on cane arrow making. 

I didn't get over to HD yet, but I anticapate picking up a bunch of cane - I'm pretty excited about giving this a good try.

Aero, I've seen that fletching Guide before, but wasn't sure it was all that easy to use - I'll be giving that a try soon.


A while ago, I made a spine tested, and then I put together a half dozen 3/8" oak dowel arrows.  From this "set" of arrows, (with their mismatching fletchings), I learned a lot.  And, I like the idea, even more, of making my own equipment.

Thanks,
Canoe

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[stringstretcher]

Great job Canoe.  Thats what it's all about.  Now only another million or two, and you will be set.....   Have fun

[aero86]

Actually, I thought that that jig would help greatly. After fletching almost 3 dozen by hand, anything that would help hold the fletching would work in my opinion!  Haha!  You really gotta use all your body parts to hand fletch an arrow

[donnieonetrack]

Stringstretcher, I'll be at the same shoot (TBOF march 5,6 & 7) shooting cane arrows and osage bow.  Tell your friend to stop me and introduce himself.  Also, I'll be tent camping all 3 days.

take care,

Donnie Wilkerson

[stringstretcher]

Donnie, his name is Alan Day in case you run across him.  I know he camps down there in a camper, but not sure where.

[Pappy]

Beautiful arrows,you are right he will look good for sure.
   Pappy

[Postman]

wow - love the shield cut on those turkey feathers!

[stringstretcher]

Thanks Postman.