Author Topic: Turning bone/antler into nocks?  (Read 3870 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline stringstretcher

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,557
    • Traditionalarcherycommunitysite.com
Turning bone/antler into nocks?
« on: March 17, 2010, 11:16:51 am »
For the poor boy with limited power tools, what would be some ways to cut antler, bone down into nocks for cane arrows.  From taking a cow horn or piece of antler, how do you go about getting a round piece of stock to taper to put into the cane?

Offline Justin Snyder

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 13,794
Re: Turning bone/antler into nocks?
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2010, 11:25:34 am »
Anything that can be done with power tools can be done with hand tools. Files work great for shaping horn and bone. You can also rub it on a rock like we did to sharpen sticks when we were kids.  ;)
Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you made a bad decision.


SW Utah

Offline stringstretcher

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,557
    • Traditionalarcherycommunitysite.com
Re: Turning bone/antler into nocks?
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2010, 11:28:17 am »
MMMMMMMM...rubbing on rocks........now that is definately the poor boys method.......lol

Offline Hillbilly

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,248
  • I like tater tots.
Re: Turning bone/antler into nocks?
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2010, 12:17:13 pm »
I usually saw out a long strip with a square cross-section, then chuck it up in a drill and round it off with a file, coarse sandpaper or the belt sander. When you get it round, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Smoky Mountains, NC

NeolithicHillbilly@gmail.com

Progress might have been all right once but it's gone on for far too long.

Offline Mechslasher

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,046
Re: Turning bone/antler into nocks?
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2010, 12:33:17 pm »
the best powertool you can buy for making cane arrow nocks is a dremmel 1" belt/disk sander.  i think lowe's has them for around $90.  i've about worn mine out, but it has lasted for over 15 years.  another great investment is a smallish bandsaw.  a 9" is less than $100.  i drill is also nice for cutting the tapers in cane for the nocks and foreshafts.  with these tools, i can cut, shape, and fit a dozen antler nocks in an hour.
"A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money." 

G. Gordon Liddy

gutpile

  • Guest
Re: Turning bone/antler into nocks?
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2010, 03:16:44 pm »
Chris you the man....but those are simply called primitive bandsaw and primitive belt sanders..if you saw mine you would say they are primitive...LOL...old and worn....