How to get started

[Steve Milbocker]

I'm a recent addict to self bows. Right now I still shoot carbons but they fly so nice. Any way I would like to start building some cane or other more "traditional" arrows, maybe even stone heads some day. I don't want to put a lot of time into building some nice arrows only to find out they don't fly well. So how do I get started right? Should I get a spine tester and just try and match the modern shafts that I currently use?

[aero86]

well, your gonna end up spending a lot of time making a matched set of arrows.  unless you order bare shafts already spined.  the hardest part of arrow making, especially from shoots or cane, is straightening them and spinning them out..

[Lombard]

Steve, before I built a spine tester, I simply had two pins twenty six inches apart. Resting an arrow of known spine on the pins, with a two pound weight hung from the center of the arrow shaft, I would simply make a pencil mark indicating deflection. Then just grouped my arrows to that pencil mark. It worked fine. If you go to this link, http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,15690.0.html  ,and look for making simple arrows on Jawge's site, and you will be off to a good start. I don't use a fletching jig, because I tie my feathers on.

Like Jawge I hand plane mine, and it is not difficult at all. His site is after all where I got started making my own arrows. Looking forward to seeing some photos of your hand made/ homemade arrows.

[JW_Halverson]

If you intend to go "whole hog" into making your arrow shafts from rifts, then definitely go with building or buying a good spine tester.  But if you are just making arrows for yourself, go ahead and purchase matched shafts from reputable dealers.  There are certainly plenty of those listed in the pages of P.A.

A side benefit of making your own arrows when you start out in primitive archery...you spend more time looking for the lost ones.  And when you line up a shot, you think twice about what's behind the target and wants to shatter your arrow.  I make all my own arrows and personally, I'd rather have unanesthetized dental surgery in a third world country than make those arrows.  When one breaks so does my heart cuz it means I am gonna have to make more sooner than later.

[Steve Milbocker]

Thanks for the advice gentleman. I want to use cane or maybe dogwood, I have a lot of that available to me. Not really looking to use prepared shafts although I may at some point.

[George Tsoukalas]

There's arrow info on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[NorthernArcher]

Steve - dogwood is a good choice.  I have been using Red Osier for several years now, and it makes some very good arrows!  They're incredibly tough and resilient, and the material is easy to work with.  I have experimented with cane, but not enough to claim proficiency.  From what I can tell, cane arrow making is an art form in and of itself.  Cane is an amazing arrow material.  If you have it available, use it.  I would suggest you check out PaleoAleo's cane arrow tutorial on YouTube.

When I was first starting out I read everything I could find on making primitive arrows, but the book that helped me out the most was Jim Hamm's "Bows and Arrows of the Native Americans".  Lots of good information.  Also, Jay Massey's chapter on self arrows in TBB-v1 is pretty good.  After the research, you'll need to get your hands dirty and start making arrows.  Don't expect your first attempts to be perfect.  You'll make mistakes, learn from them, and before too long you'll be turning out very serviceable arrow shafts.

As far as judging spine, I have always done it by hand.  Just flex an arrow that is the correct spine, and compare your other shafts to it.  It takes a little practice, but you get the hang of it pretty quick.