river cane

[rover brewer]

thanks for your input gutpile and thats a nice looking set of arrows, how long and what type of cane.

[gutpile]

some type of river cane...this stuff is purple when cut, well some of it is and others are green...I got some that spines over 120 lbs...same diameter as some that spines 70..which is what I spine mine at...cut at 25 inches and foreshafted another 3..which brings my spine back down to what I need for my bows....they fly great..spin like store bought....and look as cool as it gets for primitive arrow..IMO...here is a pick of the foreshafts and some points...hunt ready....thanks..for the compliment...gut

[Lee Slikkers]

Haven't built any arrows yet...just completed my 1st true hunting weight bow and would love to add a quiver fill of hand made arrows with stone points to be out in the woods with this fall while chasing our local whitetails.

I have some cane from a Trade on here awhile back and I'd love to make some just like yours but I am a complete novice when it comes to understanding the whole spine, arrow weight, nock-point orientation, etc.  Any tips or advice on how best to dumb this stuff down and get a newb flinging his 1st arrows?  What do you use for fore shafting material?

Anyway, gorgeous arrows...you Knapp those points as well?  (yup, another area I intend to get leaning on as well...)

Regards~

[gutpile]

yes I knap them as well...killed my biggest buck to date with a snakey osage bow,rivercane ,and stone point..143 6/8 8pt ...brute for here...I got the video full circle by Thad Beckam long before they started selling it here...I suggest you get it..covers almost everything..covers cane well...no need to make something so simple more complicated...which is what Thad does..he keeps it simple..I mean think about it....I build my cane the same way Thad does his.....if you have any problems trying to understand it then you are getting too complicated with the simplicity of primitive archery..trust me If I can do it anybody can..LOL.....but if you need some help I will give you all the help you need...gut

[Lee Slikkers]

Thanks gut, just ordered it...looks like a "must  have" for my Library anyway 

[gutpile]

trust me you WILL NOT be disappointed with that video....after watching it you too will be making cane shafts no problem.....he also teaches brain tanning , smoking meat, cane arrows..little on knapping, building a bow, sinew string building, fire starting primitive style,how to make your own hide glue, couple of kills with stone points primitive style,  has some humor too...long video....but best he keeps it real simple.......let me know how you like when you get to watch it...gut

[crooketarrow]

   Lee just start exspearence comes as you build. It's not that hard if I can do it I'm sure you can. I was like you when I started did'nt know or have anyone to show me. I just read everything I come and just stared. You'll do fine if you really want to make arrows.

[jonathan creason]

trust me you WILL NOT be disappointed with that video....after watching it you too will be making cane shafts no problem.....he also teaches brain tanning , smoking meat, cane arrows..little on knapping, building a bow, sinew string building, fire starting primitive style,how to make your own hide glue, couple of kills with stone points primitive style,  has some humor too...long video....but best he keeps it real simple.......let me know how you like when you get to watch it...gut

x2

It's a great video, I'd highly recommend it to anybody on here.  My copy got thrown in my wife's laptop bag on accident and is scratched all to crap now.  I think I need to order another one.

[Lee Slikkers]

Thanks guys and Crooketarrow.  I DO want to make arrows so it's down to more of a" how to determine spine (without spending $200 on a spine tester) know which orientation for the nock/head slot.  I think I can muddle through straightening issues and even fletching them.  Don't have a father burner or a grinder so I'll have to figure that part out as well...

Thanks

[jonathan creason]

To spine my arrows I've got 2 dowel in my workbench that are 28" apart.  I take a pencil and make a mark on the back of the bench along the top of the arrow, then add a 2 lb. weight and mark again.  Measure the distance between the marks and figure out the spine.  After a few you'll figure out where the arrow needs to end up to shoot well out of your bow and there's no need to measure.  Finding the stiff side is pretty easy too.  Lightly hold one end of the arrow and let the other end rest on a bench or something.  Then just apply pressure to the middle, and the arrow will rotate until the stiff side is pointing down.

[Lee Slikkers]

That sounds simple enough...now, if I know the spine deflection and spine orientation in which manner to I align it (the spine) with the nock and the arrow head?

[jonathan creason]

Generally speaking you want the stiff side against the bow.  Although, most times I don't see much difference in arrow flight if I put one on the string backwards.

[Lee Slikkers]

OK, so with the stiff spine against the bow the nock would have to be 90 degrees offset from the spine, correct?  How about the blade/stone?

 

[jonathan creason]

OK, so with the stiff spine against the bow the nock would have to be 90 degrees offset from the spine, correct?  How about the blade/stone?

 

Correct on the nock.  I like my points 90 degrees from the nock, but I don't think it really matters.

[gutpile]

you can hand spine your shafts..just like the Indians did..they didn't have a spine tester....just get one of your shafts that work and hand spine them to match you will be within 5 lbs...and cane being so tolerable they will fly fine..keep it simple remember that.......spine them a tad stiff if you are foreshafting...I peel my feathers...he shows you how to do that in the video too...now you don't have to cut your notch in a node although if its there use it..if not I wrap mine with sinew and have yet to split my cane .....I like to line my points up the same way on all my shafts...STONE points that is or two blade..if using 3 blades you line them up to your fletchings....gut