Anyone want a dogwood arrow build-along?

[iowabow]

very inspiring I have been looking every where I can for some dog wood shoots since I first saw this post.  Your arrows are just plain awesome and an excellent build along to boot.  I am teaching my self and my wife how to make primitive arrows from shoots right now.  I was thinking of using some blood wood saw dust and osage saw dust for die, does this work well?

Interesting idea about the osage..once I used it to dye leather and it did turn it yellow. I have not tried the blood wood dust so not sure what you would get.

I am fermenting the berry juice that I used in the first part of the project to see if it works better as a wine stain. The idea  here is to remove the sugar that seems to attract water.

[crooketarrow]

  I've had a good bet to do and I've been on other posts here lately. Iowa, you've did a good job. Heres a couple things that will help you out with dog wood.
 I've been makesing shooting dog woods for 15 years. And are by far the best I have around here.

 (1) Cut your shoots leave the bark on and straighten really good first time then bundle. Let them season a few months. The way you've did it, will work (Green). But you find out untill the season a few months you have to keep restraighting them.
   
  Not saying this is the right or only way but it's the best and quickest ways I've found. And when it comes to building shoot arrows. You might not be worry about the time it takes starting out. But I'd bet the next set of arrows you build you'll be looking for short cuts.

 I cut, leave the bark on, straighten green really well,bundle let season. I cut might in the winter and season to the next. But you can start alot sooner. I have made them in 2 months. But like most shoots the longer they season the better.
  You've already straighten really good once. Your teaching them MENORY. The longer there bundled and seasoning the more menory they have. I may not seam like much now. But after your finished you want the shaft to stay straight.

  When I deside to make arrows. Debark, I use a thumb plain. Now before I start sanding I straighten with hands ,knees ,holes in table (1/2) I have many straighters different distances between straighters for different lenth beens. You figger that out as you buld a few arrows.
    This way any straighting marks (dints)you leave can be sanded out when you sand. Also if I have to use any hea tto help on straighting or getting ride of MEMORY. I do now, also you have enough wood to sand to get rid of the burn marks. Also with dog wood like most shoots you don't have to heat so hot that you get at black scorch marks. As soon as you see it discolor it's hot enough.
   When you heat to you have scorce marks just like heating staves, you changeing wood cells. If you have a finished arrow. You look at your arrow and it has a been. I'll bet its at a scorce mark.
  Heat slow and don't scorch.

  Any shoot no matter how crooked if you want and have the time can be straighten it. But theres a couple things to look for in a shoot. I talked of memory that means a lot when it comes to your shoots(arrows) staying straight when finished.
  I only use the butt secion of the bush. ( from ground up)  It's growing straight up to the sun unlike limbs the have that curve toward the ground from the weight of limbs and leaves.. Of course you can remove it with heat. Just on more step(time) your can bypass. It takes time.  Also this butt secion this far less little limbs coming into it. L;imbs mean crooked spots. And your shoots have a lot evener arrow spine. This means they all come off the bow the same.

  This just some ways of saveing time and helping to keep your arrow to stay straighter longer when your arrows finished.
 
  You know the old saying any old peice of wood will shoot a good arrow.
  THE BEST BOW IN THE WOULD WON'T SHOOT A SUCKIE ARROW.
  Another saying
  IT TAKES LONGER AND IT'S HARDER TO BUILD A GOOD ARROW THAN IT IS A BOW.
 Did mean to steel your post.
 Just saw a couple things that will save you some time and griff on your next arrow.
 

   
 

[iowabow]

Crooketarrow your input is exactly what I wanted this post to be about!!! So many people in here have so many great ideas and love that about PA. I have cut next years shafts and plan to cut a 100 more in the next few weeks. I will post pictures of the stash when I get it done.
I think people are really liking this post because of all of the input and volume of information that people are getting (including me) about dogwood shafts.
So if anyone has links to things they have written please fell free to post them here just like Jackcrafty did. If you have ideas or techniques that you would like to share folks please do!!!!!!!!!!
There is so much to learn and so much to discover

[Huntinfool]

Here's a place to look at where these gray dogwood grows there's a national map but if you click on your state a map of that state will pop up showing where they actually grow. None are near me.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CORA6&photoID=cora6_002_ahp.tif

Also I will add Crooketarrow makes a fine arrow. Not like his name LOL!

Here's some he has bundled up with bark on. All these pics are CAs.



He makes his own trade points and they are par excellent.



His arrows are tough hunting arrows. I know he has made flint points and I do not know if he makes pretty arrows to hang on the wall but his arrows have accounted for a lot of big bucks, his main interest.

All these are self bow kills.



These are hazel shoots.



~HF~

[crooketarrow]

  YEA O'SAGE wood dust dose make a good as a dye.
  The saw dust is also a natural insect repellent.
 I'm never bothered by flys in my shot

  THANKS FOR POSTING THE PIC'S.
                         HUNTINFOOL

[BowEd]

OK there iowabo now you've done it, I'm looking in the ditches here and there and lo and behold this area is full of gray leaf dogwood everywhere.Thanks to you I've got about 3 dozen shafts in bundles now.Looking forward to using them in the future.Be sure to get a picture on here of your finished shafts.

[Tom Leemans]

These are all very cool, but unfortunately I have not kicked my addiction to cane yet. I fear I never will, but it's good to know there's an alternative if I ever need it.

[BowEd]

Yes I see your point.They do shoot great.I've got dozens of tonkin,spruce,douglas fir,& cedar arrows.They all shoot great.I'm gonna give dogwood a try.Ya can't have too many bullets I say......LOL.Especially if I give somebody a bow and give them a few arrows to shoot with it.

[crooketarrow]

  One thing I did'nt mention was I leave the bark on while straighten with straighters.  I get them as close as I can to straight this way when you do debark any inpressions you straigher leaves it left in the bark. If they do leave any marks there light and sand out as you round the arrows.

[iowabow]

Here was the final out come of the brown red arrow with the turkey tail feathers. It held up great through rain and fog. What I will do differently next time is wrap the feathers rather than glue.