hazelshoot arrows after 100+ shots each

[richardzane]

thought i'd share these hazel shoot arrows I made in March before they get too beat up (alright...too late!)
  33.5 grams weighing a random arrow,  31 1/4" ntn
bronze tips  and one experimental bone tip, sinew wrapped and then coated with pitch . You can see how the pitch has been wearing away
from round bale target practice. easy to touch up melting on more pitch. you can also see flecks of hay that sticks to the pitch. I'm
thinking that maybe i have too much beeswax in the mix?
to paint the shafts  i simply laid my trusty dewalt battery drill on its side and used rubber bands on the trigger. the other end was turning in a hole drilled between two blocks clamped to the table
 red iron oxide mixed with titebond2 for the red, and manganese oxide and titebond 2 for the black.
I made the mistake of putting on a spar varnish over these. The Fletch-tite glue more often than not wouldn't
stick to that varnish. PLUS when i had to do a little shaft straightening after 20 or so shots, the varnish would bubble up.
I'm thinking i should try using true oil since heat doesn't seem to affect it THAT much.
I do paste wax them after

this particular bronze and bone tip design extracts pretty well from a hay bale.
comments and suggestions welcome

[Scottski]

Nice looking arrows you have there.

[burchett.donald]

Interesting set of arrows and pretty too. I noticed the fletch looks straight, how do they fly? When you  straightened them after shooting did you need heat? Usually I can just tweak mine by hand. Really like them and know how much work goes into a good set.

[richardzane]

Donald,
on these shoot arrows , I'm a novice but i'm finding I like to work with two at a time.( i mean shoot two at a time)
One I know their characters and recognize their fletching, then i''ll work out with two more till i know them.
once i'm familiar with them all, i'll toss them all in a standing pvc at 20 yards and pick randomly, take a look at it
and remember its character. some fly so identically it doesn't matter.
One of the darker ones fires like a bullet, the other darker one is actually still a mystery...even after 100 shots
not one i'd take hunting.

I guess i just assumed heat was best, but i can try a little cold tweeking!

[hatcha]

I'm still loving those bronze points!!

Beautiful set of arrows

[BowEd]

Wow! Like those shoot shafts & points a bunch.Nice job.

[richardzane]

I wish i could find a way to cast them in a more direct, primitive way than the lost wax casting, that my buddy does with these along with his jewelry.
then i could trade em around.
I talked to him about "mass production" of these buggers but they wouldn't be profitable enough for the effort.
there may be someone who would do it..i just don't know anybody.
one nice thing is when cast, there's very little weight differences.

[Badly Bent]

Very nice set, arrows and points. Love shoot arrows.

[bowtarist]

"red iron oxide mixed with titebond2 for the red, and manganese oxide and titebond 2 for the black. " Thanks, I like that idea. Looks good,dpg

[Pappy]

Very nice arrows,cool heads also.
   Pappy

[Trapper Rob]

Nice arrows

[richardzane]

Thanks guys,
someday when i grow up i'll get a hold of some backstrap sinew. My sinew wrap job here is messy because i'm
using leg sinew...which usually means atleast three strips at each wrap. its my excuse anyway.
one of these days I'll get the hang of it.

[UserNameTaken]

Richard, do you size your shafts, or do you leave the natural taper?

[richardzane]

no taper on this group,
each of these were scraped enough to force through an 11/32 hole in a block of Osage held in a vise.

[crooketarrow]

  I've made a couple dozzen HAZZEL SHOOT ARROWS. The straightest shoots from scratch I ever started with. You can almost shoot them like they are. Easy to straighen and stay straight. Always use the natural taper never hammered them through a block. I like to keep the primitive look.
   Nice looking arrows.