Cane shafts how straight is straight enough ?

[hilltophickory]

Whats your opinions on how straight is straight enough for cane shafts ? if they just have a spot or two in them what is too much in the way of defects?

[Fred Arnold]

Perfectly straight is near impossible. Do the best you can and make sure when placed on a spin tester that the point end and nock end are lined up to spin true. If you don't have a spin tester or broadhead alignment setup just run a string down the shaft from one end to the next  like you are checking alignment on the tips of your bows.

[Pat B]

As long as the point and nock line up and the arrow spins true when finished it will fly well. None of my arrows are "arrow straight".

[Youngboyer2(billyf)]

If the kink is going to hit the bow fix it, if the ends don't line up fix it and if you're worried about messing it up leave it alone because that means you like it enough the way it is.

Cane straightening can be nice and relaxing, not just annoying. Just get comfy and go slow

[KHalverson]

Cane straightening can be nice and relaxing, not just annoying. Just get comfy and go slow

x2
my first 4-5 really got under my skin
it forced me to slow down
now after a dozen or so i kinda go zen
Kevin

[Danzn Bar]

I'm with ya on that

[hilltophickory]

I have got a few nice ones made up and knocked , I just don't want to add too much fire for to much perfection.

[Joec123able]

As straight as you can get them

[PEARL DRUMS]

I have found that if you can get the nock end and the point end spinning true together, most of the wobbles in between wont matter much. That goes for cane or boo

[H Rhodes]

Some of my most accurate arrows are crooked as hell.  I make a bunch of them and match bows to arrows by shooting them.  I am not real scientific about my approach.  One thing I do that has really helped me is to shoot them before fletching them.  Cane arrows have a definite stiff side.  I bareshaft shoot them a few times.  Nocked one way,  an arrow may slap the side of your bow and shoot poorly.  Nocked with that stiff side to the bow, it will shoot better.  I mark the arrow so I know which side goes to the bow and then fletch it.   Since bareshafting hunting points is dangerous, I use a brass cartridge case for a point when testing a shaft.  I can pull it off  and put a broadhead on later.   Cane makes a good arrow, but I don't think you have to stress over laser beam straightness.   I sand the nodes down where they don't sound like a rub board and see how they fly.  Keep the good ones and try the "not so good ones"  in different bows and you may find a use for them too. 

[Japbow]

      I figure as long as the tip and nock are aligned
      and then "average" straight in between.
      It usually takes me about 2-3 straightening
      sessions to get the job done. I find that it's
      better to do it this way because if I try to do
      it all at once, I end up straightening one end
      and bending the other end all out of whack.
      I'm new at making arrows though and I'm still
      experimenting with different techniques such
      as scraping off the outer skin (rind?) and
      sanding the nodes. I have tons of arrow
      bamboo growing in the woods behind my
      house though, so no want for materials...It's
      just a matter of waiting for them to season.

      Japbow.

[crooketarrow]

  Your shooting them from a slow self bow. So no need to worry about it as if your shooting a 300 fps compound.
  If your arrow has a little bend ,curve here or there there's really no way to aline the nock and head the same other than heat bending. Like I said it's out of a SLOWWWWWWWWWWW bow.
  All your arrows if there close to the same spline. All come off your bow the same place. THIS IS WHY IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET A MATCHING SET OF SELF ARROWS. Not all the bends and curves are in the same place making the arrow come off the shelf,hand differntly.
  Someone said get them a straight as you can. THIS IS SO TRUE WITH SELFARROWS. This helps makeing them come off the shelf,hand closer to the same. 
  As you build more and more arrows the closer you'll get to getting them straighter.
  I do this I'll have some arrows close to the same but the ones that arn't after I shoot them a couple times my hand eye dose it's thing and I shoot it good enought to hunt with. But I keep all my shots to under 20 mostly under 15. The closer you shoot the better the arrow shoots.
  I build my best arrows to shhot really good at 20 and they'll use'lly shoot perty good at 25 but at 35,40 they suck. VERY SELDOM CAN YOU GET A SELF ARROW THAT SHOOTS GOOD A 40 WITHOUT PUTTING A LOT OF TIME INTO IT.

[Pat B]

The only time an arrow should touch the bow is while you draw it. Once released it should not touch the bow or shelf, if you use one, but should clear the bow through archers paradox. If it hits the bow when released it is not spined correctly or is obviously bent out of shape.

[crooketarrow]

 Not true in the real sence. I has to toach the bow to flex around it (archers paradox). OR IT WOULD SHOOT straigh off to the left and not flex around the bow.
 The closer your bow to center the less the arrow touchs somewhere (last quarter of the arrow). COMPLETELY CENTER SHOT THEN ONLY THE FEATHERS TOUCH. Not need to flex around the bow.
  This is why the closer your bow to center the less your arrow has to be the correct spine. WIDE SPINE WILL SHOOT FROM IT.
  The closer your bow to center the better you crooked arrows fly off your slow self bow.

[burchett.donald]

+2 on what crooketarrow said... Every strike plate I seen had marks and even grooves in them. Some folks use adjustable spring plungers....When a bow is canted it would be impossible for the arrow not to touch the bow when released...That's what causes/starts the paradox.