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Offline ColtSmith

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Question about dowels
« on: May 05, 2015, 11:32:23 pm »
Ive got a 40# and wondering what size dowels i should buy. I am able to get oak poplar and a few other woods. Also should i taper the back end to make better flight
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Offline Josh B

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Re: Question about dowels
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2015, 01:08:36 am »
For 40# and under I use 5/16" raminwood dowels a lot.  That's for a 28" arrow with 70 gr. points.  The finished arrows usually weigh somewhere between 450 gr to 485gr.   There's a pretty substantial variance in spine weight in dowels and you want the straightest grain possible of course.  When I sort through the bin at the lumberyard I flex each one by hand to get the closest grouping of spine.  Not a perfect system, but close enough for me.  I hope that helps.  Josh
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Offline scattershot

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Re: Question about dowels
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2015, 07:59:37 pm »
I bought and spined a BUNCH of those a few years ago, and I found that most of the 5/16 dowels spined in the mid- 40s. The 3/8" , as I recall, were mostly in the 80s. A few were lighter, a few heavier, but for most purposes here the 5/16 should work well.
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Offline ColtSmith

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Re: Question about dowels
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2015, 08:09:46 pm »
Thanks :)
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Offline bow101

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Re: Question about dowels
« Reply #4 on: May 07, 2015, 11:05:49 pm »
Whats wrong with 11/32" that all I use my wholesaler builds nothing but; sells hundreds upon hundreds spined from 25/30 up to 65/70
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Offline Dakota Kid

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Re: Question about dowels
« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2015, 11:11:11 pm »
Make a dowel jig and make them multiple sizes until you find a winner. There are plenty of tutorials and styles for making a jig available online.
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Grasshopper Mouse

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Re: Question about dowels
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2015, 01:24:46 am »
Bow101, if ColtSmith is asking about dowels then chances are he's getting his shafts at the hardware or lumber store. The dowel sizes for the regular market (in the range we're interested in) are 5/16", 3/8", and 1/2".
11/32" and 23/64" are pretty much archery specific and will not be found at the hardware store.

Guy
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