« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm  (Read 9939 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline marcelslot

  • Member
  • Posts: 28
Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« on: May 11, 2015, 06:31:49 pm »
Hi all

Have been making wooden arrow for Some years now, bit last month found out a new wat to make self nocks. Took a steel nail, heated it in gas flame until bright hot, then let it 'sink' (burn) sideways its way into the back of cedar wooden shafts. Took about 3x re-heating the nail and pushing it slowly into the 'burned in' groove until the groove was deep enough. Nice thing: when at the end (deepest point) of the nock groove, leave it there a little longer and move a tiny bit... You'll end up with just about the perfect geometry for self nocks.

Takes about 2 minutes per arrow, delivers very consistent nock dimensions, and I think the heat hardens the wood on the inside of the self nocks.

Worked outdoor perfectly for the last feb dozens of arrows I made.

As I have not read this method on the forum nor anywhere else on the web: thought of posting it here.

Let me know your thoughts, maybe after giving it a quick try yourself?

Be Well,
Marcel
Logged

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,633
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2015, 10:48:55 pm »
Now that you have our attention, how 'bout some pics?   ;)
Logged
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline JW_Halverson

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,923
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2015, 10:50:43 pm »
Quote from: Pat B on May 11, 2015, 10:48:55 pm
Now that you have our attention, how 'bout some pics?   ;)

Yeah, I can't read!  PICS!
Logged
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline JackCrafty

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 5,628
  • Sorry Officer, I was just gathering "materials".
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2015, 11:00:58 pm »
I always start a fire when I use hot steel on wood...  :(
Logged
Any critter tastes good with enough butter on it.

Patrick Blank
Midland, Texas
Youtube: JackCrafty, Allergic Hobbit, Patrick Blank

Where's Rock? Public Waterways, Road Cuts, Landscape Supply, Knap-Ins.
How to Cook It?  200° for 24hrs then 275° to 500° for 4hrs (depending on type), Cool for 12hr

Offline make-n-break

  • Member
  • Posts: 378
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2015, 02:04:19 pm »
I'm gonna have to give that a shot. I always use a 12" tile saw blade attached to a hacksaw. Cuts them nicely in about 10 seconds but gives a little looser nock fit (my preference). The nail seems like a great idea though!
Logged
"When making a bow from board staves you are freeing a thing of dignity from the humiliation of static servitude." -TBB1

Offline marcelslot

  • Member
  • Posts: 28
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2015, 03:10:35 pm »
Hi all

Upon request: here are some pictures of arrow nocks made in the way described. As said, they're cedar shafts. A red hot steel nail slides through this wood like a knife through butter. I never started a fire ;)

The tile saw method: also used that before. One needs to clamp the arrow tightly somehow, and positioning and straight sawing is needed. Also I always needed to do some filing/sanding of the inside of the nocks after sawing.

With the 'burning in' method described here, I usually only very quickly run through the nock slits with a piece of folded over sandpaper, and the nocks are ready.
If anyone tries this and if it also works for you: let me know. As said, I could not find this method anywhere online...
Since it works so well, this is somewhat strange.

Be well,
Marcel

Logged

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,633
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2015, 03:37:00 pm »
Marcel, I'd be sure to put a wrap below each nock for safety sake.
Logged
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline marcelslot

  • Member
  • Posts: 28
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2015, 03:47:57 pm »
Quote from: Pat B on May 12, 2015, 03:37:00 pm
Marcel, I'd be sure to put a wrap below each nock for safety sake.

Pat: I do put a wrap below each nock. The arrows on the pictures that have none, are not yet finished. Thought to show some without wrapping to give a better view of the shape and surface of these nocks.

Thanks for the advice anyhow.

Best,
Marcel
Logged

Offline Chief RID

  • Member
  • Posts: 684
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2015, 06:16:52 pm »
I am surprised like you. It seems to be a method that would have appealed to primitive man. Have you tried it with other woods? Again, in the words of Jimmy Buffet " it's so simple like the booga loo it plum evaded me."
Logged

Offline DC

  • Member
  • Posts: 10,396
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2015, 06:35:50 pm »
Primitive man didn't have nails. ;) Depending on your definition of primitive of course. If you class your grandfather as primitive, well then maybe >:D
Logged

Offline Knoll

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,016
  • Mikey
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2015, 08:41:13 pm »
Interesting idea.  Thanks for posting!
Logged
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline marcelslot

  • Member
  • Posts: 28
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2015, 09:07:31 pm »
Quote from: Chief RID on May 12, 2015, 06:16:52 pm
I am surprised like you. It seems to be a method that would have appealed to primitive man. Have you tried it with other woods? Again, in the words of Jimmy Buffet " it's so simple like the booga loo it plum evaded me."


Only tried this with cedar schafts so far. Interested to know if it also works with other woods.

Best,
Marcel
Logged

Offline warpath

  • Member
  • Posts: 365
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2015, 09:12:00 pm »
I've done this before and it works great. Mostly done with ash shafts though. Never tried with cedar myself. Glad that someone else is doing this now!! :)

  G
Logged

Offline Chief RID

  • Member
  • Posts: 684
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2015, 02:16:12 am »
Good point DC. It is good to know someone else has done this, warpath. Do you remember what spurred your use of this technique?
Logged

Offline ajbruggink

  • Member
  • Posts: 308
  • Aaron Bruggink, Oostburg, WI, USA
Re: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2015, 10:20:43 am »
What size nail do you use? Do you just find a nail that matches your string diameter?
Logged
Pages: [1] 2
« previous next »