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Author Topic: Nocks: burning them into wood with red-hot iron nail... Works like a charm  (Read 9849 times)

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Offline marcelslot

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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
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Offline Pat B

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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?   ;)
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline JW_Halverson

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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!
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Offline JackCrafty

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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...  :(
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Offline make-n-break

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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!
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Offline marcelslot

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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

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Offline Pat B

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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.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline marcelslot

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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
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Offline Chief RID

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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."
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Offline DC

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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
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Offline Knoll

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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!
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... 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

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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
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Offline warpath

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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
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Offline Chief RID

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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?
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Offline ajbruggink

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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?
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