Marshall Mini Bow Challenge

[Badger]

Matt, I bet with some little 3 mm carbon arrows, fast flite string and floppy disk fletching you might get 300 yards or more.

[MWirwicki]

Floppy disk fletching?  As in a 3-1/2 inch floppy disk?  Interesting...
I plan on 1/4" cedar with goose feather fletching to keep the "natural" thing going.

[Badger]

  Matt, I would use the densest wood you can find, the arrow will have such low mass as it is it will have problems fighting the fletches. I had some water buffalo horn sliced up into .010 thicknesses for fletches but I don't have any left. something very stiff and thin and maybe 1/8 high. paper might work. Tonkin cane is almost double the density of wood if you could find some short pieces of that.

[DC]

How do you attach something like floppy disk material? It is kinda- floppy, and has no flange or whatsit.

[Buckeye Guy]

Looks like you are there Matt !
this has been a fun time and we are not even there yet!
se ya next week for a trial run

[MWirwicki]

  Matt, I would use the densest wood you can find, the arrow will have such low mass as it is it will have problems fighting the fletches. I had some water buffalo horn sliced up into .010 thicknesses for fletches but I don't have any left. something very stiff and thin and maybe 1/8 high. paper might work. Tonkin cane is almost double the density of wood if you could find some short pieces of that.

Steve:  I've got water buffalo horn milled down to about that.  It's super thin.  I milled it down when having to come up with reinforcements for my broken tip.  I'm also going to try some thin River cane that PatB is bringing.  I did shoot my little boy's 12" arrows through it which are 1/4" cedar but the fletching is taller.  They flew okay at about 10 yards in my basement.  I'll have to try your suggestion for flight shooting it.  What do you think about bamboo shish-kabob skewers?  I'm thinking they might be too small in diameter.

[osage outlaw]

Matt, you can get 1/4" solid bamboo rods in the cake decorating isle at walmart.  There is some slightly smaller diameter bamboo grilling sticks in the camping section.

[Aaron H]

I picked up some of those grilling sticks in the camping aisle at Wal-Mart this last weekend.  They measure .200".  I may have to go back and pick up the .250" cake decorating ones, thanks for the info Clint.

[Badger]

  We like to use about 1/4" for a 24" arrow, if you could get down closer to 1/8" it might be better. The very light weight of the arrows is what fights you at this point though. Not enough mas to carry them through the air. Tonkin cane is the only natural material I know of that has the real density that is needed.

[Pat B]

Matt, the hill cane I'm bringing for you guys are between 1/16" diameter up to about 3/8" diameter. This hill cane is pretty dense stuff.
 Steve, I'll be happy to send you some hill cane to try if you'd like.

[MWirwicki]

That'll be great, Pat.  Looking forward to seeing you.

[bubby]

I was wondering how high a brace you guys are using, so far I've been at 2" cause these bows are a bear to brace

[Danzn Bar]

Bubby,
I scaled down a 64.5" ntn bow with a 6.5" brace height and I'm using 2.25" .  It shoots better than I can shoot it, if you know what I mean.
DBar

[bubby]

Thanks dbar, i figured someone would use a more logical approach than my typical wing it style

[Knoll]

Matt, you can get 1/4" solid bamboo rods in the cake decorating isle at walmart.

Ya bake too, huh?