korean arrow making video

[willie]

Aaron posted this link to an interesting korean video in another thread.   https://youtu.be/VK5INvoNTdk

For those that have seen it, does it seem like the feathers are being glued into a groove?

Does anyone know why the rind is scraped off?

[DC]

I don't think there is a groove but the fletching does stay very straight when he moves it. There is also this Japanese one  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_5Ha1qyFDo

[loon]

Never noticed a groove. I thought they just stuck them on with hide or fish bladder glue, although now they apparently use some sort of white glue

[Pat B]

By scraping the rind off they can adjust the spine by scraping or sanding where appropriate.

[Aaron H]

There are a couple other videos by the same guy that posted this video, they are about traditional Korean horn bows, very fun to watch.

[Aaron H]

I have also seen in other videos where traditionally, Koreans would take a hot iron and run it across the quill to flatten and straighten the feathers before fletching. It seems to stiffen them up quite a bit also, maybe this is what you were seeing

[willie]

I was kind of wondering if they had some way to prep their feathers so that they could adjust them like he was. I never saw a groove, but my fat fingers cannot freehanded the way he does.


Pat
 thanks, I guess maybe they are using bamboo with some pretty thick walls, as they seem to be doing a lot of scraping and sanding to bring those shafts down to the desired size. Have you seen cane worked this much?, or is it even pratical?

[DC]

 but my fat fingers cannot freehanded the way he does.

I'll bet you can't sit cross legged for hours and hours either.  These guys aren't called masters for nothing. He's probably been fletching arrows for 50 years. He should be able to make it look easy by now. They always amaze me. The way they use the blade and their hands like a lathe to turn the nodes and the tips is phenomenal. Try it, I did, I have no idea how many hours it would take to even get to mediocre

[DC]

Another thing about this video, at 1:30-1:40 when he's heating the shafts you can see all the steam coming out. Do you think he is heating green(fresh) bamboo? I'm wondering if green boo might straighten easier? Anybody tried this?

[mikekeswick]

I'm always impressed when I watch that video A real joy to watch a master at work.
No the cane isn't green but does still have some moisture in it. This what you see being driven out as the shafts get very hot on that firs straightening.
the flecthings are split off the main quill and have only a very thin 'skin' off the quill. All commercially prepared flecthing still has a fairly thick section of pithy quill attached (the white stuff), this keeps it stiff and means to use these feathers a jig is needed. When you strip the fletch off the quill it will conform much easier. Also if you then dip them in hot water they go completely pliable. also using a glue that you are familiar with helps (gelling properties).

[willie]

thanks Mike,

I have some collected feathers that I plan to prep for fletching soon. Having never used anything but premade before, I am curious about different way to reduce the feather to a flight .Can you tell how you strip your feathers? I have seen where the the quill is split and sanded, but there are other ways no doubt.

willie

[Pat B]

Willie, Art Butner, the guy that taught me to make cane and hardwood shoot arrows would scrape cane shafts until the spine was the same all around the shaft. I never put that much work into cane arrows but my cane arrows are pretty primitive compared to Art's. I usually leave the rind on and heat and compress the nodes to reduce them.
 If the feathers are fresh you should be able to strip the feather from the quill by grasping the feather at the outer tip and pull down and away from the quill steadily and the feather should strip right off. If they are dry they don't work well. In this case place the full feathers in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel(not wet) and seal it up for a day or so to rehydrate. Then they should strip easily. This will give you a very thin strip of the quill with the feather.
 I prefer to split the quill down the middle, clamp the feather in a fletching clamp and grind it on a belt sander or a piece of sand paper on a flat surface until it gets thin enough to use.