plum shoots for arrows

[Dante_F]

So a while back I cut some plum shoots from the tree thinking i could make some arrows from them and now i'm wondering, will they actually work or not?

[archeryrob]

They should work. IMO, the best shoot arrows are made from the denser woods. I had an ornamental plum in my yard and the branches seem fairly stiff so probably or maybe. The denser woods also seem to not warp on me.

[Pat B]

If you can keep them straight I see no reason why they wouldn't make good arrows. I've never made plum arrows but I have from other hardwood shoots, some worked great, some not so much. Best to try and see.

[Dante_F]

ill probably try it, however could i just hold is about a foot and a half over a fire for a while, maybe a half hour and let it cool and maybe then i could start working on them

[Pat B]

They should dry for a while before heating them. If they dry out too quick over the fire they might check.

[archeryrob]

How many months old are there? Most woods need to be dry before scraping the bark on them or they will split badly. They will get stiffer as they dry.

for straightening I like using a big candle and a butter tub with bacon grease in it. You can localize the heat and when its hot enough it will bend just there easier. It takes practice and you might break one or some bending them too soon. It's part of learning.

I attached a cedar wrench I carved to hinge the bend easier. when its hot they burn your fingers sometimes.

[Dante_F]

theyre about 3 or maybe 4 months old so i should be good i think

[Pat B]

They should be plenty dry if they were cut 3 to 4 months ago.