footing

[WillMac]

Hello again,

First off, thank you to everyone that replied to my pervious posts! I finally got one of my shafts relatively straight without over heating or breaking the nodes. =)

I tried to foot the cane with a scrap piece of 5/16th port offered cedar, but when I did a quick test shot at half draw it snapped at the base.  I think it was just a design, instead of tapering it into the cane shaped it like the nock, cut it to about half of 5/16th and shaved it down.

Will the cedar be strong enough? Should I foot it will something like Osage?


Thanks again!

Will

[Hillbilly]

Unless you just really want a foreshaft for some reason, cane arrows work just fine or even better without them - I hardly ever put foreshafts on mine, more trouble than they're worth IMO. If I do put on a foreshaft, I like to use a tough hardwood and taper the end that goes into the cane, then wrap the cane at the juncture. 99% of the time, though, I don't use 'em.

[adb]

I wouldn't use Port Orford cedar foreshafts on cane or bamboo. It's stronger than the cedar. All you're doing is creating a weak point, and the shaft will break there.

[david w.]

hillbilly can i hunt with a unforshafted cane arrow?

[Hillbilly]

Sure-I don't put foreshafts on any of my cane hunting arrows. Cane is actually a lot stronger than wood.The Cherokee and several other tribes lived for a couple thousand years off stuff they killed with unforeshafted cane arrows. 

[WillMac]

 
What are some alternative points for field tips? Or how can i put the field tips on the cane? Its to thick to put then on like you would a cedar salft for somthing like that.

[Pat B]

I usually just taper them as with any other shaft. Sometimes I will add a piece of dowel or bamboo skewer in the hole with glue before tapering. 
  For a more primitive point, cut the point end about 3" or 4" beyond a node, fill the hole with sand and add melted pitch to seal it.         Pat

[Hillbilly]

Like Pat said, plug it. Then, you can reduce the diameter of the last inch or so a bit so that you can get a taper tool on it. Selection of cane for smaller diameter/thicker walls helps, too-most of my cane shafts will take a 23/64" field point, some a 11/32".