Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Matt S. on September 15, 2011, 10:29:29 pm
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I just finished a test of 6 arrows. These are made from 3/8" poplar dowel rods from our local Lowes. I tapered the shafts to 5/16" at the nock end. The shafts are 28" from nock to tip of head.
I painted these with left over acrylic paint and then sealed in multiple layers of varnish. I tried shellac at first but it smeared the paint (you may be able to see on one shaft).
Fletchings are turkey with spiral wrapped thread. Fletched on my newly revised and improved 10-arrow fletching jig, which I made from lumber scraps. I used to hate making arrows but I enjoyed this batch since fletching them was a breeze! 8)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8UHk1Gf6-1M/TnKOa6cBBLI/AAAAAAAABOI/_VQM6bpKwMw/s720/arrow_3.jpg)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ddLANliCVEY/TnKOcRfcJ-I/AAAAAAAABOI/ESWbCXfNdsU/s720/arrows_1.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7O2TiT4S3Mw/TnKOcK_on0I/AAAAAAAABOI/DT2P_bwkutQ/s912/arrow_4.jpg)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-NnnWxjNCvG8/TnKOdr6UBbI/AAAAAAAABOI/Lse69KZSdtQ/s720/arrows_2.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9AhzZ5anl5M/TnKOd4X4-xI/AAAAAAAABOI/S0QYH5wIlzQ/s912/fletching-jig.jpg)
Thanks for looking!
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The results speak for themselves sir!!!! very nice arrows
rich
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The results speak for themselves sir!!!! very nice arrows
rich
DIDO on the arrows! I like the foreshaft cresting.
And, WOW!?, on that fletching jig.
Thanks for sharing, dpgratz
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On your fletching jig, are you using that in some way to help with the spiral wrapping? Just looking at the picture, not sure how it works. Maybe you could post a few pictures of it in operation?
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halfeye and bowtarist, thanks for the kind words :)
On your fletching jig, are you using that in some way to help with the spiral wrapping? Just looking at the picture, not sure how it works. Maybe you could post a few pictures of it in operation?
Good question! The fletching jig is stupid simple (I designed it after all ::) ). Each "bay" has a shallow groove which the arrow shaft rests in. In the back board (with the numbers) are shallow holes, just deep enough to accept the nock end of the shaft and hold it. Most of the arrow shaft sticks out past the front.
With the shaft(s) in place, a prepped feather is inserted into the wooden "clamps" (though there is no clamping pressure, the "clamps" are just two blocks of wood with a duct tape hinge and lined with packing tape to keep excess glue from sticking), then the wood clamp with feather is slid into its "bay". After the glue is dry the clamp comes out and one more feather is glued to the shaft.
Only after all the feathers are glued on do I wrap the ends, and in this case, included a spiral wrap. Spiral wrap is not necessary since the arrows are glued to the shaft their entire length.
If there is sufficient interest I can do a "How-To" post on creating such a jig. It's easy, and in my case free (if you have the right scrap wood). I came up with the design so I could fletch as many arrows as quickly as possible with as little work as possible. Clearly I'd rather be making bows ;)
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I think I understand how the jig works except for one thing. I don't see how you'll be able to rotate the arrow for the next feather, without damaging the previous one. It looks like there's no place for it to go if the shaft is laying flat in the bottom groove. Am I missing something?
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I think I understand how the jig works except for one thing. I don't see how you'll be able to rotate the arrow for the next feather, without damaging the previous one. It looks like there's no place for it to go if the shaft is laying flat in the bottom groove. Am I missing something?
There is a 6-8" gap (I don't remember off the top of my head) between the back board w/ numbers and the 2x4 with the grooves in it. This gap gives existing feathers plenty of clearance. It's hard to see in that photo.
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Well done! Beautiful arrows!
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very nice work ! and i agree i would rather be building bows
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Nice Arrows! I especially like the jig! And it's totally in keeping with the spirit of "primitive". Looks like it could be made in about a 1/2 hour. And you don't have to buy any parts from China! >:D
Matt, do you have any kind of indexing mark or anything for consistent feather angle placement?
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Nice Arrows! I especially like the jig! And it's totally in keeping with the spirit of "primitive". Looks like it could be made in about a 1/2 hour. And you don't have to buy any parts from China! >:D
Matt, do you have any kind of indexing mark or anything for consistent feather angle placement?
Thanks, yes the jig is "primitive"...... if it wasn't would I have been able to make it? >:D
The only indexing mark I have is visual, my bowyer's mark written on the end of the nock. I've considered putting a dab of glue or something small under the thread wrapping nearest the nock for an index mark that you can feel without looking down at the arrow, but I haven't tried it yet.
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Matt, I think what randman is implying is, do you have a way to keep the arrows 120 deg. apart? How do you make sure your fletching is evenly spaced on the arrow?
As for an index point on the arrow, PatB has posted that he sometimes drops a drop of Duco cement next to the nock on the cock feather side, lets is start to dry, then rests the arrow w/ the glue facing down so it creates a small bump to be felt when nocking an arrow w/o looking.
Have a great one, dpgratz
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Now them are pretty,very nice work,how do they fly ?
Pappy
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Matt, I think what randman is implying is, do you have a way to keep the arrows 120 deg. apart? How do you make sure your fletching is evenly spaced on the arrow?
Ah yes, reading comprehension isn't my strong point in the morning :-[
I have two ways to get the feathers spaced 120* apart. First, in the shallow hole where the nock end rests, I have marks drawn on the board to line the nock up with. Secondly, I have a piece of cardboard with a hole that accepts the arrow shaft. Around the hole in the cardboard are marks, so I just transfer those marks onto the shaft and use those as guides. Not very complex, but it works :)
As for an index point on the arrow, PatB has posted that he sometimes drops a drop of Duco cement next to the nock on the cock feather side, lets is start to dry, then rests the arrow w/ the glue facing down so it creates a small bump to be felt when nocking an arrow w/o looking.
Have a great one, dpgratz
Sounds like a good idea!
Pappy, thanks! They seem to fly really well for all of the 10 yards of my backyard ::) I won't have a chance to give them some more distance for a while, once I get a chance to go out to the fields.
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Those are the nicest lowes dowels Ive seen. Wow very cool :)
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Great! That's the best fletching setup that I've ever seen! A few more pix would be greatly appreciated. For instance, views from different directions and perhaps with an arrow in place. Woodbutcher
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Matt, I like the looks of the shaft smeared from the shellac. If they are going to be used as target and not hunting I would try to take it all the way to the point letting it fade as I got closer to the point. I will have to give that a try after hunting season. Great looking arrows.
Thanks for the new idea.