Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: JoJoDapyro on June 21, 2016, 01:44:10 pm
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So, I have made dowel arrows, and then tonkin arrows. I was wondering what other wood I can buy and make into dowels to make arrows. Western Red cedar? Hemlock? Douglas Fir? Poplar? Let me know what has worked for you, and what hasn't. Thanks.
Joe
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I use pine, poplar, maple, and ash, in that order - also depending on desired spine.
Russ
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I like Doug fir, and Sitka spruce
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I tried old growth Western Hemlock(35-40 rings per inch) and while it was very straight and stable it seemed a little brittle. I'm comparing it to bamboo so take that into consideration.
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Poplar makes a very good, durable arrow.
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I have yet to make arrows from Pseudosasa Japonica I got from Jaap Koppedrayer. Much more thin walls than tonkin, I assume it's lighter for the same spine
Witch hazel?
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Generally JoJo with most shaft wood I'm looking for a lot of rings per inch.Elasticity and density in a nice combo for shafts.Seems the denser then I can make skinnier shafts with conifers.Ring pourous can be different or thicker rings and make good shafts.Then it's a matter of how elastic it is too.I'd like to find a place that has hickory dowels myself.Ramin I think has been used too although not by me.
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Generally JoJo with most shaft wood I'm looking for a lot of rings per inch.Elasticity and density in a nice combo for shafts.Seems the denser then I can make skinnier shafts with conifers.Ring pourous can be different or thicker rings and make good shafts.Then it's a matter of how elastic it is too.I'd like to find a place that has hickory dowels myself.Ramin I think has been used too although not by me.
I am the high bidder of a Vertitas Dowel maker. I'll try what I can. Ramin from what I have read is very hard to straighten. I'll have to see what the local wood place has in hickory . The rest I can get at the big box store (Red oak, western red cedar, douglas, poplar, hemlock) including red oak dowels, poplar dowels.
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Well seasoned wood will make better, more stable arrows.
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Well seasoned wood will make better, more stable arrows.
Well seasoned versus kiln dried?
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Well seasoned like 2+ years at least. Kiln dried would probably be OK after 2 years.
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Forgot to mention I did red oak and it makes good shafts.45 to 50 spine in a nice weight range.
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i agree with Pat, with kiln dried wood, one doesnt know what you are getting- was the wood dried slowly in a dehumidifying kiln- minimal heat- and in turn minimal damage to the actual cell structure of the wood, or was it dried in a pressurized steam kiln, where a load of 2x4 can be dried in a fraction of the time- with horrendous damage to the internal cell structure- still meets regs for construction- just no good for archery. i had a piece of chundoo( lodgepole pine) 2x4 - i hit it along the wider edge with a sledge hammer from about 2 feet away- it sheered right off where it was clamped. sure a bit of force- but it should never do that.
wood in the round dries at about 1'' of radius per year- split will dry a lot faster- so it takes a long time- like Pat says!!!
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I do have some wood that has been drying for some time. Some pine, Maple, locust, Russian olive, and juniper. I'll have to see what works.