Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: PatrickH on July 03, 2021, 01:18:35 pm

Title: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: PatrickH on July 03, 2021, 01:18:35 pm: So my store bought cedar shafts are getting old and started breaking, and a self bow needed self arrows. I decided on using lilac stems, I read they would be more durable than my cedar shafts (though a lot heavier) and I have a lilac hedge running the length of my house so they are free.

Lilac hedge up close (no flowers here on the shaded side of the house but its lilac)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51287244073_dc3678d1c9_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m95wQR)208783434_1961162834047340_5648266350614910575_n (https://flic.kr/p/2m95wQR) by patrick holmes (https://www.flickr.com/photos/188614452@N04/), on Flickr

I cut a dozen appropriately sized stems (all of em quite twisted and bent unfortunately) here is a photo of a few of them.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51287050531_e9f4b4d1e2_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m94xiV)211442431_936650813851784_4696908343200245069_n (https://flic.kr/p/2m94xiV) by patrick holmes (https://www.flickr.com/photos/188614452@N04/), on Flickr

I sealed the ends with glue and bundled them together. Each night while watching TV I would take em out of the bundle and hand straighten them for about an hour and then rebundle them. After about a week of drying and straightening I scraped the bark off and ran them through a board with a 1/2in hole scraping off whatever was too big to fit through. Then straightened them and bundled them back up together. Each day moving them through another 16th smaller hole and straightening them and bundling them back together.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51286303927_efb6f7775a_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m8ZHnr)211135622_552813019226297_3995532794621020320_n (https://flic.kr/p/2m8ZHnr) by patrick holmes (https://www.flickr.com/photos/188614452@N04/), on Flickr

When I got them down to 3/8in and uniform their length I switched to scraping em with a cabinet scraper until the knock end was tapered down to about 9/32in at the knock and 11/32in at the head.(this seemed to give me about the correct spine, after some test shots with an experimental arrow)

Then I took them and heat straightened them over a heat gun and hardened the whole arrow with heat (it also gave it a kind of camo
finish which I liked.)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51286303942_c90793876f_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m8ZHnG)210675257_344373057247781_6956342137140848720_n (https://flic.kr/p/2m8ZHnG) by patrick holmes (https://www.flickr.com/photos/188614452@N04/), on Flickr

Getting the spine right for each one took a bit of work removing bits of wood/fire hardening sections until they all shot fine with duct tape fletching for trial shots. I added some cheap 145grain blunts from 3rivers that I like for target shooting (they are durable and don't bury in the grass very often) They are just held on by friction with no glue for now (I figured I could switch out the blunts for broad heads of the same weight come hunting season if they survive that long) I fletched em with some cheap goose feathers from Amazon, I might use better feathers with my next batch but figured for my first trial run at self arrows its best not to buy a whole turkey wing and mess em all up. I dont have pictures of me fletching them, but it would just be pictures of me swearing with my fingers super glued to the feathers anyway lol. I sealed them with polyurethane. They all weigh around 630-640 grains total arrow weight which comes out to about 11gpp (58lbs draw). They are all made for a 25in draw length. I hope you guys like em, let me know if you have any advice. They seem to be more durable and better spined than the store bought cedar shafts I was shooting which makes me really happy, I'll never waste money on store bought ones again when I can make free ones from my backyard lol.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51288066175_51ca7fc20a_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m99Ke2)204232384_782928579086005_8117872815194497380_n (https://flic.kr/p/2m99Ke2) by patrick holmes (https://www.flickr.com/photos/188614452@N04/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51288066190_da5bcba2f2_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m99Keh)209349039_1437303556621305_612116559332333551_n (https://flic.kr/p/2m99Keh) by patrick holmes (https://www.flickr.com/photos/188614452@N04/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51288066215_b33912a2d6_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m99KeH)202797143_302495031558220_3892531782114531275_n (https://flic.kr/p/2m99KeH) by patrick holmes (https://www.flickr.com/photos/188614452@N04/), on Flickr
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: PatrickH on July 03, 2021, 01:21:46 pm: Oh, and the bindings are just with cheap bcy string material, maybe in the future I will use sinew but for now its what I had on hand.
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: burchett.donald on July 03, 2021, 02:06:13 pm: Patrick,
Excellent work there man...Nice to see somebody put in that meticulous work/time on spine...Adjusting each shaft to your personal bow...Now that's what I call Self Arrows...Love the Goose feathers also )P(
Don
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: NMSP-107 on July 03, 2021, 06:26:41 pm: You did a great job! :OK
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: Stixnstones on July 03, 2021, 08:50:57 pm: I see absolutely nothing wrong with those. It's cool to see someone take on the challenge of arrow building. Believe me I wobble back and forth with store bought and goin for a walk in the wood and harvest some shafts to work on for awhile... nice work
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: Pat B on July 03, 2021, 08:59:08 pm: A little extra work but the satisfaction overrides that. Well done. :OK
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: Trapper Rob on July 03, 2021, 10:15:21 pm: Good looking arrows
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: Swampman on July 05, 2021, 08:54:18 am: Very nice work. Lilac is tough so those arrows should last for you.
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: Hawkdancer on July 05, 2021, 02:04:14 pm: Nice work! Put your mark on them!
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: boomhowzer on July 06, 2021, 08:44:14 am: Those are sweet! I love the burn marks and how the top tie goes all the way from the feather to the base of the nock. They look dead straight too. Great work!
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: PatrickH on July 06, 2021, 04:48:06 pm: Thanks everyone! Hawkdancer thats a good point I need to add some cresting of some kind!
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: BowEd on July 06, 2021, 05:40:22 pm: Well done Patrick.Your straightening process from green to dried shafts is about like the way I do my natural shafts.I stay after them till I have them straight.Rebundle/straighten etc. etc.
Your mass weight/spine/and diameter on lilac is about what my plum are here.Excellent hunting arrows.
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: StickMark on July 07, 2021, 01:19:36 pm: People like to touch and see the primitive self and sinew bows.
But "home made shoot" arrows, that really impresses them, especially when they see how one goes from bendy shoot to dried, straight (enuf) arrow shaft.

Nice work. Life is too short to hunt with ugly weapons.
Title: Re: First set of self arrows, Lilac with Goosefeathers
Post by: jeffp51 on July 17, 2021, 08:57:37 pm: Do you have any issues with them staying straight? I made some lilac arrows and found they bent every time I hit a target with one