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Author Topic: how to make arrow shafts?  (Read 4301 times)

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Offline Deerhunter21

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how to make arrow shafts?
« on: March 12, 2019, 09:53:16 am »
Hi guys! I just finished my first selfbow and now I need to make some arrows! I have seen people make them out of rose but those ones were crude. how do you make an arrow shaft is my question. do you get a billet of sorts, bandsaw it and put it on a shooting board or do you find sticks, straiten them and then smooth them? any help is appriciated!
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Offline DC

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Re: how to make arrow shafts?
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2019, 10:11:10 am »
All of the above :D Any way you can end up with a straight stick will work. That said some woods will be better than other.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: how to make arrow shafts?
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2019, 10:45:44 am »
I'd suggest for your first arrows you start off with commercial dowel shafts. It will teach you a lot about arrow making and help you understand about the way arrows work without a lot of frustration. We have sponsors that carry arrow shafting, former sponsors that are friends of the site that carry shafting and we have our own "Trading Post" where if you ask nicely you may find someone that has some shafts to spare.
 What draw weight is your bow and how long is your draw? Knowing these things will help you find the correct shafts so you can make good shooting arrows.
 Once you learn to build arrows there are tons of options as far as shafting goes from hand split and planed shafts, sawn out arrow blanks with quite a few methods for making arrows to collecting shoot shaft materials and all the fun that goes with that.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Deerhunter21

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Re: how to make arrow shafts?
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2019, 01:30:04 pm »
my draw length is 26" and my biggest poundage bow was about 25# @ 28"
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Offline Wally44

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Re: how to make arrow shafts?
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2019, 01:53:00 pm »
I use hickory sawn out of boards they r a lot tougher than cedar or sitka spruce you need heat to straighten though
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Offline Pat B

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Re: how to make arrow shafts?
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2019, 07:40:09 pm »
Go to the hardware store and get some 5/16" wood dowels. You'll have to hand pick them with straight grain, without steep runoffs and straight dowels. For a 25# bow they should be fine.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Buck67

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Re: how to make arrow shafts?
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2019, 04:37:51 am »
I have some practice arrows that I made from 5/16" Poplar dowels that I got from Lowes.  Some of them have been shot over 500 times with no problems.  Just be very picky about the dowels.  If you can find 10 straight grained ones out of 100 you have been very lucky.  Sometimes the grain will be straight for 2/3 the length and then runs off, you can use those because the runoff part gets cut off.
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Offline allanmeier

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Re: how to make arrow shafts?
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2019, 07:09:14 am »
Just wondering what type of shafts I need for a hickory self bow that pulls 66# at 26"
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Offline Pat B

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Re: how to make arrow shafts?
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2019, 09:16:33 am »
Allan, maybe 50-55# spined shafts cut to 28" with a 125gr. point. For selfbows starting out with about 10# spined less than draw weight is a good start. If they are too lightly spined cutting them down to 26-27" will stiffen them up.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: how to make arrow shafts?
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2019, 02:08:53 pm »
It is a tough call on arrows for a selfbow, I draw 26" on a good day and shoot 55-60s out of my osage bow that is in the 52-54# range at my draw length and cut them to around 28" back of point.

My main osage bow is a performer, I have osage bows in the 56-58# range that like 55-60s the best.

My osage bows shoot poundage plus, my last hickory bow shot arrows that were spined a little less than poundage.
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