Straightening Arrows

[DC]

I'm taking some minor bends out of some arrows. It just takes a very slight bend to straighten them, very slight. Just a slight push with the heel of my hand. What I'm wondering is if the first time I shoot them or pull them out of the target isn't there a very big chance of the bend coming back or of putting a new one in? Bamboo arrows if it matters.

[Pat B]

Dc, do you temper the cane shafts after straightening? What I do is start at one end adding heat while rotating the shaft and move along the shaft to the other end then lay them flat to cool. I sometimes have to do a light straightening like you said and that usually helps keep them straight. Be careful when you reach the far end because of steam coming out that will scald you.

[DC]

Does tempering help normalise stresses?

[jeffp51]

When I do that, all of the corrections I made come out-unless I continually straighten as I heat.  Burnishing with a steel screwdriver will take out those minor bends after a shot.

[Pat B]

For me it stabilizes the shaft. I do it with hardwood shoots too and sometimes add coloration for a camo effect.

[DC]

I'll give that a try on the next batch. I've always been afraid that reheating them would take out all the heat  straightening I'd already done.

[BowEd]

DC.....I've seen an over amount of moisture onto a heat straightened shaft bring it back to being crooked.

[DC]

Yeah, that's kind of normal around here. The ground is usually wet from Nov-April and no matter how hard I try some arrows end up on the ground.