Hi PA Community!
I compiled some data on wood properties for making bows and arrows and started a thread over in the bows section. See original thread here if interested:
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,61920.0.htmlWhile I looked at more data for bow-specific properties, I thought I'd share here what I explored for arrow woods. See attached PDF for the data, with notes explaining the properties. Of course, the big caveat with all this is the wide variation possible within a given species -- so take the raw numbers with a grain of salt.
I have limited experience making flight arrows, but it seems the best materials for the job are those that are stiff (high modulus of elasticity) and also low density. I've been thinking about something I'm calling the "ballistic index" of a wood, which is a measure of how light and how stiff the wood is (relative to POC as a reference). Lower density, higher stiffness woods get a better score. Low density is good because it helps decrease overall arrow weight, increasing potential cast. High stiffness is good because it lets you achieve the required spine with a skinnier, more aerodynamic shaft. The tricky bit is in the efficiency of the specific bow and arrow combination, which depends on a lot of variables, and might dictate stiffness or mass or both being the limiting factor in performance.
Not surprisingly, many of the mainstream shafting woods (POC, sitka spruce, doug fir, ramin, bamboo) are good performers. Purpleheart and ipe are good if you want something very stiff and widely available. One standout candidate I haven't tried is greenheart. A 1/4" greenheart shaft should spine similar to a 5/16" POC. Anyone made a greenheart arrow?
Unfortunately there's not a lot of data available for non-commercial arrow woods, such as viburnum, hazel, ocean spray, and river cane. Maybe I'll get around to making some measurements one of these days.
