more quarantine arrows

[jeffp51]

I have been making a lot of arrows lately.  From left to right these are bamboo, river cane or hill cane (I got the shafts from Mullet, so maybe he can say which) apple, and red osier dogwood.  My wife says the two-toned ones on the right are too pretty to shoot.  I said it's performance art.  It's nice when they shoot straight.

[rhansen]

Outstanding arrows, they should fly& hunt well.  I've got a stash of red osier/dogwood that I've collected while on quarantine.  Can you tell me how long you dry them before you shoot them?
Thanks, Rick

[rhansen]

I should have said, this is my first attempt with red osier/dogwood.

[jeffp51]

Longer is better, or they won't want to stay straight, but it depends on how dry it is.  For me, when the bark starts to wrinkle and go dark, they should be good.  Also, when I hit two together and hear a sharp, musical ringing sound instead of the dull clunk they make when they are green, then you can tell they are ready.  If you put them in the back window of a car, you can probably get them there in a month, easy.  Straighten them every few weeks while they are green, and bundle them tight, and it will make your job easier when it is time to do the final work.

[rhansen]

Thank you that answers my questions!!  I should be all set for this fall's deer season!

[Hawkdancer]

Nice arrows!  Shafts do cure well in this region - it's dry in a heavy rainstorm (arrow making emoji!). Looking good, Jeff!
Hawkdancer

[Todd Mathis]

I have been making a lot of arrows lately.  From left to right these are bamboo, river cane or hill cane (I got the shafts from Mullet, so maybe he can say which) apple, and red osier dogwood.  My wife says the two-toned ones on the right are too pretty to shoot.  I said it's performance art.  It's nice when they shoot straight.

Wow!  Those are gorgeous!!!  That is very nice work.  I agree with your wife though...those on the right are truely beautiful.  I wish I had the skills and patience to do this kind of work!  I would love to know where you got the fletching for those on the right.  how long are they?  What can you tell me?  I love making arrows, but I'm not a very good fletcher...and I'm reminded of this when I see yours.  Very nice work indeed.  Thanks for sharing.

[jeffp51]

The ones on the end are just wild turkey feathers--I get them either from friends who hunt, or I trade for them here.  The rest are from 3-rivers archery.  I always make my fletchings 4.5" long, because it means I can usually get two fletchings from one feather, because I'm cheap. Straightening takes the most time, but that is good for me.  It scratches my perfectionist itch.

[Swampman]

That is a beautiful bunch of arrows Jeff.  Very nice work. 

[mullet]

All of them look fantastic, Jeff. The ones you got from me are Florida cane arrows. Pretty hard to find good cane down here.

[mullet]

I went back and looked at the fletching on the right. Did I send you those, too. They look like Osceola wing feathers.

[jeffp51]

That is very possible. I usually label my bags of feathers by who gave them to me, but this batch didn't have a name on it, so it probably is.  They are darker than most of my other wild turkey feathers, and they go well with the stain I used, I think.  The cane arrows shoot great.  Their light weight means I have really good FOC on them, but they are not as durable  as some of my other arrows.  I already broke one trying to tweak it back straight, and another broke off inside my target.  I still really like them, though.

[BowEd]

Very fine looking set of self nocked arrows.