harvesting and drying river cane

[hedgeapple]

I think I've read this somewhere but my seach yielded no information.  When you cut river cane do you scrape the green waxy layer off for it to dry?  Or do you ever scrape the waxy layer off?
Thanks
Dave

[Pat B]

Dave, when I collect hill cane(same with all cane) I bundle them up in groups of 12 to 15 and let them dry for a few months. I either use rubber bands or spiral wrap with baling twine. No need to remove the rind. That is your waterproof finish. 
  Art Butner, on the other hand, removes the rind and spines the shafts so all four sides have similar spine then seals the cane shafts. Art's arrows are true ART...but it isn't necessary for good, serviceable hunting arrows.

[hedgeapple]

Thanks PatB.  I had seen that you'd had just responded to some else's post after I asked my question.  And we thinking, I bet Pat will give me an answer in just a moment.    I appreciate the helpfulness of everyone on PA.  I hope one day I'll be the one with answers to help a newby. 

[Pat B]

Dave, I enjoy sharing what I know. I'm sure you contribute what you can. 

[recurve shooter]

yup. good folks round here.

i didnt remove the rind on the one's i am messing with and they are working well so far.

[Josh]

always leave the rind on mine too.  Haven't had a problem with river cane yet...

[Hillbilly]

For primitive arrows, I leave the rind on, it's a good finish. I sand it off on a lot of my shafts, though because I like to take the nodes down even and often dye my shafts. I just hit it with some 150-grit sandpaper and replace it with Tru-oil. I do that after straightening and working the nodes down, though.

[recurve shooter]

the 14 pieces of cane with nocks cut in em sitting in the lazy boy behind me are my absolute first try at making arrows. im really enjoying it and i have only nearly taken a limb off twice. (king of bad luck). it takes some patience, but its a REALLY cool thing to do. im still gunna have to hunt with wooden shafting this year, but hopeflully i'll have some nice canes figured out by then.

For primitive arrows, I leave the rind on, it's a good finish. I sand it off on a lot of my shafts, though because I like to take the nodes down even and often dye my shafts. I just hit it with some 150-grit sandpaper and replace it with Tru-oil. I do that after straightening and working the nodes down, though.

when i get the basics figured out, i may get some detail instructions from you hillbilly on how to get them more consistantly spined and what not. i hope hedgeapple has as much fun with it as i am.

[hedgeapple]

Thanks everyone for you help.

Recurve, it's fun making arrows, but at this point I'd rather spend my time learning to make bows.  But a bow with arrows in like only have a left sneaker.  It might be a perfectly good sneaker, but you would get far with just the one.  haha

I cut 12 pieces of cane early last spring.  Not really knowing what I was looking for in a cane shaft, only 3 of them were viable arrow shafts.  I cut 7 pieces of cane last week.  It looks like 6 of those will make an arrow.  My field judging of cane is improving.  haha

[recurve shooter]

i know what you mean. i started out with about 30 pieces, and how have 14 possible shafts, but im sure some more of them will get tossed before they are finished.

if you can get the hang of makeing a bow, your a better craftsman than me. i tried, failed, tried again, so on and so forth. i kinda gave up on that for a while and im trying out arrow makeing. it suits me better.

[PeteC]

Dave ,I cut my cane,let it sit in my shop for a month,straighten it,sand down the nodes,cut in nocks and wrap with sinew.Then weigh them,and set them aside for a few days,checking weight until it stabilizes.Then build arrows.It's that simple and quick. God Bless

[recurve shooter]

oh, and cane is stiffer than you would think it is. all mine came out spined for about a 90 lb bow. 

[PeteC]

You need to cut smaller diameter cane Recurve shooter.    God Bless

[Pat B]

Leave the cane longer than you normally would. For each inch over 28" you can subtract 5# of spine weight and you can reduce the spine weight by 10# because of the natural taper of the shaft...so a 90# spined cane arrow cut to 32" would yield an arrow spined for a 60# bow. This is with 125 gr. point. Plus or minus that also effects the spine weight.
  (4"x5#=20#+10#=30# subtracted from 90#=60#) Same arrow but cut 4" longer.

[recurve shooter]

man, i just finished my algibra homework, come to check up on the website, and i get more math!

i dont have a spine tester pat, its really just gestamation. im compareing the bendyness of the shaft to that of my lonley little rabit fluflu. i have 2 that may work, and for some reason i already cut them to 26 inches.....cuz im an idiot.

anyway, im gunna do some final tweaks to the streightening  and bare shaft em tomorrow. i may get one decent arrow out of the 30 pluss canes i cut. bout what i expected for the first try.