self nocks

[andy thomas]

anybody have pics of their self nocks? just wanted to see the shape you guys are getting on them arrows.

[Pat B]

here are a few of mine. These are cedar arrows I made a few years ago. They are reinforced nocks with a rawhide spine and not self nocks...


hill cane...


a set of red osier Plains style arrows...


these are tapered ash but they have osage spine also so they are reinforced and not self. Except for the spine both nock types are made the same though...


these are my 2009 hunting arrows, hill cane and sourwood shoots...

[hillbilly61]

 Not sure if this is what you want. This is a cane arrow with the nock cut just above the node. Most of them are wraped with sinew just below the cut of the nock.
 The second and third are pics of what happens if you fail to wrap it

[andy thomas]

thanks thats what i was looking for right now the nock i have cut looks more like a V i need a smaller file and some more sand paper. by the way got half of those all done. turkey and goose feather with duplex nail points all done with sinew

[Pat B]

Buy a sheet of 100grit emery cloth and strip it into 2" strips. Take a strip and fold it 3 or 4 times and use the edge to round the bottom of the "V" in your nock.
  When I make self nocks I make a single saw cut the depth of the nock. Then i use a thin blade knife to remove some of the excess material in the saw kerf. I then fold the emory cloth once(rough side out  ) and work it back and forth until it moves easy then fold it again and again and again, working it back and forth until the nock fits my string(I prefer a loose fit). I then round all edges and releave the bottom of the nock so not to irretate the string when the bow is drawn. When all of this is done I add a sinew wrap and when it is dry I seal it with super glue.
With primitive arrows I seal with pitch varnish).

[andy thomas]

thanks pat will look for the emery cloth. do you have to seal the sinew?

[aznboi3644]

Sometimes if I'm making cherokee style arrows I'll just use a triangle file and put a "v" groove for the nock.

These require a pinch grip to shoot...but thats how I learned to shoot cuz I didn't have the tools for normal deep nocks.

[bowtarist]

Pat, your nocks look great, no need for me to post more blurry pics.    The way i often make self nocks is after figuring which end and which way the nock is going to go, i.e. I do mine against the grain with the grain running out on the top of the business end of the arrow, towards the point.  I use the old school way Saxton Pope writes about, three hack saw blades taped together, maybe two if I feel like sanding.  Three blades after sanding makes a loose fit, two needs more sanding for a more snug fit.  Follow what Pat said about shaping the bottom of the nock.  Don't forget to wrap, sinew, the best, denim thread, regular thead, imitation sinew, pert much anything, then seal with super glue, I use Duco cement, dosen't make my fingers so stuck together, cures slower, though.  Sometimes clear fingernail polish, a bottle lasts a long time. You're on your way, man!!

[hillbilly61]

 Andy...I'm glad they are working out for you. I use my Dremel tool and a high spped cut off disk. I cut the depth and width just shy of what I want and then use emory cloth to finish it out

[Pat B]

You can buy super glue in a bottle with a brush in the cap. Works great for sealing wraps. When the bottle runs dry buy cheap super glue and refil it.    I use my finger to apply the super glue. As long as it stays liquid it won't stick you to itself.      You can also use TBIII to seal sinew wrap, Duco and others.   For primitive arrows I use pitch varnish.(Hard pitch dissolved in alcohol and then strained)
  Sinew wraps do need to be sealed because moisture will be absorbed into the sinew and cause the wrap to loosen.  Thread wraps don't have to be sealed but it keeps then looking good and keeps them from freying or unraveling.

[crooketarrow]

  I cut mine in with the edge of a fine file. Sinew rap with super glue.  Wax it good hit it good with the hair dryed. This alows the wax to really soke up into the pours keeping it water proff keep my string waxed. Waxing my knocking point now and then. Can't get a better release from the string.

[Loki]

I use a tile saw for mine.

[BowJunkie]

Very Nice work Loki

[gstoneberg]

Beautiful nock there.  I use a tile saw too, but mine don't look that nice for sure.

I broke one this weekend out at the lease practicing just before a hog hunt.  Spooked me so bad I took the rifle instead.  I didn't have the nock wrapped, but the wrap on the back of the feathers stopped the split and saved the bow from dry firing.



I was lucky.  I'll be wrapping them all from now on.

George

[scattershot]

[img][http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/scattershot/IMGP0180.jpg/img]

This is an ash arrow with a reinforced (wrapped) nock. I use a chainsaw file for the nock itself.