Ditto to what has been said, I personally prefer bamboo, to wood. Others will disagree. Wood has it's good side also. Bamboo does not have any grain run out. Find the stiff side of the shaft, and mark it. That side will go against the bow, and then cut your knock accordingly. By all means wrap about an inch or so from the point back, and from the knock to the fletch. Like Tim said two fletch, works just fine, if done correctly. There are tutorials on this site, for the two fletch. I think Pat B. has one on here. If you are trying to make an all primitive style arrow, you can use sinew, and pitch glue, like Tim said, or you can use rayon, or nylon sewing thread, the kind that is used for curtains, or baggage, and then after wrapping you can saturate it with super glue. Bamboo will take a lot of stress, and abuse, and keep on flying! When you straighten the shaft, straighten the sections between the nodes, first, and then straighten at the nodes if necessary, and then you can lightly sand the nodes, smooth, or you can place a hard object, board, piece of steel, aluminum, etc. on each side of the nodes, and press down and roll them first, and then lightly sand if needed. Be careful when using heat to straighten the shaft, keep the heat gun moving up and down the area you want to straighten, or keep the shaft moving over a heat source, if you don't keep it moving, and rotating the shaft, you can scorch, or burn the shaft, and that will ruin it. I sand the whole shaft, and then spray the shaft with lacquer. It dries quickly, and you can do a couple at a time, or do all the shafts you want to make, and then cut the knocks in, or cut the knocks first, and then put the fletching and points on, after you have straightened, and sanded, and put the finish on. It is best if you can put the knock above a node, but if there isn't a node, you can use for the knock that is OK, as you can put a bamboo skewer, or a small dowel in the hole, and cut the knock, and then wrap it just below the knock, and be sure the stiff side will be against the bow, when you cut the knock. It usually takes me about an hour from start to finish to make an arrow, depending on how unruly the shaft is. You can buy the target points, in varying grain weights, at Bass pro, or other sporting places that sell archery equipment. Use the larger diameter end for the point. You can get the threaded target points, or the hollow ones, that slip over the end of the shaft. I would still put a wrapping around the shaft at the point, even if it is a slip on point. You just glue the point on, and wrap from the edge of the point for about an inch or so. Good insurance. You put a lot of work into it, take the safety precautions to keep it going. As for fletching choices, what ever floats your boat. If you like the three fletch, as they are more cool looking, or the two fletch for economic use of available feathers, and they work just as well as three fletch, they just don't look as aesthetic, or traditional as the three fletch, but they fly just as well. Make your arrows longer, than your normal length, to compensate for spine, and it gives the arrow more ability to get around the bow, in the paradox. Center shot bows, are not as critical for "spine weight" ( the stiffness of the arrow, to match to the poundage of the bow) as the off the hand bows. Try to match your arrows, in length, weight, and spine, but if you make them longer than your draw length, it is not as critical, but it will help in consistent accuracy. This all seems like a lot to know, and practice, but it really isn't. Just a few basic rules, to follow, and you will do fine. There is a good section on arrow flight, in the Bowyers Bible I, that covers erratic arrow flight, and the causes. One is not having the stiff side of the shaft against the bow. Good luck, and enjoy.
Wayne
