how straight does boo shafts need to be?

[arachnid]

Hi guys.

I`m startine to work on my first set of bamboo arrows, using the great build a-long
posted here (bamboo garden stakes...).
Well first of all, straightning is a real pain in the ***. My question is, how straight do
they need to be to have good and accurate flight?

[Pat B]

As long as the nock and point line up and the arrow spins true on our finger tip they should fly well.

[DC]

Don't know if this will help but these shoot OK.

[arachnid]

Those are some straight arrows right there DC.
What are the tips made of?

[DC]

They are duplex nails like the build-along but I drilled a hole in some 3/8" aluminum round stock and pounded it on the end. Filed it to shape. It makes them go into the target bag with out punching out little circles.

[bowandarrow473]

How straight can you make them?

that should be a good start

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

Watching this intently, as bamboo straitening is driving me mad...

[le0n]

you want the shafts to be able to roll on a flat surface (table).

if they don't roll easily, you'll be able to spot your trouble areas when attempting to roll them.

[DC]

I found a quick start to straightening boo is to use your barbecue. I heat mine up to 350-400 and then leaving the lid closed slide the arrow into the rotisserie hole. Leave it for 20-30 seconds. The whole thing will be limpish. Straighten as best you can, use oven mitts. You can get most of the wiggles out with this. Then use your heat gun. Do a bend and then put it down, let it cool. Start with 10 or so arrows and just keep working your way through the pile, one bend, put it aside. By the time you've gone through the pile the first will be cool enough to work on the next bend. It takes practice, like most things, but after 20 or so arrows it will start to fall in place and become fairly straight forward. You will have to do a lot off them as the spine will be all over the place. You can reduce the spine with a belt sander but go slow and give them a good test bend before proceeding.  One of the problems I had was overworking the nodes. If you bend them too far and have to go back they can weaken. You'll get an eye for when the node is actually straight.

[JoJoDapyro]

I built a jig for my heat gun, for heating bows up. I then thought of a good idea, drilling a 1/2 hole on either leg, so I can put an arrow shaft through it, and use the wood to help straighten the shaft.

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

My problem is that I can only get them so straight before it seems I'm just chasing tiny bends up and down the shaft. It may be I have some rare optic nerve disease or some such but I look down the shaft, say "ok, I need to straighten it round about here" but the instant I move the thing from looking straight down it the spot disappears and I have to look down it again. I dunno, maybe if I had someone to show me how it's done I would "get it" but it's driving me nuts, lol.

[DC]

That was happening to me. I was tempted to mark the spot with a pencil. Some how it went away. I'm trying split shafts now so I will probably have to come back and read this post when I want to use boo shafts again

[jeffp51]

You just have to set your inner OCD demon free a little.  Enjoy the process of trying to create a perfectly straight shaft.  It just takes time and patience. You will appreciate them more that way when they are done and you shoot them for the first time. If you want quick and easy immediate gratification, buy carbon.  Otherwise take joy in the journey.

[AndrewS]

1. You can try an iron.... you also need a hard and flat surface, like a countertop of stone. Heat and roll, until your shaft is straight

2. Use a barbecue (like DC posted) or the surface of an hot oven (that's what I use in winter) to heat the shafts.
If they are  hot I take an arrowstraightener  and straighten the shafts. I have the straightener (Shaft tamer) from 3 rivers...

[Dakota Kid]

Has anyone ever tried heating with the grill until limp and then bundling them tight with a mix of aluminium shafts then cool? I can get um straight hand bending, but that's my least favorite part of boo. If I could do six or 12 at a time, that would be quite "dope" "fo shizzle".