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Old 08-10-2005 | 12:14 PM
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LBR
Boone & Crockett
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 15,295
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From: Mississippi USA
Default RE: Alot of questions about wood arrows.

Guss, I don't think you realize the size of the project you are thinking about. Turning your own shafts, at least decent ones, is going to take a lot of time, wood, and patience. You will need tight, straight grained wood, and you will definately want consistent spine. This means getting a spine tester and learning how to use it properly. You will also want to stay within a reasonable weight range--I like no more than 10-20 grains difference in my arrows. You may get several different spines out of the same board, and you will have to cull a lot of wood due to grain, knots, etc. You will need equipment--a way to dry the wood, a moisture meter, saws, etc. and you will have to maintain them.

Maple, ash, and hickory will make a decent arrow but they are tough to keep straight. When people talk about cedar arrows, they are referring to Port Orford cedar, that only grows on the CA/OR border. Red cedar won't make a good arrow.

To get to the point, you will most likely wind up spending quite a bit more than you would if you just buy the arrows. One alternative could be rivercane, which seems to make a pretty good arrow and if it grows in your area it's free. There's a good reason why good wood shafts aren't cheap--it takes a lot of time and knowledge, not to mention the expense of buying and maintaining equipment.

I might be able to help with feathers--p.m. me for more info.

When you glue your nock on a wood arrow, align it so the string will be across the grain. Feather placement isn't important concerning the grain.

This is just the tip of the iceberg--I know very little about making shafting, other than it's a lot more work and expense than I want to take on.

Chad

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