Dianna does a great job on arrows and I am sure she can give some good advice. There are other sites that give information, but be warned--opinions are often given as straight fact.

I've tried gobs of different woods--Norway Pine, Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, Maple, Ash, Chundoo, Poplar,.....but I always wind up going back to Port Orford Cedar. Hickory might make a decent shaft, but it is far from the wood of choice for arrows. I'm pretty sure POC is the most widely used, maybe more than all the others combined.

There are lots of dealers for arrow shafts--if you buy dowels from a hardware store you will need a spine tester and a grain scale to get matched arrows, and most likely you will have a LOT of culls.

You can use sealers from the hardware store, but in my experience they stick in the targets like glue--whether foam, cardboard, or excelsior (SP?). Getting all the supplies can be a pretty big expense, but if you intend to make a lot of arrows it is cheaper in the long run (if you don't count your time).

Like Stealthy said, get good quality shafting--that is one department I have found that it does not pay to skimp on. Lots of suppliers sell shafting and supplies for arrowmaking--my two personal favorites are Rogue River Archery and Lone Wolf Archery, but there are gobs of others.

I imagine talking to someone with experience (such as Di) will be your best bet, as they are not trying to sell you something in the process.

Good luck!

Chad

Long Bows Rule!