To straighten wood shafts, just eyeball down the shaft from each end and see if it's straight. If it's not, just hold the crooked area, or areas, over the heel of your hand and bend it the other way to straighten it. You can do it pretty quick when you've had some practice. I've hardly ever had any cedars that I couldn't straighten by hand. But I have had to use heat on rare occassions.

If you don't trust your eye, you can roll the shafts on a flat surface and check them that way. Don't expect wood shafts to be perfectly straight like a good aluminum shaft. Keep in mind that you're dealing with a natural material. It's nice to achieve perfect straightness, but not necessary. But of course, you do want your broadheads on your bestest, straightest arrows. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Yes, you apply whatever stain you want and let it dry throroughly before dipping. I like alcohol or water based stains instead of oil stains for arrows.

Bare shafting for a right hand shooter, an overspine arrow will plane off to the left and stick into the target nock right, underspine will plane to the right and stick into the target nock left. The correct spine will fly straight and group right in with your fletched arrows.