Moose, Nothin' stupid about you or your questions at all my friend - keep 'em coming!

At some point many serious archers/bowhunters decide to start making their own arrows or doing their own arrow repairs. Just makes sense. You can experiment with feather placement, helical direction, colors, etc. You can truly make your own custom arrows.

Wood vs. Alum - thoug call. Both have advantages in some respects.

If you decide to get into wood arrows your gonna need a decent spine tester. I used to buy my cedar shafts in bulk by the 100's. You'd be amazed even though you order them to be - say, 55-60# spine you'll actually get a variation! Some will be say 45-50, some 55-60, some 60-65, etc.

Alum is superior as far as being and remaining straight and unaffected by humidity changes, warping, etc. And refletching an alum arrow is easy.

Drawbacks: They bend and once bent are pretty impossible to fix adequately. They clank and are noisy when striking each other. They lack the 'warmth' of traditional look & feel of wood arrows.

Wood is a pretty medium to work with. Nothing smells quite like cedar shafts in the house when making. Its fun, takes time - but is a labor of love. You can truly make your own custom arrows with various colored cap dips, cresting designs, colors, etc. Archers have their choice today of water-based stains or oil-based stains. About any color you can imagine is available today. One can get really decent arrows made but takes a bit more time, effort, and dedication with wood than alum or carbon due to the realities of the wood medium. However, periodic checking of your arrows for straightness is necessary as are inspections for cracks, etc. for safety. Also, wood requires more tools to make them. Spine testers, dipping tubes, stains, sealers, paints, taper tools, etc.

Having said that - I love wood arrows. Nothing beats making arrows during the winter 'off season' as making up some arrows or as a Pre-Season task in preparation of the upcoming hunting season. Sure gets the old heart pumping with excitement! Just a lot of fun IMO.

Whatever you choose - just realize than getting outfitted with tools will cost you some money - just like everything else in life. Skiing, scuba diving, golf - whatever - requires equipment and costs money. Arrow making is no different. However, once purchased this tools will last a lifetime.

PS Don Adam's makes one of the finest Spine Testers I have ever used.