Hey guys!! I just bought a new bitzenburger right helical to start making my own arrows so I was just wondering if you guys had any tips on how to make them. I'm going to get 11/32 cedar shafts,4" Gateway feathers, Some nice nocks (brand?) and yea the rest of the cool tools that you need. AKA glue. soo yeah Do you guys have any sugustions? Thanks!!

Nick
___________________
Weapon - Martin recurve x-200
Prey - Small game, upland birds and turkey (maybe a deer)
Favorite hunting call - Gobble Gobble Gobble >>-----> Zing!!!!!

I'm pretty simple when it comes to making wood arrows. I know I'll either break or lose them, so I've never worried too much about makin' 'em purty. I don't own any dip tubes or cresting machines. Anyway, here's what I do.

I dilute some bright orange acrylic paint with water, then use it as a stain on the raw shafts. The bright orange shines like a new penny when the arrow is hiding in the grass, so it's a lot easier to find.

After it dries, I cut the tapers. I use aTru-center tapering tool and it's okay. Can't really and honestly say it's any better than the plastictapering tools though.

ThenI hang my shafts by the point taper on a line with clothespins and spray about 5 coats of polyurethane on 'em. I like the Minwax Spar Urethane and use it on both arrows and bows. Some guys just get some water based poly and wipe it on with a rag. Either way works fine. Of course, you could go all out and buy the dip tubes and lacquer if you want to do it up right.

My favorite nock is the Bohning Classic.

For glue on shafts sealed with polyurethane, I use Duco cement.Broadheads are glued on with hot melt. For field points, if I want to make sure they don't pull off in a target, I'll use 24 hour epoxy. No glue for fletches, except in an emergency. I only use Bohning fletching tape for feathers.

Naturally, I straighten the shafts before staining them. Straighten them again before cutting the tapers. Straighten them again before putting on the poly. Straighten them again before fletching. Straighten them again before installing the nocks and points. Doing all that seems to help the finished arrows stay a lot straighter.

Take your time and let the glue sit longer than you think it needs too.....

The best part of shooting the arrows you made is the fact that you made them

You definately need to seal the wood with something. I use an epoxy finish--I can send you the recipie if you need it. Works great for me, easy to do and very tough. Bohnning Classics are my favorite nocks, but I ran across a "deal" on a bunch (around 7,000) of the old run Mercury nocks, so I guess I'll be using those for a while. Fletch tape all the way for fletching, but duco will work if you rather glue them on. You will probably want to geta dispenser bottle for the Duco--the hole on the tube is too big for fletching. I get a 1 oz. tube of fabric paint from Wal-Mart in the crafts section(costs a buck or so, unless you catch it on clearance for .25 like I did). Squirt the paint out, wash out the bottle, and it's the perfect glue bottle. I use hot melt for the points. I prep the points by washing them out with acetone, then sanding the inside. Epoxy works good also.

Chad