Hi, i've got a checkmate falcon on the way (53# @ 28), my first recurve, and i was thinking about building my own cedar arrows from bare shafts. Could anybody give me some advice? I've done a little research on this and was wondering if it was worth it or if should just go aluminum/carbon. Seems like if i'm shooting instinctive i might as well go all the way and shoot cedar too. I do currently fletch my own carbons.
thanks, andy

I shoot wood arrows, and love wood arrows, but I'd suggest starting with aluminum or carbon for consistency. You have to learn a bit about wood before you build them, and it's getting harder (and more expensive) to get good wood shafts. They can vary quite a bit from one wood to the next, or even one dealer to the next. Pretty time consuming to build, and you need toeliminate as many variables as possible getting started.

Chad

Good advice

Andy,

Making them yourself takes a little time to perfect. Premium Port Orford Cedar is fairly straight and easy to work with. Being your first recurve I would suggest buying a spine kit. It contains 3 to 6 different spined wood arrows. That way you will be able to tell what the exact arrow you need is. A recurve usually likes a heavier spined arrow. So instead of buying a dozen shafts that aren't spined correctly you will know which ones to buy.

After that you can follow directions from;

http://www.stickbow.com/features/index.cfm?feature=arrowmaking

It gets pretty simple after the first few. One piece of advice though, you don't need to buy all the dip tubes and special cresting paints. You local hobby shop will have every color paint you need and a smooth brush will take the place of a dip tube.

ha, PAstew its funny you mentioned stickbow.com because i pretty much read that whole link. I still have a few questions. what and how do you glue on tips and nocks? Also how do you cut the shafts to lenght. Would a regular cut off saw for alums and carbons work? I've seen the spine kits and will use one if go with cedars. For now though i think i will probably endup using carbons or aluminums although i know i would really enjoy building my own arrows. Can't wait to get my bow.
andy

Right now i have a martin hunter 53 at 29 that likes 65-70 cedars. I cut mine at 31 in and taper to a 30in arrow back of point. I love cedars. I talked to people that said cedars fly alot better and are funner. It was true, i'll never shoot aluminum again these cedars fly to well i can't miss by more than an inch. OK that was exagerated but you know what i mean. They don't have to be perfectly straight either. I shot on into my new hay bale and hit a wire holding the bail tighter. It made a huge flat spot and really bent the arrow. I still shoot the arrow because it still shoots good. It'll be a squirrel arrow soon though.

On wood shafts I use dual hot melt glue for tips and pine ridge archery nock/fletch glue for nocks and inserts. For wood shafts I cut them 3/4" longer than needed. I shoot a 28" draw, my arrows are 29 1/2" to the back of the point from the valley of the nock. I cut them 30 1/4". The taper will cut down 3/4".

Unless you have a high RPM motor to cut aluminum or carbon shafts then I wouldn't risk it.

After cutting the aluminum or carbon shafts to length I de-burr the inside and square the cut with a G5 tool. But if this is your first time cutting arrows for a recurve, then start them long and cut a little at a time until you get proper arrow flight. Then cut the rest to length.

cabage--for wood arrows,i use hotmelt for the points and duco cement for the nocks.I use a small hack-saw to cut the shafts to length