Starting another batch of arrows
 

These are 61/65 spined POC (Port Orford Cedar) shafts. Stained using fiebings leather dye. Shaft is olive drab green, crown is black and cap is white. Will use white feathers and nocks.

These shafts are also tapered (not barrel or hunter barrel). 11/32" shaft tapered to 5/16 on nock end. Will take pics and post tomorrow or the next day. At this point I've only stained so will do a build-along on the site here to keep the trad forum afloat.

Wish me luck. :lol:

LUCK :!:

Waiting to see your work in progress. 8)

Stained shafts.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ws/Shafts2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ws/Shafts1.jpg

Sand with 0000 steel wool to remove stain/dye residue.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ws/Sanding.jpg

Don't know if I'm more impressed with the shafts or the cleaness of your work bench!!! Looks good either way!!

Must be nice to have a work bench....

Kodiak

Must not be much work going on to have that clean a work bench.

My work bench has been given awards for being the most congested, crowded, unorganized, etc.! :shock:


Keep the arrow pics coming. Want to see the fancy work develop. I might learn something this time. :)

Shoulda saw it 30 minutes before I took the pictures.

Got the workbench cuz I got tired of my jojans falling over when I was using the top of the ice chest. 8)

Didn't get to work on them tonight. Had to go buy a trumpet for my kids band class, then fix a flat and get an oil change. Yeah, I PAID someone to change my oil. Wanna make sump'n of it? :twisted:

But, I'm scheming on the colors for the crest. Probably use the same colors as last time. Only real change is the cap stain and feathers. Used barred red and natural barred last time if you'll remember. Now, gonna use all white. Gonna use nanners again.

Will try to do the first dip and crest tomorrow.

NO PICS??? :shock:

No excuses allowed. :evil:

OK. I will wait another day if I have to. :?

Lost.... I just bought a new trad rig...a TD Hunter 50# @ 27" draw...pretty sweet! I am shooting shafts that are about as big around as beer cans..man are they heavy! I'll get tired carrying 2 arrows like Charles.....

Well, didn't make much progress, but, I've got to a starting point for the cresting.

Sometimes, usually, you'll find a few that aren't quite as straight as you'd like them. Check for straightness and then work the bends out as needed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...raightness.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...Straighten.jpg

Here, I've steel wooled, dipped, steel wooled, and cleaned with the blue shop rag/paper towel you see on the work bench.

A big dipper with gasket lacquer works great. Just make sure you use ventilation.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../BigDipper.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...danddrying.jpg

Have your supplies and tools laid out before starting. I use Mineral Spirits to thin the paint to the consistency I need. I got the two little white bowls at Wal-Mart; works great for holding the spirits while you're working. Easy to dip a brush in them too.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...restingJig.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ralSpirits.jpg

Shafts with a base coat. A thunderstorm ran me out of the garage for the night. Will finish up tomorrow. I got the 7th arrow's base coat on about the time NOAA anounced a severe T-storm, about 5 minutes after the thunder started clapping. Funny how far they lean forward on their warnings isn't it? :lol: My garage is all metal, not a place to be in an electrical storm.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...s/BaseCoat.jpg

Slayer, you shooting the 2513s off it? Just can't never tell with a recurve what arrows it'll like. Longbows are a whole nuther animal. Real picky about aluminums and carbons.

Post a pic if you could, would love to see it. If you need a site to store pictures so you'll have the URL necessary to post them here, try:

www.photobucket.com

Real easy to use.

Oh yeah, special thanks to Caitlin (my 5 year old) for taking the latest pictures.

Good info Losthawg but couldn't you get a better looking model to show the steps, say like the martin ad girl!! :lol:

Okay, here I've applied the crests and am waiting for the paint to set before I apply a coat of Polyurethane.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rows/Crest.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...estApplied.jpg

Seems there's always an "OOPS" for me. :oops:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../OopsCrest.jpg

I'll get over it. :lol:

Now, once I get the crests on I apply a coat of polyurethane, water based, to protect the crest when give the final dips of gasket lacquer.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...alingcrest.jpg

I apply the polyurethane with one of the blue shop rags you can get at Wal Mart or a parts store such as Auto Zone. Basically a beefed up paper towel.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...papertowel.jpg

After the poly has time to set good, for this batch I waited about 6 hours, I do two more dips in gasket lacquer. I sand with 0000 steel wool after each dip to remove any foriegn material and smooth the shaft.

The finished shaft awaiting measuring and cutting to size.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rows/Voila.jpg

Next step is to measure.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...asureShaft.jpg

These are a stiffer spine than I've been using so I will cut them to be 31" back of point from the throat of the nock. This will give me room to stiffen them up to fit my form and bow strength.

After measuring your shaft you whack it off to where ya want it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...uttolength.jpg

Then taper the point end. (Nock end was already tapered)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...erpointend.jpg

I have the same problem losthawg! My kids are way too cute to come from me! I gotta go talk to my wife again!! :x

Great looking arrows you got there Tracy and better looking kids! A couple of future archers there fo sho! Keeps the pics coming Tracy it may get me in the mood to build some arra's myself.

Well, I've found myself up against a wall... Temporarily. My 5/16 nocks I thought I had turned out to be 11/32. I do have a bunch of 5/16 nirk nocks, but, I've had bad luck with them and won't use them on a full dozen. I will use them on my 2117s though, they seem to work good on aluminums, but, I've had them split on cedar.

I'm gonna try a bare shaft tuning on this batch. Never did the bare shaft thang before. This could be interesting.

Good family project going there LH. Train them well and you will never run out of arrows. :wink:

Thanks for the pics. Now lets see the tuning process on the bare shafts.

I haven't tried that process on a trad bow so I need to know how to do that and keep the arrows in the yard. :)

I hain't done it a'fore neither. But, I'm willin to giver a go. I imagine if I start with close to the right spine, I should be able to stay somewhere in the vacinity of my back yard. I'll give ya updates as I get there.

Like I said, bare shaft tuning is a new one for me. I usually just tune after I get it all fletched. Done purdy good so far. This is just one of those "aspects of archery I haven't done, so I gotsta do it" type thang.

Only thing I found with bare shaft tuning is you will know immediatly if the spine is wrong!! Make sure to notify the neighbors!!

Good luck with the tuning. I haven't tried it with a stickbow yet. I'll be watching to see how this turns out! :shock:

I did try it once with aluminum arrows. Of course it was the wrong spine shaft for my bow, I think a 2219, and :shock: ya should saw the flight. :lol:

Still gotta get some nocks, so, I'm at a stopping point right now.

We'll start with installing nocks.
Have your tools and glue ready to hand. I use Duco cement:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ktaperprep.jpg

For prepping the nock taper I use, depending on the needs, a leatherman rasp blade, a wiffen taper tool, a rasp, and duco cement. I have my trutaper tool at hand in case I need to cut away more wood and sealant than normal. I did today.

You clean up your nock taper using the appropriate tool. I test the fit of the nock as I go. I try to get the nock as flush and alligned as possible. Then I install the nocks. My pictures didn't turn out all that well. Make sure you allign the nock properly to the grain. You want the nock alligned so the grain will be horizontal. You may mark the shaft to show the grain allignment by using a sharpee if you'd like. I just allign with the grain on the taper.

Here are the nocks installed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ows/nocks1.jpg

prep the tapers and install the points.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...oholburner.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...leatherman.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../feraltite.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...yferaltite.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../heatpoint.jpg

Now for bareshaft tuning. A new one for me. Didn't go so well. I used a 30" back of point shaft with 125 and 145 grain field points.

Here's the results of using a 145 grain point and poor form:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...nbareshaft.jpg

And here's the results of using a 125 grain point and good form (2 angles - one shot):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...bareshaft2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...bareshaft1.jpg

Here's the kind of grouping I'm trying to improve on. Bareshaft tuning was done at 15 and 20 yards with both points. The 145s were slightly weak. I had a choice of going to the 125 or shortening the shafts. I chose the 125s.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...6-60group2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...6-60group1.jpg

I've probably left something out trying to load too much in one sitting. Any questions so far?

Will shoot with feathers tomorrow. The completed arrows weigh about 525 - 530 grains.

Arras look great and the shootin's not too shabby either. :lol:

Good stuff Tracy! Now about that target is that all just expanding foam in the vital area?! :shock:

Yes, triple expanding foam. The green can at wally world. I've repaired both my deer and bear target up to 6 times so far using this foam. I'm glad to say the vitals is the location of all the repairs. But, as you can see the whole target has seen some action. :roll:

The red feathered arrows took too much tweaking to get to shoot good. Still not sure why they were so clumsy in flight. :(

The new ones have white feathers. They fly real good and I've got them numbered so I'll know which will get a broadhead here in the next few days. Will load the pictures here shortly.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../fletched1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../fletched2.jpg

I like how all the colors just work together. Sometimes I can't help but be impressed even if it's my own work. Just can't believe I did this. Of course the ones previously posted keep me humble enough to know, I'm no where near ready for primetime in arrow building.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...air-o-Aces.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ntheground.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...dedforbear.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rows/Bear4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rows/Bear3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rows/Bear2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rows/Bear1.jpg

Fine craftsmanship and fine marksmanship. :D

What is the distance for your shots in these last few pictures?

I need to get some woodies to play with. But first I need to get some time to play.

Good work LostHawg.

The last 4 pictures are actually two different angles of two different shootings. I think one was at 15 and the other 20.

The deer and the bear at the top is roughly 22 yards. Of course, I shot more than these; had many of the same quality of shot, but had a few others that weren't quite as good. My shooting ranged from 41 down to 12 yards. I scored 4 of 6 kills from 38 yards. 2 of 6 at 41 yards. I also scored 5 of 6 kills at 30 yards. Of these, more than half the nonkill shots were piercing air, well the carpet hanging as a backdrop, with no injury to the "animals". At 25 yards I had a 3 for 3 in the kill. But, anything 20 and under was 6 for 6.

I THINK I'm ready. Now, if they'll do this good with broadheads...

My hunting shot I keep under 20 unless I'm ABSOLUTELY sure I can hit it in the middle. There's more to a shot than being able to draw it back and let it fly. There's more to a HUNTING shot than being able to hit the kill on a foam target as well. Focus, Feel and Form. If you're focused on your point of impact, the shot feels good and your form is true; POW. You're in there. Walking deer also tend to elevate the heart rythmn sometimes interfering with good form.

These arrows are keepers.

Frontloader, shoot me a PM. I've got something I've got to do or I'd send you one myself.

Well, at least it looks like the bear will bleed out quick! His inerds are already hanging out! :twisted:

The bear I was using the back half solo while I was still living in that apartment. I had it leaning against a tree over at the inlaws house. Had to beat the fire ants off when I got moved into the new house.

Steve, I generally shave the excess foam off to flush with the rest of the body, but this time, since the targets on it's last leg, I didn't put the effort into it. I've been painting it back to color too, but, well, just too lazy I reckon. :oops:

Need to buy a couple new targets I s'pose.

...and I STILL haven't gotten those new targets. :lol: :roll: :oops: