# Rivercane Arrows - Fragile?



## Ta-ton-ka chips (Aug 24, 2010)

I never realized until this afternoon just how fragile a hand made rivercane arrow was. 

Glad I hunt with woodgrain carbons.


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## Barry Duggan (Aug 24, 2010)

Ok, I'll bite...is there a story behind this?

And does it have anything to do with Charlie?


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## bam_bam (Aug 24, 2010)

What did you do????


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## Nicodemus (Aug 24, 2010)

Fragile compared to what? I know folks that can tear up an anvil, with a feather.


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## Ta-ton-ka chips (Aug 24, 2010)

bam_bam said:


> What did you do????



It wasn't my fault.

It was just laying there on the counter and it looked a little crooked...


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## Nicodemus (Aug 24, 2010)

Ta-ton-ka chips said:


> It wasn't my fault.
> 
> It was just laying there on the counter and it looked a little crooked...



You tried to straighten it without heatin` it up, didn`t you?


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## Barry Duggan (Aug 24, 2010)

Good thing you are my friend John, or I would prolly say something like stupid is as stupid does. But since it's you...I won't.


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## dutchman (Aug 24, 2010)

You just can't teach some people...


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## Muddyfoots (Aug 24, 2010)

dutchman said:


> You just can't teach some people...



Some folks are mighty hard headed.


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## Al33 (Aug 24, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> You tried to straighten it without heatin` it up, didn`t you?



BINGO!!!!!!!!

I have been working on my cured cane shafts trying to make arrows for my new Osage self bow and have been breaking about half of them. I managed to get one finished last night and first thing this morning I took it for a test drive. I even made an Osage nock for it. It didn't fly as well as I hoped but I could hit with it occasionally. Ta-ton-ka stopped by for a birthday visit with some refreshments of which there were only four left of what once was a stringer of six. He was admirin' my arra as I was tellin' him I was not real happy with the way it was flying but was going to try a heavier tip. He says to me; "It's crooked.", and the next thing I heard was a loud snap. I turned to look and he was holding it real close to his body and off to the opposite side as if he was hiding it. He had this sheepish looking expression on his face. My first thought was that he was playing a trick on me but further investigation revealed he had done a dastardly deed.

All that work for almost nothin' with the exception of the experience of making one, but to be honest, I likely got the node too hot thus making it weaker than it should have been. Heck, John ain't broke but one of my arras while his cohort, threeleggedpigmy has broken several.

Even after watching Nicodemus's tutorial and several others I still have a lot to learn about making rivercane arras and have a long list of questions to ask the experts at this. 

No problems John! Thanks for dropping by and the refreshments. Good to see ATLroach today also.


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## dutchman (Aug 24, 2010)

At least he didn't tear up the foreshaft...


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## Dirty44Dan (Aug 24, 2010)

Al,
Looks like another day at Dirty Dan's to straighten out your rivercane arrow problems(pun intended)!

Dirty Dan


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## Nicodemus (Aug 24, 2010)

Al, the key words are heat in the right place,  and finess. You`ll get the feel for it with a little practice.


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## rapid fire (Aug 24, 2010)

It had to of been worth it just to see his face.  Sorry about your arrow, but I'm still laughing as I play it out in my mind.


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## Jake Allen (Aug 24, 2010)

Man, I hate that arrow broke. Sure am glad it was John, and not me who snapped it. 

Arrows are looking good though AL.

I see the removeable point.
That is a good idea.


For reference, here are the pics of took of Jay's arrow
at the NGT shoot.
The red oak shaft with the a hafted point slides into the river cane. Beeswax on the connection made it
hold tite enough in the cane to fly straight, and be pulled from the target. The right set up is a small game point made from antler. The center point is his field point, also
made from antler.

Jay shot the 20 target course with this arrow and bone point.


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## missalot (Aug 24, 2010)

looks like you might have put a little to much heat on the nodes .they are tuff arrows ,i had one go through a fence and is stuck in my neighbors tree!


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## Barry Duggan (Aug 24, 2010)

rapid fire said:


> It had to of been worth it just to see his face.  Sorry about your arrow, but I'm still laughing as I play it out in my mind.



You know, it does bring a smile to your face, thinkin about it. Glad Charlie wasn't there, or he would have got the blame...somehow.


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## j_seph (Aug 24, 2010)

Sometimes you just can't take your eyes off them younguns


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## longbowdave1 (Aug 24, 2010)

al,
 you should glue it back together with a little gel CA glue, it would still be a fine "display arrow" hanging on my, i mean, sombody's wall!

great looking arrows al!!!


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## BkBigkid (Aug 24, 2010)

Well the good news is you get to practice some more making them cane arrows to go with the Nice Osage Bow


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## TNGIRL (Aug 25, 2010)

Oh my goodness...I'd have paid a crisp ten dollar bill to have been there and watched John squirm after that snapped!!!!! But I am so sorry that happened. I know how much work, worry, thinking and care you put into that one arrow!!!!  By looking at your picture, you really did heat the nodes up way too much, that will always be the most fragile spot on a cane arrow. And that was a great looking one, the nodes are really far apart!! I remember the hrs watching Allen work on his cane arrows, and he would just very quickly heat the node over a candle, sorta rolling it and work on bending it. I really like your osage nock, and the feathers look fine!!!!


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## RogerB (Aug 25, 2010)

Al,
You know it is part your fault, you left it out were John could get his hands on it, when you know better.


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## Al33 (Aug 25, 2010)

I have definitely had some fun from it at John's expense and I am sure he started this thread knowing if he didn't I would have. Either it was guilt that made him post about it or he was trying to dull the jagged edge that was sure to cut him when I did.

That particular shaft was one of my first of many attempts and I learned fairly quickly with the trial and error method of learning to direct the heat more to each side of the nodes versus directly on the nodes and that it doesn't take as much as I had originally thought. I also suspect my cane may be a bit too dry so I will be harvesting more. I have also learned that a good bit of what I had harvested was too big in diameter so I now have a much better idea about sizes.

I am going to put a small dowel in this broken one at the break and use it as a decorative piece so not all is lost.


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## TNGIRL (Aug 25, 2010)

Good plan Al!!!!!!


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## Katera73 (Aug 25, 2010)

Thats funny as crap sounds like something that would happen to me.


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## threeleggedpigmy (Aug 25, 2010)

Al33 said:


> I have definitely had some fun from it at John's expense and I am sure he started this thread knowing if he didn't I would have. Either it was guilt that made him post about it or he was trying to dull the jagged edge that was sure to cut him when I did.
> 
> That particular shaft was one of my first of many attempts and I learned fairly quickly with the trial and error method of learning to direct the heat more to each side of the nodes versus directly on the nodes and that it doesn't take as much as I had originally thought. I also suspect my cane may be a bit too dry so I will be harvesting more. I have also learned that a good bit of what I had harvested was too big in diameter so I now have a much better idea about sizes.
> 
> I am going to put a small dowel in this broken one at the break and use it as a decorative piece so not all is lost.



You, do not have to defend him.  He broke it. He is like a porcupine in a balloon factory.


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## baldfish (Aug 25, 2010)

Barry Duggan said:


> Ok, I'll bite...is there a story behind this?
> 
> And does it have anything to do with Charlie?





Barry Duggan said:


> You know, it does bring a smile to your face, thinkin about it. Glad Charlie wasn't there, or he would have got the blame...somehow.




Barry why you gotta put my name anywhere near this. I ain't broke none of Al's arra's. I have helped him to break some on an occasion or two but that was his doing

and John doesn't even have to touch anything to break it.He could just be in the general area and things get broke


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## Barry Duggan (Aug 25, 2010)

baldfish said:


> Barry why you gotta put my name anywhere near this. I ain't broke none of Al's arra's. I have helped him to break some on an occasion or two but that was his doing
> 
> and John doesn't even have to touch anything to break it.He could just be in the general area and things get broke



I was on your side bro. Figured John to lay the blame on you, if you were in the vicinity.


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## Ta-ton-ka chips (Aug 25, 2010)

rapid fire said:


> It had to of been worth it just to see his face.  Sorry about your arrow, but I'm still laughing as I play it out in my mind.



It was so quiet and then snap......
No place to run, no place to hide.



Barry Duggan said:


> You know, it does bring a smile to your face, thinkin about it. Glad Charlie wasn't there, or he would have got the blame...somehow.



If I'd have just waited 10 more minutes, Al's 5 y.o. granddaughter showed up and I'm sure I could have blamed her



longbowdave1 said:


> al,
> you should glue it back together with a little gel CA glue, it would still be a fine "display arrow" hanging on my, i mean, sombody's wall!
> 
> great looking arrows al!!!



Hey, I broke it!
I think it should go on my wall!


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## Badddwithabow (Aug 25, 2010)

FRAAGGIIIILLLEEEEE??? This things are french?? Lol sorry a lil quote from the Christmas story one of my fav movies of all time


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## dpoole (Aug 26, 2010)

John knew you needed more practice..


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## bronco611 (Aug 28, 2010)

Looks to me like Ta Tonka Chips already scored his first kill before season even opened!!!


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## NCHillbilly (Sep 8, 2010)

Man, you have to really work at breaking a cane arrow, those things are durn near indestructable. Looks like the nodes were overheated a bit-just heat them until they start to "sweat" and you can start to smell the hot cane.


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