# Lets talk arrow building.



## Al33

I do not make my own shafts but I do occasionally buy bare shafts to stain and fletch up. I just got through chopping a bag full of shield cuts to fletch onto a dozen POC shafts I recently purchased and was wondering how many of you are the DIY types when it comes to arrows.

I have never used a feather burner but have thought about getting one and mostly use fletching tape these days versus fletch glues. I use a Bitz jig and I could care less if I fletch with right wing or left wing as long as they are all the same for the arrows I am doing at the time.

Share with us please your experiences, preferences, techniques, tools, materials, advice, or anything else you do to build your own arrows no matter where you begin the process. 

Thanks!


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## turtlebug

Thanks for posting this Al. We got our jig in this week and fishbait fletched his first arrows last night. He did a really great job although I did hear a few choice words coming from the kitchen at the beginning of the process.  

He ordered me some more Terminator Jr. bare shafts and I'm gonna try my hand at cresting and fletching for the first time next week. 

I really want to get into wooden arrows, not making them but cresting, fletching and all that jazz. Would love for some more folks to post tips and tricks!


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## hogdgz

No wooden arrows yet for me, all i have used is carbon and alluminum. I love wrapping and fletching my own arra's. That's the only way to go, and it's fun (most of the time). I usually just order bare shafts and cut, insert, glue, and fletch all my arrows, that way I know they are done right. I use a Blitzenburger jig and love it, as for glue have tried it all and have found that steal force is really good.


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## OconeeDan

A tradbow shooter pretty much HAS to fletch their own arrows.  You can buy feathered arrows but they are hard to find unless you order them.
I will say this...I like 4 x 4" feathers more than 3 x 5".  They fly great and no  need to fool with a cockfeather.
I prefer carbons, as they are more durable and can bounce off a tree better.
Dan


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## swampstalker

I have made quite a few wooden shafts. I use to make them from Ramin wood dowels. I tapered both ends, then spinded them. The point end was larger than the nock end. Then I would use wood stain and apply a couple coats of varnish. They were hard to make and took alot of time, but shot really well.
I switched to carbon last year because I was breaking to many arrows and loosing one was a pain.
Now, I will sling an arrow at any kind target while practicing and havent broke one yet.
Brad


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## fountain

been at it since i started shooting and that was around age 5 or so. wood, aluminum and carbon we have tried it all and made all kinds of stuff, some have even called them messes! we have had every fletching gadget out there and have kept the arizona e-z fletch and jo-jan 6 fletch over the years.  i would like to get a bitz now just to try it out.  we used to do do the dipping, but now it is just so much easier to buy the wraps.  i even spray painted some neon green years ago when i first got into shooting trraditional!  i have done the wood thing and it is aggrevating!!!!!  i make the biggest messes you can imagine with the staining process and then the urethane.  i have had several dozen woodies, but never really matched them correctly i dont guess.  i would like to try it again, but i am too rough on them so the gold tips are my chioce.  
another thing i would like to do is chop my own feathers to make a "custom" cut.  again, i can buy the shield cut cheaper than the ful lenght, so i go that route.
 i have experimented with all types of fletch variations over the years and still shoot 3-5" or 3 5.5" feathers.  i plan to try 4-4" just to see if there is a difference or not.  there are so many variables one can choose when "building" up arrows that i just like to look at everyone else's when we go to the shoots!


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## TREXBOWKILL

I have built my aluminum arrows for many years using a jo-jan fletcher that happens to be left wing.  I prefer 3x5" feathers (2 white and 1 orange or yellow, but not that picky for the cock feather).  I have tried different feather configurations, but I prefer the 3x5".  I sometimes dip and crest, but seem to have less time for that now.   I am a newbie to trad archery, or I should say re-newbie since I have tried before on my own, but this time I am seeking professional help from Woody's Campfire members!!!!!   I am interested in learning more about wood arrows and how to build them. I have many questions about wood arrows, such as how to build footed shafts, and can you build laminated shafts that will retain straightness from board wood? Which wood is best?  al33 Thanks for starting this, I have read the thread 4 times so far!!  

Trexbowkill


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## fountain

ask away bud!  i'm sure someone can point you in the right direction.  after see so much about foorted shafts lately, i am wanting to look more into them as well.


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## Al33

I am interested in all phases of arrow making whether the shaft is wood, aluminum, carbon, or fiberglass from nocks to points and everything in between. I know many of you have your own little tricks, jigs, tools or whatever to make the process easier or simpler for all of the stages you are experienced with and hope you will have the time to share them here. 

I love rear tapered cedars but have never tapered any on my own. I have heard of guys doing this with an electric hand drill and sandpaper while others may use a combination of the drill and a small hand plane, neither of which I have tried. The footed and laminated shafts  TREXBOWKILL mentions are also of interest to me and others I am sure.

Thanks for the replies already posted and I hope this turns into a really helpful thread for many here. Any tutorials or photo's to help explain how you do things are certainly welcomed.

Thanks again,


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## PAPALAPIN

I use fiberglass and Easton aluminum with vanes for my hunting and 3-D arrows.

I did fletch up a set of carbons with feathers for my lightweight target bow.

I don't dip.  In my opinion dipping is only important to insure a good glue bond between the fletching and the shaft.  I find that if I clean my shafts with acetone before I fletch, I get a great bond.  Before I used acetone I used to smear plyobond glue on the fletch area for a good bond.  It works great but looks like crap.

I strictly use a Bitzenberger with left hand hard helical fletching.  Referring to what Al said,  "I could care less if I fletch with right wing or left wing as long as they are all the same for the arrows I am doing at the time".  It used to be rule of thunb that a right handed shooter shot left wing, and a lefty shot right wing.  I don't think anyone really follows that any more but I stick with left wing for two reasons... It is the way I have always done it, and I have tow Bitzenbergers with left hand clamps.  I do have one right and one straigt clamp but I never use them.  I like vanes over feathers.  Vanes don't mat down when they get wet.  Vanes are not as forgifing as feathers, but if you were a perfect shot like me, it wouldn't matter.

I alwasy use "Hot Pank vanes" so there is no mix up with others shooters shafts...except maybe 'Bugs.  All other male shooters are not secure enough in their masculinity to shoot pink vanes.

I am not a big stickler for spine and point weight.  If my shafts fishtail a bit out of the bow I consider them to be waving me "bye bye".  I shoot 125 grain heads on all my hunting weight arrows.

I have a crester and an Arizona fletcher, but they are just dust collectors for me.

I have a  Horizon arrow saw, and use it to cut my own shafts.

All of my arrows are made with RPS inserts so I can interchange heads.

I like a good snapon nock, and am partiaL to four lighted nocks that I have on some of my fiberglass shafts.

I bought a roll of fletcing tape but found I am too clumsey to use it.  I strictly use fletching cement


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## bam_bam

I love wood arrows, that is what I have now. Shure you'll get some casualties now and then but I love the feel of a nice heavy wooden arrow.


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## Al33

bam_bam said:


> I love wood arrows, that is what I have now. Shure you'll get some casualties now and then but I love the feel of a nice heavy wooden arrow.



I love the smell of the POC's when I am tapering them too. I use the Tru-Center tapering tool. I also use an alcohol burner to heat my glue stick and points. I just put the end of the glue stick over the flame for a couple of seconds then wipe the glue onto the taper. I then heat the points holding them with a pair of pliers over the flame usually about 18-20 seconds, then put the put them onto the shaft spinning it in my fingers to make sure the glue covers the entire taper. It's best to hold it in position long enough for the glue to hold it there because sometimes the points will want to rise up off the taper due to the pressure created by the heat.

Here is a pic of the Tru-Center tool I use.


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## NCHillbilly

I make all my shafts from scratch, mostly from cane nowadays. I wouldn't trade a half-dozen good cane shafts for a hundred POC's.


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## TREXBOWKILL

NCHillbilly, maybe next time you make some cane arrows from scratch you could take some pics and share with the rest of us???? I would love to see from the harvest of the cane all the way to the blood trail and beyond !!!!   

Thanks
TREXBOWKILL


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## trad bow

I have been making my arrows since the early 80's.  I now use carbon arrows with my recurves and hybird longbows. I use a 4" 3 fletch arrow with a 100 grain insert and 125 gr pt. I use arrow wraps on my carbon shafts. On my Longhunter I use ash shafts with 3 5" feathers, a spray on cap and 160 grain tips. On my self bows I use cane shafts. I have used aluminum but do not care for them. I use fletch tite premium glue for carbon and Duco for wood. I also dip my woods in poly to add a moisture barrier and it also makes them a little tougher. Making arrows and finding out what each bow prefers is a lot of fun and very educational about traditional archery.


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## OconeeDan

I prefer to use super glue gel to glue on feathers.  But I'll also use Fletch Tite Platinum or just Fletch Tite.
Also I prefer to use a wrap, it helps when I need to refletch arrows by making it easier to get arrows/wrap off and start again with a clean shaft.
Keep in mind that I am talking about carbon shafts.
Dan


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## notnksnemor

Only thing I can think of that wasn't mentioned here is helical. If you fletch right helical - you want to use right wing feathers and left helical uses left wing feathers. If you straight fletch, it doesn't matter much.


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## BkBigkid

I use 2018 aluminum in all my bows, 40# to 55#
The 61# pound Bow I use 2117 arras on with 125 heads 

to Fletch them I have Jan Jan multi-fletcher that I can do either 3 or 4 Fletch with. Right helical or straight. (have two Jigs) 
If I have them I will put Wraps on first.
 If not I will pull out the homemade Blender cresting Machine and crest a 1/2 dozen to match.





I use either testers model paint or just acrylic paint to crest them with 

3 or 4 fletch I can not really tell a difference shooting them. 

What I like to do when I can find them is get old use aluminum arras and revive them. I just like the older arras better. 

I also have a Arra straighter that I will use on the arras after Hitting something that bends em. I have managed to save a dozen arras so far with the straightener. Simple to use and saves arras. as long as there are not creases in the Tube it can be straighten. 

I have a few carbons I have experimented with But just don't like them as much as aluminum.


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## PAPALAPIN

As I posted before...I have a professional cresting machine.  I tried it a bunch in the late 60's and early '70's but could never get a good clean cresting job.  Looks like crap with the different bands bleeding over and some wider than others.  So, I figured if they're gonna look like crap anyway, they can look like uncrested crap.

NUF SED  !!


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## OconeeDan

Now, Jack, sounds like you were impatient.  The bowhunter you are, patience should come easy.
Dan


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## NCHillbilly

TREXBOWKILL said:


> NCHillbilly, maybe next time you make some cane arrows from scratch you could take some pics and share with the rest of us???? I would love to see from the harvest of the cane all the way to the blood trail and beyond !!!!
> 
> Thanks
> TREXBOWKILL



Trex, don't have any pics of the process at the moment, but here's some finished cane products, from completely primitive Southeastern Indian style to a few with commercial field points and a mix of wild and store-bought feathers. I love cane arrows, nature's carbon.


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## Al33

Those are beautiful NCHillbilly!

Do you think or know if the river cane arrows will shoot well from modern trad bows? I realize that they should be shot from a self bow for purity's sake, but I have been wondering about this. I have a few nice bundles of river cane that should make some pretty good shafts.


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## hogdgz

NCHhillbilly, them arra's are awesome and you are very talented!


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## PAPALAPIN

Kin ya put RPS inserts in cane arras


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## NCHillbilly

Thanks guys. Al33, sure, they shoot great from glass longbows, recurves, selfbows, any kind of bow. And they don't break like cedar shafts or splinter as easily as carbon or bend like aluminum. I usually make, shoot, and hunt with my selfbows, but I've got an original  Ferguson 70# Patriot longbow, cane shoots great out of it. Don't know about the inserts, sure you could put them in if you wanted to. For commercial points, I usually glue a pice of dowel or bamboo skewer in the end and taper it for glue-ons. I have screwed screw-in field points directly into cane before.


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## RogerB

Papalapin,
You said you use vanes on your arrows to hunt with, are you shooting off an elevated rest? If not how do you get them to fly?


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## Jake Allen

Those sure are pretty cane shafted arras. I like the Southwestern 2 fletch. What diameter - 3/8"?


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## TREXBOWKILL

NCHillbilly, those cane arrows are amazing!!! I like the ones with the green and black feathers, they just look like they are rugged.  Thanks for posting the pics and the information , I look forward to seeing more.

Trexbowkill


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## Jake Allen

Taking another step in this journey, I ordered my first dozen POC bare shafts, a taper tool, glue, Nirk nocks and assortment of field points in different weights. I already have stain, sealer, wraps, feathers, bitzenberger  and a torch. I plan on trading for a shaft straightener this weekend. Just need more time.
Time to make a few arras!


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## Al33

Jake Allen said:


> Taking another step in this journey, I ordered my first dozen POC bare shafts, a taper tool, glue, Nirk nocks and assortment of field points in different weights. I already have stain, sealer, wraps, feathers, bitzenberger  and a torch. I plan on trading for a shaft straightener this weekend. Just need more time.
> Time to make a few arras!



 I see the little hobby room tour has had an impact on you.

You go Jeff!!!!!!!


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## SOS

Here's a few mixed up photos, including homemade taper rig, el cheapo cresting rig, use spray paint and a V in a box with masking tape to crown, then crest with testors, then a few very light coats of clear.  I split and grind wild turkey feathers and burn them with a second hand burner from Melvin.  Oh, I use tape and glue tip the fletch.  The yellow ones are cedar, the other are traditional Gold Tips.


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## Al33

Those are NICE Steve!!


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## choctawlb

Those are some sho-nuff nice cane arrows there NC Hillbilly. I too have been shooting and prefer "rivercane " arrows with Southeastern 2 fletch. Cane arrows are tuff, durable, you can put inserts in them(Native Americans did it for over 1000 years) in the form of foreshafts, they can be shot in modern longbows and recurves, you can even put weights in the shaft if you so desire. I shot a pig a few years ago with one, and he ran thrugh some thick cane after the shot, you could hear the arrow ticking on the cane like playing cars on bicycle spokes. The arrow didn't break, like I said they are tuff. Cane arrows can be shot with the small or the big end forward. With the big end forward they are a natural tapered shaft, and can also be fore shafted. With the small end forward you can attach rubber blunts, or field points(you need to drill the shaft and glue in a wooden dowel, before tapering the shaft)The only problem you may have on cane with modern fletching, is that the surface of the cane is not porous, and glue doesn't stick to it very well. It's not a problem for me because I tie my fletching on with sinew and hide glue, but I have been told you can sand the shafts a little and increase the glueability. I have yet to break a cane arrow while hunting or shooting, I can't say that about wood shafts. Like the man said"Rivercane is natures Carbon Arrow". I'll try and post some pictures later, right now I am at work.
Ken


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## choctawlb

*Here's some foreshafted cane arrows I've done*

Here are a few photo's of some foreshafted cane arrows I' ve done lately. 
Ken


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