Finally getting started on my first Port Cedar arrows for the upcoming season. Stained the uppers with a sunburst dye that has turned osage orange under the Tung oil sealer, bottom half stained walnut. Sealing with Tung oil and then crest them. Have a test set of field points to determine the best weight for my broadheads before I buy them. Gotta get them done in the next couple of weeks so that I can get in the practice with them before hitting the mountains.
First Wood Arrow Build
- Thread starter JimQ
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Buckskinbob
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Nice work. Did you get shafts pre matched in weight? I made some from a straight grained board of ash that ended up pretty consistent. Any ones I've made from dowels always seem to be 50+ grains different.
Yes they are all matched at 48# which my recurve is 47# at 28” and I’ve got a 29” draw
Nice job!
I do just the opposite for my stain, dark up top fading down to no stain at point. That way I can judge blood color better.
You might want to try some other woods too and tapered shafts. I use Doug fir and some Sitka spruce tapered shafts. I also use footed shafts but hey have gotten way more expensive these days.
Pick some nice feathers too.
These are Osage orange footed Doug fir shafts with a taper to the nock end. 4 fletch with 125 gr Eskimo broadheads. My draw weight is close to yours but at 27". These arrows finish out at about 510 gr with a nice weight forward setup.
I do just the opposite for my stain, dark up top fading down to no stain at point. That way I can judge blood color better.
You might want to try some other woods too and tapered shafts. I use Doug fir and some Sitka spruce tapered shafts. I also use footed shafts but hey have gotten way more expensive these days.
Pick some nice feathers too.
These are Osage orange footed Doug fir shafts with a taper to the nock end. 4 fletch with 125 gr Eskimo broadheads. My draw weight is close to yours but at 27". These arrows finish out at about 510 gr with a nice weight forward setup.
Thanks for the advice. Very nice looking arrows. Would love to learn how to foot some shafts at some point in the future. I will be eventually be trying other woods and styles but for now these will suffice this season.
Port Orford are the standard most wood arrows are judged by, your work will be great in the woods this fall.
There are some footing jigs out there now and blanks to be had for reasonable amount.
I love mine but likely wouldn't go that more expensive route these days.
There are some footing jigs out there now and blanks to be had for reasonable amount.
I love mine but likely wouldn't go that more expensive route these days.
ImBillT
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I would like to give this a try someday.
EKYHunter
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Very nice! Good looking stuff guys. Much respect!
blackbeard
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Those look great! Can't beat the beauty of wood arrows
Let my son do the cresting on 6 of them. Made a manual cresting machine so I spun the shafts while he painted. Not the right kind of acrylic but it’ll work. I think Steven did an excellent job considering its difficult for him to hold his hand steady anymore. I love being able to involve him my archery however I can. I know that he loves it almost as much as I do. Had to pick up a new daypack so I had him model it for me lol
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Ok test arrow didn’t go so well. Can someone explain to me why a wood arrow rated for my bow would snap like this on impact with the target? Is it too weak? Possible defect in the wood? I was bare shaft testing so only a nock and a 190 gr field point. It obviously snapped to the left.
HELP!?!?
HELP!?!?
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Buckskinbob
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Is there any grain runout? Could be that or if you were bare shafting it could have hit the target at an angle which causes a whipping effect snapping the arrow. The length of the arrow changes dynamic spine which can bring an arrow rated for your bow to be anywhere from way too weak to way too stiff. Most arrows are rated at 28 inches so if you have a 30 inch draw you would need a heavier spine or if you have a 26 inch draw you would need a weaker spine. The static ratings are just starting points.
The shaft is still the original 33" and I have a 29" draw. I was wanting to verify where I was at before cutting off any length. I figured tonight I would cut off 3" on the next one to see where it is at. Thanks for the info
Buckskinbob
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No problem, make sure you are watching which way the knock is going as that will tell you what your next move should be. (Assuming your form is consistent) knock left is a weak spine, knock right is a stiff spine. Once you get it close you will beable to watch your arrow straighten out with each slight adjustment. Once I get close I like to wait till the next day and shoot the arrow a dozen times because even as much as a quarter inch cut can bring you over into too stiff territory which is a pain in the ass.
I also saw on a clay hayes video that he gets them shooting straight with fletchings on, then he removes the fletchings for fine tuning. That way he avoids breaking arrows that are to far out of tune.
I also saw on a clay hayes video that he gets them shooting straight with fletchings on, then he removes the fletchings for fine tuning. That way he avoids breaking arrows that are to far out of tune.
Do you have the knocks set so the string crosses the grain instead of going with it ?
Try a lighter head of you have any, might be surprised how they fly. 150's maybe, spouse shoots 125's out of his 55# longbow.
Flex your cedars ever so slightly and if you smell them it is cracked.
Any chance it hit something hard in the target ?
Try a lighter head of you have any, might be surprised how they fly. 150's maybe, spouse shoots 125's out of his 55# longbow.
Flex your cedars ever so slightly and if you smell them it is cracked.
Any chance it hit something hard in the target ?
I made sure of the placement for the nicks vs grain alignment, I shoot the target everyday so nothing hard in it. My first thought was because there is that extra 4” hanging out there with that 190gr tip made it too weak but needed an expert opinion lol. Thanks for the advice wytex
ImBillT
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I know nothing about wood arrows, but they’re almost certainly spined quite a bit weak at 33”. Not only is that a lot longer than the spine is checked at, but you’re probably drawing over 48lbs as well. If crooked hits cause wood arrows to break, then I would probably try something other than bare shaft tuning.
Heavy points will not decrease arrow durability at impact, they will increase arrow durability at impact. However, being out of tune will definitely decrease durability at impact.
Thank you for the thread. Someday when I try wood arrows, I would probably have tried bare shaft tuning right out the gate.
Heavy points will not decrease arrow durability at impact, they will increase arrow durability at impact. However, being out of tune will definitely decrease durability at impact.
Thank you for the thread. Someday when I try wood arrows, I would probably have tried bare shaft tuning right out the gate.
Unfortunately cant share the slo mo video of the arrow but here are a few snaps of its flight. I cut off an 1 1/2" and it is still a bit nock left so I am going to shave off another 1/2" tonight. If that is straight then 3 shafts will have the Zwickie Eskimo broadheads and then I will shave another 1/2" off of 3 shafts for the Kodiak 225 gr broadheads. I'm not real fond of the fletching colors I ordered with the colors on the shaft but then again the elk and deer dont care about color schemes.
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Buckskinbob
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Nice work.
