Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Pat B on July 11, 2021, 01:28:37 PM
-
I started a new thread for this arrow build. A few days ago I selected a few sourwood shoots and hill cane to make arrows from. I did an initial straightening first. I use our kitchen gas stove top for the heating for the straightening...
(https://i.imgur.com/gybSj6j.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ASa2J6E.jpg?1)
...today I cut the shafts to 30", my normal length, did a bit more straightening, spined primarily to find the stiff side of the shaft. The stiff side goes against the bow. By marking the stiff side I know where to cut the string nock and I always line up the slot for the point on the same plane as the string nock for simplicity sake. I don't think it really matters otherwise for the way I shoot.
(https://i.imgur.com/EtV3Pbv.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/5copNeK.jpg)
The shaft on the bottom has a naturally bulbous end so I'm making it a blunt, small game arrow. More to come...
-
Watching :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
-
:thumbsup:
-
I did a bit more hand straightening yesterday and worked on the self nocks. I start making the nocks(and slot for arrowhead) by making one bandsaw cut...
(https://i.imgur.com/w9EBxqd.jpg)
...then I open the cut with a thin bladed knife...
(https://i.imgur.com/uEZKbfk.jpg)
...then sandpaper folded over and over until I get the throat as wide as I want....
(https://i.imgur.com/5a3ozh4.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ln5SJDc.jpg)
...and I make sure all the edges of the nock throat are rounded over especially at the bottom where the string rides as the bow is drawn. Here is one sourwood and one hill cane nock almost finished...
(https://i.imgur.com/JH1QVz6.jpg)
...and the point end. The sourwood one will be the blunt arrow because of the natural bulbous end. As you can see I taper the point end of the sourwood shaft with a long taper then cut the slot for the point...
(https://i.imgur.com/PqLMz6d.jpg)
Next step will be more straightening and then I'll temper the shafts. This helps keep them straight.
-
Nice work Pat.
I love making arrows that way.
-
Thanks Roy, I do too. :thumbsup:
-
Your patience and talent is admirable.
-
You know, Mike, when it's something you enjoy it's never a burden. :thumbsup:
-
I just got the shaft tempering done. I start at one end of the shaft and rotate it slowly over the flame watching for color change then move along the shaft, rotating as I go. Once I get to the far end(watch out for steam coming from the end) I check straightness again. These shafts always bend a bit when heated but a little bit of hand straightening will get them in line again. Once done I lay them flat to cool and to rehydrate a little for a day or so before messing with them again. I do this for both hardwood shoot and cane shafts. Also, the color obtained from the tempering adds a bit of camo to the shafts.
(https://i.imgur.com/lVDSvMb.jpg)
With the cane shafts I heat the nodes until I get good color then I roll and compress the nodes to minimize the diameter of the nodes a little. This also adds the camo effect...
(https://i.imgur.com/aZmEXnb.jpg)
This is my arrow wrench and the osage block I use to compress the nodes...
(https://i.imgur.com/nV0xO6B.jpg)
I did notice the growth rings on the osage block. Wish I had more osage with these kind of rings...
(https://i.imgur.com/ch3q5BN.jpg)
-
:thumbsup:
-
Nice Pat
-
(http://i.imgur.com/YzPW4hi.jpg) (https://imgur.com/YzPW4hi)
-
Those are nice too roy :thumbsup:
-
Thanks Mark
-
Nice cane arrows, Roy. I like that fletching style especially. :thumbsup:
-
Thanks Pat.
(http://i.imgur.com/xPKFYAX.jpg) (https://imgur.com/xPKFYAX)
(http://i.imgur.com/uPrWbWV.jpg) (https://imgur.com/uPrWbWV)
(http://i.imgur.com/v809bbY.jpg) (https://imgur.com/v809bbY)
-
Your chopper doesn't look like an exact match. Do you position the feather to get that shape?
-
I snip the front end off with a knife after its chopped out.
-
Now it's time to haft the point. I like to do this now so I can be sure the point is aligned properly with the shaft before adding the fletching. I first fit the individual head to the particular shaft to insure a good fit. A little knife work and sandpaper work will get a good fit. I then mark both for good alignment when I'm ready to haft.
(https://i.imgur.com/qoJJK2Q.jpg)
I not only check it this way...
(https://i.imgur.com/Z4oiYcN.jpg)
...but also this way...
(https://i.imgur.com/MNhrrpj.jpg)
...once I'm satisfied with the alignment it is time for the pitch glue to be added into the point slot on the arrow. I heat the head and the pitch glue and mate the two making sure of the alignment with another spin test...
(https://i.imgur.com/an07yXr.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IQXZ8YH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gPx2LS2.jpg)
-
Awesome..
:thumbsup:
-
Now for the sinew wrap. I pull off strands of sinew, generally backstrap sinew for it's length. I chew the sinew until it is soft then wrap just below the head making sure the wrap is tight then I go down the shaft about an inch to strengthen the shaft as well as the connection. I'm using 3 strands of sinew on this shaft. You can see the sinew wrap in this pic...
(https://i.imgur.com/oXmYuTf.jpg)
After the sinew is dry I trim the end of the shaft on both sides of the point to give a smooth transition between the shaft and head to insure good penetration. You can see that the left side has been trimmed but the right side hasn't yet...
(https://i.imgur.com/Y7BaaSJ.jpg)
...more to come.
-
Very cool. Do you hunt with these heads? I've always wondered if they would tend to turn sideways upon impact?
-
I have hunted with stone heads but not taken an animal. Lots of folks have been successful with stone points, heck, for thousands of years but also in modern times. If the point is hafted well it should stay in place even going into or through an animal. If it does turn inside the animal it can cause even more internal damage.
-
I have seen some old bones that have been found with stone points embedded in them. Very impressive. One was found embedded in a large vertebrae in the Arizona desert. It was too large IMO to have been an arrow head. If it was a spear point it had to have been a heavy spear hurled by a strong hunter.
-
Many of what folks call arrowheads from primitive times were actually atlatl heads. The atlatl came between throwing spears and arrows in the evolution of projectiles, basically they were feathered darts, longer than arrows but shorter and lighter than spears. Bows and arrows came into existence about 15,000 years ago, worldwide. Before that atlatls, before that throwing spears and before that lunging spears.
I've seen some pics of stone points embedded in bone, some from each of the above weapons. If the connection is properly and securely made it is a viable killing machine.
-
FYI...this is how I make the pitch varnish I use to seal sinew wraps. This is not a true varnish because it doesn't have any oil in it but it works just fine for what I use it for.
First you start with hard, brittle pitch. If you use softer pitch the varnish will remain sticky and not harden. I place the pitch nodules in a clean, air tight jar and cover it with denatured alcohol. Any alcohol will work even Ever Clear or moonshine. Other solvents will also work but denatured alcohol is the least dangerous to use.
The jar in the pic has had the ingredient in it for about an hour. It usually takes over night for all the pitch to dissolve into the solution. After this you can strain out the impurities which usually sink to the bottom. If any floats I remove it but don't worry about what's on the bottom.
To apply I use a small artist paint brush, dip it in the varnish and apply it to the sinew wrap. As soon as the alcohol evaporates the varnish is hard. Don't worry about cleaning the brush. The next time you use it it will soften when it goes in the varnish.
(https://i.imgur.com/vDoyL9r.jpg)
-
All cool 😎 stuff. :thumbsup:
-
Got all my points added. At least one of these will go for the PA Arrow Trade. On to the fletching now...(https://i.imgur.com/HM0RYpR.jpg)
-
After the sinew wraps dried it's time to seal the wraps with pitch varnish.
This pic is before the wrap was sealed...
(https://i.imgur.com/6GxU3dR.jpg?1)
...and after sealing...
(https://i.imgur.com/Oy9rXyk.jpg)
...and after the pitch varnish has dries at the hafting it's time to seal the shafts. I used the pitch varnish to seal the sourwood shafts but not the hill cane. I don't sand the rind or nodes on the hill cane because the rind is a good weather sealer. I do seal the self nocks where I bare the raw cane.
Here the sourwood shafts hang while drying...
(https://i.imgur.com/CneLqzk.jpg?1)
Next step is fletching. I've selected the feathers for each shaft and I'll use a few different fletching styles for these arrows.
-
Nice job pat :thumbsup:
-
Very good how to there, Pat.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
-
Very nice Pat. Can this pitch be bought somewhere?
-
I guess you can but it is easy to collect it you have conifers like pine, spruce, fir, etc. Be sure to collect hard, brittle pitch. I think you can use other tree saps too. The first article I read about it the guy was using plum sap I think.
-
Okay, lots of trees up here so a pitch gathering expedition will take place in the near future. :)
-
OMG Bue, ya better take someone along incase ya get stuck to a tree:)
Just sayen..
:laughing: :wavey:
-
No problem. I’ll bring along a bottle of alcohol in case I get stuck. :laughing:
-
LOL
-
Vodka? That works too. :thumbsup:
-
Impressive work you guys.
-
Very impressive! Thanks for sharing. Jawge
-
Got the fletching added. I use fletch tape to hold the feathers to the shaft and add a sinew wrap fore and aft. On the feathers I leave about 1/4" stripped feather at each end of each feather and after using fletch tape to hold the feather to the shaft I wrap over these bare tabs with sinew and also a sinew wrap just below the nock. Next I will seal these wraps with pitch varnish.
(https://i.imgur.com/Ir6x2Io.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mqeQipO.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/m3aKNtj.jpg)
-
Very nice job, Pat.
-
Very nice!
Just curious, how or do you tune your arrows? Experience? Or do you make a few with inserts/field points to get a feel for what's needed first?
-
Steve, with these hardwood shoots and cane arrows experience comes in play but I do test spine to find the stiff side of the arrow which goes against the bow. The length and natural taper are also considered too. That puts me pretty close and a shot or 2 will allow me to tune finer with tip weight. It's a little more complicated than store bought shafting but that's where the experience comes in.
-
Righto, thanks Pat :thumbsup:
<Adds something else to the 'one day' list :laughing: >
-
Awesome job Pat, that was a great tutorial. I’ve always believed that building a well tuned group of primitive arrows is more challenging than making the bow itself. Nice work 👍🏻