Darren and nostalgia has inspired me. Come next fall I want a set of swanky footed cedar shafts for bear hunting. I'd like to use cocobolo footings those are going to be both super heavy and match my bow riser and of course have some custom cresting and fletchings. I've done aluminum and carbons before but never made any wooden arrows, more less higher end ones.
What are some good educational resources to help put me down the right path to making these exceptional in all regards? I'm looking for:
- People/mentors
- Books
- Articles
- Videos
- Online content
- Phone calls/texts
- Tooling recommendations (especially for footings)
- etc
On site I have a full knife shop (bandsaws, sanders, grinders, disks, precision measuring tools, etc). I have experience as a woodworker doing rifle stocks, handgun grips, furniture, cabinets, and framing. I've build arrows with modern materials for a long time and have all the fletching jigs and feather burners and cresting lathes needed, but nothing to dip them in varnish. I'm looking for these to be functional art.
There's a tutorial in the DYI section on this site on making a jig for footing shafts. Otherwise there is a jig available from 3Rivers but it's a $100.
Gary and Connie Renfro at Traditional Archery Products have a dvd to show you how, a disc with drawings in pdf to build all the fixtures and also some high quality tooling to shorten the curve. Be forewarned, when you call and Gary answers you'll be long time buddies and he'll talk your ear off.