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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Stumpkiller on January 12, 2011, 09:11:00 PM

Title: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Stumpkiller on January 12, 2011, 09:11:00 PM
I may be on to something.  THE ADMIRAL has asthma and I wanted to make up some arrows that did not involve lacquer.  So I am trying to come up with a satisfactory method of making arrows without foul odors.  Using alcohol based shaft stain and a yellow leather dye as a pseudo crown I came up with a muted but pleasant color combo.  All wiped on with a rag.  Now I am at the cresting stage.  I used a black Sharpie permanent marker for the main crest, coated with the polyu using three coats (24 hrs apart and steel wool between #2 and #3) and a rag applicator again.  Then I used a Pilot silver ink pen for the lining.  I think it came out darned nice.

    (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Stumpkiller/Bowhunting/HPIM1996.jpg)

    (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Stumpkiller/Bowhunting/HPIM1990.jpg)

My initial compatability tests showed the polyu would take the silver off so it goes on last (same with lacquer/paints).  What I will likely try next is to tape off the line between shaft and crown and then put one polyu wipe on before the black ink, two more on top after and then the metallic liner.

Next step is to Duco on the fletch.  These are P.O. cedar that are hand tapered the last 12".  If it all works out I'll write up the whole process.
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Rob DiStefano on January 12, 2011, 09:14:00 PM
ya doing great!  not to steal yer thunder, but i've been using sharpies and silver/gold pentels for the last 5 years ... the bestest, fastest, nicest looking cresting, for me ...

(http://www.tradgang.com/rob/grind/f18.jpg)

(http://www.tradgang.com/rob/grind/f21.jpg)
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Cyclic-Rivers on January 12, 2011, 09:16:00 PM
Looks great to me Charlie.  Good luck with the rest of the process.   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: ks_jon on January 12, 2011, 09:18:00 PM
Nice I like it.
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: bendbig on January 12, 2011, 09:23:00 PM
Very nice, looks great. Now don't forget finished pics.
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: dcmeckel on January 12, 2011, 09:35:00 PM
I have little experience with woodies,but it looks like the rift or cathedral in the shaft is not lined up with the nocks properly.If I'm not right let me know so I can learn why you did them that way.But yeah the stripes look great!
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: dcmeckel on January 12, 2011, 09:42:00 PM
Sorry Stumpkiller,those weren't your arrows I was lookin at,they belong to someone else.
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Stumpkiller on January 12, 2011, 09:43:00 PM
Those are Rob's (I'm gluing the nocks on mine right now - index aligned with the grain and the runouts pointing towards the tip on top.  (Which is an old shoot-off-your-hand safety step).

I gotta get me some more colorful Sharpies!  At least I know the cresting wil llast.  Thatks Rob!    ;)
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Rob DiStefano on January 12, 2011, 09:45:00 PM
QuoteOriginally posted by dcmeckel:
I have little experience with woodies,but it looks like the rift or cathedral in the shaft is not lined up with the nocks properly.If I'm not right let me know so I can learn why you did them that way.But yeah the stripes look great!
don't understand .... ?
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Ben Maher on January 12, 2011, 09:47:00 PM
:thumbsup:  
Its how I do mine .....
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Rob DiStefano on January 12, 2011, 09:48:00 PM
QuoteOriginally posted by Ben Maher:
 :thumbsup:  
Its how I do mine .....
copy cat!!!!     :laughing:
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: NoCams on January 12, 2011, 11:46:00 PM
Rob,
If you look at the grain runout on the bottom arrow second pic you can see it looks like your nock is glued on about 90 degrees off...... ? Those rifts should be either on the top of that arrow when it is nocked on the string or bottom, not on the side. The index on the nock should be 90 degrees opposite of the rifts, not inline with them. JMHO and what I was taught by the fine arrowsmiths here on the gang.
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Hot Hap on January 13, 2011, 01:46:00 AM
I'm with NoCams-dcmeckel. Hap
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Rob DiStefano on January 13, 2011, 06:04:00 AM
QuoteOriginally posted by NoCams:
Rob,
If you look at the grain runout on the bottom arrow second pic you can see it looks like your nock is glued on about 90 degrees off...... ? Those rifts should be either on the top of that arrow when it is nocked on the string or bottom, not on the side. The index on the nock should be 90 degrees opposite of the rifts, not inline with them. JMHO and what I was taught by the fine arrowsmiths here on the gang.
to get those dozen arrows to spine uniformly correctly, using my home made spine machine, that's where the nocks hadda go.  sometimes arras spine stiffer on the runout sides.  didn't care about the grain orientation, only about the proper spine, and not at all concerned about those arras blowing up.  ymmv.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/rfdee/archery/DSC02581-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Ben Maher on January 13, 2011, 06:14:00 AM
Hey copy cat ...
That is one techno fused , modern gizmo ya got there ! lol

Slightly of topic ... What actual weight do you use ? 1.96lb or similiar ? I had never thought of just making one [ yeah yeah I know copy cat again ] ... but I might now
What distance do you set it 26" or 28 " ?

I agree about the nock orientation and strength etc  , particularly if they are Surewood Firs ...
Any assistance appreciated .
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Izzy on January 13, 2011, 06:14:00 AM
Nice arras Admiral.If your having trouble with compatibility issues, try a water based poly in between paint courses.That did the trick for me.Your choice of low fume paint is a wise one.I dont have asthma but the queen sure does frown on me cap spraying in the basement.I  hafta wait for warmer weather.   :banghead:
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Rob DiStefano on January 13, 2011, 06:33:00 AM
QuoteOriginally posted by Ben Maher:
Hey copy cat ...
That is one techno fused , modern gizmo ya got there ! lol

pretty wild, eh mate?  hey, but it works killer!

Slightly of topic ... What actual weight do you use ? 1.96lb or similiar ? I had never thought of just making one [ yeah yeah I know copy cat again ] ... but I might now
What distance do you set it 26" or 28 " ?

i can adjust the post 'v' blocks for 26" to 29" distances, but typically i'll use 29" post-to-post.  that's my old sinker weight hodge podge that weighed 1.5#, i made a new, cast lead one that weighs 1.7#.  the amount of weight doesn't matter at all for my system.  

for me, i know what works and what doesn't, in terms of shaft/arrow spine.  i'll find a featherless shaft that flies great out of a particular bow and measure the spine on that machine and note where the dial registers.  

now all i gotta do is find other shafts that'll match the same dial registration.  the amount of weight or measured shaft distance don't matter at all, since it's the host shaft that predicates what will work best.


I agree about the nock orientation and strength etc  , particularly if they are Surewood Firs ...
Any assistance appreciated .

as i already stated, i could care less about grain orientation.  you'd be surprised at how different a woodie (ANY genus of wood!) will spine 'on the round' and more often than not it will be on the runout side.  hey, it's wood, it's organic, can't fool with mama nature, she rules the roost.   ;)  
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Ben Maher on January 13, 2011, 06:36:00 AM
Thanks Rob.
A new project is born !
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: moose eye levi on January 13, 2011, 09:06:00 AM
While using the same products (the markers) would dipping the shafts in min wax poly make them run as opposed to rubbing it on?
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: lpcjon2 on January 13, 2011, 09:15:00 AM
Just a thought for the stain without smell, I used some RIT dye I had left over and filled a tude and stuck 6 shafts in it and left them for about an hour submerged. They came out great and just did a couple of poly coats and they were done.No smell.I'm sure you could rub it on by hand if you wanted to.
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Stumpkiller on January 13, 2011, 09:30:00 AM
I use a shelf over my workbench.  Two 1/2" x 4" dowels set halfway into the shelf edge exactly 26" apart on centers.  And two goat castration bands on the shelf end of the dowels for clearance - but those are optional.  ;-)

My weight is an exact two pounds: made up of lead with a screw hook to loop over the shaft.

I have an unloaded index mark and, when loaded, I note on a little ruler taped to the shelf where it ends up.  Then I use a vernier caliper to measure the difference (aka deflection).

Some day I gotta get fancy and buy a micrometer like Rob shows.  But this works fine.

     (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Stumpkiller/Bowhunting/HPIM2004.jpg)
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Stumpkiller on January 13, 2011, 09:35:00 AM
QuoteOriginally posted by moose eye levi:
While using the same products (the markers) would dipping the shafts in min wax poly make them run as opposed to rubbing it on?
No.  BUT, I would test whatever you intend on using.  Also, if you thin the polyurethane for dipping that's another solvent at work.  I used straight out of the can for wiping.  I found the Sharpie to be colorfast no matter how much polyu I applied.  The Pilot metal ink markers ran and dissolved under the polyu so I do that highlighting just before fletching after the polyu sat 24 hours to dry well.

I tried Pantone and other markers years back and they ran under a lacquer dip - which some folks think looks good.
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Rob DiStefano on January 13, 2011, 11:30:00 AM
yer spine machine is every bit as good a tool as mine, charlie!   :thumbsup:

i might add to all, you MUST have straightened the shafts b4 checking them on the spine machine or all bets are off, and yer readings will be total doo-doo.
Title: Re: Brushless/tapeless cresting
Post by: Stumpkiller on January 13, 2011, 11:45:00 AM
Thanks.  And I agree on the straightening: before tapering either end, too!  I straighten mine (or at least inspect) three times before fletching.  Before spine, before taper, before fletch.

PS - if you look close - that shaft is tapered and you can see the back bends more than the front.  But spine is spine.