I am looking at some of the 1/4" ramin or birch arrow shafts for my kids to make some arrows. However I am unfamilar with both. If any one could answer the following or give pros / cons on one vrs the other.
Durability?
Straightness/ability to stay straight?
Weight?
James
Ive had 5/16 Ramin shafts before. It seemed like they stayed straight and were pretty tuff. The only birtch Ive used was the laminated stuff, very tuff but heavy.
Thanks
Get some 1/4 dowels from the hardware store, they make inexpensive kid's arrows, most dowels are made of ramin.
I can get 100 for like $25 at Kustom King.
What is the price at a hardwarestore run?
James
I am making arrows for my nephew's Maddog Pup recurve thats coming in June. It is my first time with wood and I went with the 1/4 Ramin because they said it was a little stronger than Birch. I bought a bundle of 100 from KustomKing and none of them are perfectly straight. All had just a little bow in them that I straighten them out with the shaft of a screw driver. No, their not perfect but they are darn close, plenty good enough to shoot into styrofoam for my 4 year old nephew. What helped me out a lot was the How to- Resources form, Rob DiStefano-making cheap wood arrows and straighting wood arrow shafts by Guru.
Hope that helped you out some, good luck.
Ramin is not that straight but you can get it to where the arrows fly good as long as spine is correct. It's tough as nails. I have yet to break any of the ones I have in 5/16. I use them in the woods shooting at various targets and have bounced them off trees like a billiard ball. Not one break yet. I've shot nocks off arrows with only slight slivers coming off the Ramin shafts.
I have found the Ramin shafts straighten OK in the field with hand pressure.
If you're looking for cheap arrows for kids, search for the 92 cent arrow thread.
Dang tough.
Birch couldn't do that.
There's no such thing as a perfectly straight wood arrow. But the ones that are close, are as perfcect as I want them.
The kids shoot carbons now. But they were helping me in the garage the other day when I was working on some POC and they both want to make their own arrows out of wood. So I figured that if I got them some 1/4" dowels or shafts then it would occupy them for a while and they could learn how to build them.
My main concern is not really how straight they are, all of them can all be straightened to satisfaction but primarily how durable one is compared to the other. Kids are tough on arrows.
James
Ramin is type of tropical birch.
Very durable and heavy.
String it and fling it.
Light durable arrows work best for kids and those getting their arrows ready for use. Don't get me wrong I only shoot wood; but for kids they have been happiest with carbon or aluminum.
My poor girls and their wood arrows, they flew poorly and if it wasn't the nocks flying off it was the heads coming off. Then I started going into the broken arrow box at the local range and getting broken carbons. I find the light skinny ones and cut them to length. Some are only 16" or so when I've finished but they fly better than any ramen shaft and I've not seen one break or lose a head yet. Somone is going to come on and say "yea but those carbons are damaged and can fly appart injuring your kids" Shooting 20 pound bows that isn't going to happen.
Kudo's to y'all for wanting to build good arrows for, and with your kids. The rewards and smiles for both generations are many.
In case you didn't know....Surewood is now selling youth shafts. They are a very high quality shaft that straighten easily and stay that way. These are all I use for the colorful youth arrows I make for the reasons I list in my specs in my sponsors ad. Many color ideas can be seen there that'll help you to put smiles on their faces.
Rob,
What diameter are the youth shafts?
Thanks
Dave
Dave.....the Surewoods are 5/16ths.
my little ones are 7,4 and almost 3. they are shooting a little 10# bow. I've made both birch and ramin arrow but I'm not so sure that a 10# bow really puts the arrow's toughness to the test. both work fine and we haven't broken any shafts yet. I guess we'll see as they get a little stronger.