So after the Barta thread, I looked more closely at making my own arrows or ordering them. I spoke with 3 of the arrow making sponsors here, and for the arrows I want I can get them custom for about the same as the Bartas cut and points installed.
Now as a general cost I found it would cost me about 65$ to make my own, and that's cedar arrows. So it's about a savings of $35 . Does this sound correct to you who make your own arrows ?
Cedars or other woodies: About $35/dozen
Nocks: $1.50
Feathers: $16
Field points: $4
So, after you have a fletching tool, hot melt, fletch glue and a tapering tool, they will cost about $55 by my figures. If you buy in bulk, cost would be less, but probably still about $50/dozen for woodies.
When I made my own arrows it was for the fun of it and knowing the arrows were perfect. It is easy to spend more making your own if you don't watch it.
Interestingly, I also find it much more difficult to deal with a lost arrow if it is one I made than just bought.
QuoteOriginally posted by centaur:
Cedars or other woodies: About $35/dozen
Nocks: $1.50
Feathers: $16
Field points: $4
So, after you have a fletching tool, hot melt, fletch glue and a tapering tool, they will cost about $55 by my figures. If you buy in bulk, cost would be less, but probably still about $50/dozen for woodies.
Don't forget stain, paint, clearcoat, steelwool, brushes, sandpaper...it all adds up. He's not to far off on the price when he says $65, if not a little more. Sure buying in bulk saves, but what...maybe $1 a shaft. The guys who do this to make money are doing it for the love of the sport. We haven't even touched on the time involved or shipping either.
In my opinion, if you can get a dozen custom made woodies for $125, you had better jump on it.
Buying arrows, not a bad thing. Learning to make your own, getting the proper tools, brushes, paints, taper tools and having the time, not a bad investment in the future. Making your own and watching it go into the 10 ring or thru the chest of a game animal.........priceless!!!! :thumbsup: :notworthy: And a lot of fun to!!
It is expensive making your own, if your just making them to save money it is not worth your time but if you are making them as a hobby it's priceless and a ton of fun.
Haven't figured in the price of a fletcher, grain scale or spine tester. IMO, you can't make well matched arrows without a grain scale and spine tester. Your first couple of dozen arrows are likely to cost a lot more than you expect, but amortizing the arrow building equipment over your lifetime, they'll get a lot cheaper. :bigsmyl:
QuoteOriginally posted by ron w:
Buying arrows, not a bad thing. Learning to make your own, getting the proper tools, brushes, paints, taper tools and having the time, not a bad investment in the future. Making your own and watching it go into the 10 ring or thru the chest of a game animal.........priceless!!!! :thumbsup: :notworthy: And a lot of fun to!!
If you enjoy it it's worth it. If you don't have the time or patients buying starts to look cheap. You gotta admire those who do it for the prices they do it at I'd charge 4 times what they do. I do like to make my own in the winter.
I agree with everything above, initial investment is a lot more than 1 dozen good arrows but making them yourself is more than worth the cost...
A feather burner is nice to have, then you can make any size ,shape, LW or RW. A spine tester is the best $100 I've spent for making arrows.
QuoteMaking your own and watching it go into the 10 ring or thru the chest of a game animal.........priceless!!!! And a lot of fun to!!
yea Buddy!
For $35 more, I would think just order them
I'm sure I'd love to make them eventually, but as of now with two little ones, wife, work , church, volunteering, finishing my bachelors, ( I procrastinated 12 years) I'm trying to decide if I'd have the time.
How long do you think it takes you to make a doz arrows no creasting , just stain and seal, fletch.?
When I make them, I wait 24 hrs between steps. Not because it needs that long (doesn't hurt though), but because it is my way to slow me down. There should not be any rushed jobs when making hunting arrows. Why no cresting? Get some sharpie markers and dress them up a little.
No cresting simply because I like the looks of the bare bones wood arrow. No I do admire the artworks I have seen, but I like that simple look of 2 white feathers, one barred. White nocks
I can make a Doz. Cedars, stained, cleared, fletched, taper both ends for nocks and points in about 2 1/2 hours. I use clear lacquer from a spray can and I crest with magic markers and paint pens, they don't look bad either......I get my shafts from whoever has a deal at the time!
Your first set will cost well north of $100 when you account for the various tools, etc.
It's all about enjoying the process friend.
I hear a lot of guys tell me that they save a ton of money hunting deer, and eating the meat.
When you figure in time invested, camo clothing, ammunition or arrows, deer stands, gas to hunt, etc etc etc... it's cheaper to buy Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon from the grocery store.
But not near as enjoyable or fulfilling. ;-p
i am very grateful that i stumbled across this website.
seems like most everyone here gets it.
joe
I don't know how much my arrows cost. I own a bunch of shafts, feathers, nocks, feather burner, taper tools, spine tester, choppers, cresting jig, fletching jigs, glues, points, and broadheads. Much of those supplies and equipment I have purchased here from the classifieds. I enjoy the experience that comes with making my own arrows--especially in the winter when the snow is 4 or 5 feet deep outside my home. I really like killing animals with those homemade arrows. I have a few new dozen to take to the Colorado Traditional Archers Society High Country Shoot next weekend. I always lose and break quite a few arrows at the shoots like that. I tell those shooting with me that for every lost or broken shaft I have, I just get to go home and make some new ones. If you really enjoy it, you don't worry about the cost.
Mike
It is usually a little less expensive to make your own arrows but the results are priceless!
Its a labor of Love. After you get the fletching gig and some stain. A dozen arrows cost about $45 to make.
I love making wood arrows, no idea if it costs less or not and don't really care. I have well over a thousand 50 year old POC squirreled away in the spines I need-my grandchildren will not run out of cedar.
When you make your own you can get them as close as you want, as pretty as you like, and flying as well as you like.
There are two major factors involved:
- How many arrows dou yo use per year?
- do you enjoy making your own?
Ofcourse you have your starting-up investments, they are all summed up here.
I live in The Netherlands. When I make a premium arrow, my costs are € 4,15 per arrow. That is for the shaft, feathers, nock and fieldpoint. Ofcourse you need glue and stuff to make the arrow look pretty. When I want to buyt the same arrow I have to pay over the € 10,-. That is a difference of € 6,- per arrow, or € 72,- per dozen!
But what I didn't read yet here: when I break an arrow, I re-use everything. The end whith the fletching goes in the micro-wave. The glue melts and the feathers and nock come of easy. Sandpaper the arrows to remove the glue and you can re-use them! Heating the point will melt the glue. You can take it easily off then. I always collect all parts that come off from broken arrows. It goes in a special bag, ready for re-use.
The only costs for making a new arrow is the price for a new shaft then!
Another point is that all my starting costs were payed back, because I started to make arrows for friends. They were amazed how good my arrows looked and shot nd asked me if I was willing to make some for them. So you can actually earn some money with it too.
But you must enjoy it, otherwise you can better buy them.
I started making my owm arrows 3 years ago and I never looked back!
QuoteOriginally posted by USN_Sam1385:
I hear a lot of guys tell me that they save a ton of money hunting deer, and eating the meat.
When you figure in time invested, camo clothing, ammunition or arrows, deer stands, gas to hunt, etc etc etc... it's cheaper to buy Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon from the grocery store.
But not near as enjoyable or fulfilling. ;-p
Fun costs money. If I played golf as hard as I hunted I would spend more money and have less backstrap! ;)
Priceless.......
THE initial cost of your tools and equipment to make arrows is an INVESTMENT . MY BItzenberger Jig and MY JOJAN Jigs are well over 30 years old and are just as good as the day I bought them . MY YOUNG feather burner is at least 25 years old and I also still have older type burners that have no reostat and you have to plug them into the Iron and use that as such BUT they still burn feathers well. Cost is something that dissipates over the years .
ANYTHING I make my self for archery helps me to understand and know archery better.
I can experiment with all manner of changes in arrows when making them my self . I just cant conceive of NOT doing it my self .
I think it will cost you alot more to make your own arrows.Shafts $45 tyd,crester $130-$175, feathers $43x2,you want to get a 100 at a time, then maybe a burner, cresting paint,glue nocks points etc.Oh yes, spine tester $220.I can get really great arrows from ALL WOOD ARROWS, but then i did not make them myself.I really like making arrows myself.So if you like doing stuff like that then,go for it !
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000116
Most people don't biuld arrows to save money.
Nore do I
Making arrows is a passion, after you have all the essentials the price doesnt even get factored in.
As Mike said if you can get a set of custom arrows made for you for #125.00 take it and look at what attention to detail and pride was put into it. Then later when you get the desire to start on your own, dive in. Its not about saving money its the pleasure you get from making and shooting them.
I pretty much do it to save money, mostly because I don't have that much.
Ok, I think we may have confused the lad, guys. Making your own arrows WILL save you money, but it takes building a lot of arrows for the savings to become noticable. If you are burning through a ton of arrows due to the magnetic attraction of arrows to immoveable objects (trees, rocks, anything hard really) it may be worth it to start building your own.
If you are going to build your own, I suggest you start with the minimum and slowly work up if you like. The minimum IMO consists of:
-shafts
-taper tool
-fletching jig
-nocks
-feathers
-points
-glue
-finish
There are plenty of shaft manufacturers that produce very good, consistant shafts, so a spine tester and grain scale are not essential initially.
You could cut your own feathers, but that doesn't save you much money unless you have loads or raw turkey or goose feather lying around.
For glues and finishes you can save a little by using common hardware store stuff. Superglue is just fine for nocks and feathers. I would suggest hot melt glue for points. You can use just about any wood finish. Tung oil, True Oil, wipe on poly, and spar urethane will all work just fine. I'm partial to True Oil and tung oil myself.
If you enjoy building them you can always get into cresting and the fancy stuff later on.
For me personally no matter what the cost I prefer to make my own arrows.If I get some used arrows,I'll strip them and refletch them.
You can also build your own spine tester and cresting machine.
I make arrows for about ten people right now that either do not have enough money to experiment on what to get get or do not have the knowledge as just what to order. I only make wood arrows, tapered cedars from Wapiti. For those that know exactly what they need and how they shoot, it may be a wash, but for those that are new to this it is a huge advantage having someone like me around that can get them on the right arrow the first time around, especially since I usually don't charge anything. I would suggest that if one is new to traditional archery and their form has not settled down, that jumping in head first and buying a bunch of arrow building supplies may cost more than you think if you get the wrong stuff.
Well thank you everyone for your information. I do have a fletcher, and taper tool. I also have a homemade spin tester, ( not spine tester) I'll look at picking up 1/2 doz 60-65 shafts and see what I can do. I also have an Amature wood shop in te garage, so all other things I.e. stain, sealer, sandpaper etc I already own. Ill give them a whirl and see what it comes out like.
Brian, do you have a disc sander? Its the best way to taper the nock and points.
Eric
I recently got back into building wood arrows. Not to save money although I do save some but mostly for the enjoyment of making them. There is nothing more satisfying than killing a deer with an arrow you meticulously crafted yourself. Size of the deer does not matter in this situation. The feeling of self-reliance is intensified.
Brian please post pictures when you build them.
I agree with Ron, probably about 2 1/2 hrs total. Since Im generally not in a hurry, I stage it out over several days, or until i find time to work on them. Its amazing how fast they come together with just a few minutes here and there.
Yes I do have a disc sander, but i guess I'd need to build a jig so I get the proper taper . I need to find out the appropriate angle .
And rest assure I'll be posting pics when I get my first set done.
Something like this, I just used a piece of 3/4 plywood. 1 groove 5 deg from the disc for the point and 1 groove at 11 deg for the nocks. I just use a "V" router bit to make the grooves.
Eric
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h121/mandoman_2006/Arrows/P5200032.jpg)
These are some that I made up today. I seldom do a set the same way as another; that is a part of the fun of making your own. And if they shoot well, there is a feeling of satisfaction in a job well done.
(http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac67/peastes/e3cfd521.jpg)
Thank you for that information Westbrook,
Centaur, those are very very nice arrows. Im sure mine will not compare at all to that.
Did you spray paint that crest?
Yes, that is spray paint. May be cheating, but I like the effect.
For me its being able to take care of the simple stuff like replacing a fletching I cut off with a broadhead because I shot too close. Started off just wanting to be able to take care of these type of problems or experiment with different lengths and styles and over the years turned into me doing it all and actually enjoying doing it and knowing no excuses if it isn't done right. As far as saving money it's like eating at home thats how you pay for the stove!!!!
For the people that buy their own arrows. When you ruin a fletch, what do you do with the arrow? Throw it away? Send it to someone to re-fletch? Quiet a bit can be saved by making your own.
My wife wants me to try crack-cocaine. She thinks it'll be a cheaper hobby than hunting :D
I like to make arrows, especially woodies although I usually shoot carbon. I would think the set up costs involved would be recovered pretty quickly. I know in the long run I pay a lot less for my own "fancy" arrows than I would for customs.
You can get more bang for your buck by building your own, it is an expense to get started but over the years it will save money and you can build exactly what you want for a fraction of the cost of a good set of custom arrows.
At first I bought the equipment because of the expense of running back and forth to the archery shop, waiting several days, and paying $3 every time I peeled a fletching off. Then I realized how much enjoyment I get out of fletching and repairing my own stuff. Now I serve by own strings and nock points, build my own arrows, make my own quivers, etc. If I can do it myself I do it myself. There are very limited traditional archery supplies available in my area so, just like with my black powder addiction, I "roll my own"!.
My first dozen arrows were the only ones I ever bought that were finished, that was in 1988. I bet I made 5-6 dozen arrows per year since then.
That's at least 1500 arrows! That's a lot of glue and polyurethane to be sniffing in an unventilated basement bow room!
I don't believe I ever had any more than 300 finished arrows at any time. I shoot a lot and really have no fear when loosing an arrow. I lose or bust up a bunch on stumps and risky shots on my range.
I like the look of a plain arrow. some fancy arrows are to much of a good thing. when starting to make your own do it simple you dont have to have all the tools.
I make mine like Fred Anderson in his book The Traditional Way.............."cheap and lots of 'em."
I make my own arrows because I like to. I have also made my own quivers, my own bows, B50 strings, my own stands, contemplated making my own moccasins, made a pair of bib overalls, my own tab, etc because to me it's fun, relaxing, and adds to the thrill of the hunt. I also tie my own flies and build my own flyrods, for exactly the same reasons. If you do it to save money, be prepared to make a whole bunch of whatever, because startup costs are high.
QuoteOriginally posted by Red Beastmaster:
I make mine like Fred Anderson in his book The Traditional Way.............."cheap and lots of 'em."
I believe that will be my route at first for sure. Im either going to make them like the Barta arrows, or Orange feathers with orange barred cock feather