My hope is this serves as a gracious thank you to the many that so eagerly offered their advice and wisdom when I posted a newbe arrow making question. Also a big thank you to the many who have taken the time to do build alongs and post searchable threads through the years. The more I look the more impressed I am with what this site has to offer.
This was my 2nd dozen adult woodies everything I learned to build them was read here. When I was done I almost couldn't believe I had made them. They now fill my brother Dan's quiver on his long bow waiting to harvest his first deer with a wooden arrow. ha ha I love it! Hope you enjoy the photos! When I first started asking him Dan wanted a primitive arrow so I went as old school as I felt comfortable...
Dang James, those are the stealthiest arrows I have ever seen! :scared: :bigsmyl:
Did you use Invisible paint on them?
Bisch
From the Classifieds...
(http://i.imgur.com/9bwLGWB.jpg)
Hacksaw, rattail file, few beeers = self nocks
(http://i.imgur.com/CNgafPu.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8UmxrGu.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8iKWj6C.jpg)
lol Bisch... your to fast!
Ooh, keep 'em coming! I bet these are gonna look great in the end!
Have you had a chance to try those new broadheads out yet?
Bisch
I lost some photos when my last cell froze and died but I stained all the shafts Sedona Red in the middle and Ebony at the tips and nocks.
(http://i.imgur.com/Z7j1qfC.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/TZtreUB.jpg)
I used the belly of the snake on the bottom of the arrow...
(http://i.imgur.com/AIKG9c6.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/DOO1Z4n.jpg)
Bisch I never made time to shoot the flames, I was to busy playing with the arrows...
Some of the colors amazed me some of the snakes were flawed or scared so I added a little primitive art work. India ink worked best in my experiments...
(http://i.imgur.com/f2tiI9M.jpg)
if you look this was a scar on the snake. see the thin skin to the left?
(http://i.imgur.com/3z82PMI.jpg)
I put Dan's initials and the year on ea arrow
(http://i.imgur.com/93cgOqg.jpg)
This is a great post. Arrows look cool so far
The feathers are Left wing Canada Goose feathers collected in Wheatfield NY during the molting season when geese loose there feathers june july. I read that here... I collected hundreds!
(http://i.imgur.com/jtyRl5U.jpg)
Feathers are stripped not ground because Walt said that looks more primitive on his cane arrows! I used artificial sinue even though I had processed some real stuff. the short lengths worried me.
(http://i.imgur.com/WfcWhqQ.jpg)
Those are looking AWESOME, James!!!!!! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Bisch
I burned my first feathers with this... lol My dad was cleaning and pulled this out of a box in the basement. It was with a Hoyt tri fletcher and a hundred or so moth eaten full length feathers. He had never used it, didn't know how long he had it. judging by the price on the tape... Many Many Years I told him!
(http://i.imgur.com/WlYWPcC.jpg)
I made two small game spiral flu flu arrows because big Dan loves to shoot! They each used one full length wild turkey and one full length yellow feather. One arrow has an Ace Hex head the other with a 125gr modified to 150gr judo point. Some creative mind here came up with adding wire to judos to increase wt. I used JB Weld to keep it quiet. Dans arrows tuned great with 150 grain field points.
(http://i.imgur.com/CWB9bih.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/CfzxAQV.jpg)
Thank You Tippit for the cross cut rabbit fur build a long. it worked great and I have a new friend at the Fly shop
(http://i.imgur.com/BFUkA7k.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/7jsml2S.jpg)
To make them further distinctive the small game arrows had a smaller mid section of snake skin that didn't cover the stain fade I had worked so hard on.
(http://i.imgur.com/1qj0cqd.jpg)
All 6 broadhead arrows were skinned from the head to the fletching... it just looked deadly to me...
I'm sharpening challenged. Having admitted that... this year I honed my fathers and brothers broadheads to an acceptable sharpness... Thank You KME! I have a lot to learn but it's an improved start!
I picked the Abowyer 150gr left bevel trade points for Dan's arrows. I love the look and wanted to attach them with sinew.
I failed at making the cut for the broadhead with my hacksaw so I put the pressure of taking a blade to a nearly finished shaft on Dan. We practiced a lot then made the cuts with a bansaw.
(http://i.imgur.com/IaBmVVz.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/CzqDjfq.jpg)
After the ban saw there was a lot of hand sanding but I wanted a nice tight fit for each head...
The top narrow kerf is how we left it with the bansaw...
(http://i.imgur.com/vEieoIO.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/sfx2fUg.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/FiVN5SQ.jpg)
I managed to get Dan's arrows boxed up and to him the day before the season opened... Sep 30. He had the test arrow to practice with since we tried the 150 grain glue on tip but I was happy to get the rest to him!
(http://i.imgur.com/T2Cm7YF.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/5uGzHaZ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/RFz4zEH.jpg)
It's obvious this is a labor of love. Awesome stuff so far and two thumbs up for your choice of beverages as well. Keep it going, can't wait to see the finished product.
You posted the final pic while I was typing...beautiful!
Thanks for looking and thanks for all the help everyone! I hope to post a follow up picture of a broken in half, bloodied, laying in the leaves snake arrow! :bigsmyl:
Those are awesome! I would NEVER have the patience to do something like that!
Great job! I bet Dan loves them and I hope he whacks something big with them!
Bisch
Nicely done.
Very nicely done, great workmanship :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Wow, those look great! :thumbsup:
Great stuff but i think you choice of beverage for the task should have been Moonshine it works wonders trust me i know :laughing: :laughing:
Way cool!
Amazing! What fantastic arrows.
Those are real nice.
smoking good arrows!
L.R.
Beautiful arrows, you have a lucky brother.
Very nice work! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
You have a lucky brother. Nice work Jim those are some awesome arrows. :thumbsup: :clapper:
Patience is all I can say!
Very nicely done!
Excellent work! I hope they bring much luck and satisfaction.
Thanks for all the kind comments guys! Dan started this crazy traditional journey for us and we share the same tastes. I love these arrows and I love that my brother filled his quiver with them to kill a deer this year. I'm really excited... here is a photo Dan sent me opening day...
(http://i.imgur.com/sv7nhyw.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/7fXyeEM.jpg)
Good luck everyone... Hunt Hard! :)
Only your 2nd set, you say?
That's some serious talent right there. Well done!
Great to have that relationship with your brother, many are not so lucky.
Wow!
Thanks for posting this. Very inspiring.
:thumbsup:
Wow those look awesome! Never seen snake skin used on arrows, very cool. Can't wait to see the deer your brother gets with those wicked arrows!
Do the arrows spine and shoot okay now that you added the snake skins and other natural stuff? I would think it would change the spine?
Those are beautiful.
pm sent.
Brad, I'll admit to being very new to tuning woodies. I had 5 different point weights ready to go 100 grains to 190. We didn't paper test but stood behind Dan as he shot. the 150 grain tip arrows flew like darts from his 50lb long bow. I think its safe to say there is way more helical than is needed and the goose feathers are way larger than they need to be but we both love the look so that's how they stayed when we saw how great they shot.
Both factors no doubt contributed to the noticeably slower arrow speeds than the MFX carbons Dan was shooting before. Two weeks prior to this we tuned my dads woodies the same way 5 different weights and watched them fly! 125 grains flew beautifully! I was actually shocked. I expected problems I would have difficulties resolving or figuring out after reading all the tuning trouble threads here. Maybe I was lucky, I'm not sure yet, but I sure am happy both setups worked out in time to hunt with.
Nice! Because those are beautiful you did a fantastic job.
I'm sure those fletchings do help allot. I hope to see another post from you with out covered in blood. Looking forward to it!
Really great work! Beautiful job!!