I was in the how-to section trying to find out about a way to make cheap arrows, but the $.92 arrow build I saw only addressed arrows up t 50#.
Anyone know a way I can make some for a 30" draw shooting 60-65# bows?
:campfire:
Pretty sure that's not possible....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndjGHlvzqzU
Was that last link for bows over 60lbs?
You can do the same as in the $.92 thread, just use 3/8" dowels instead of 5/16"
Ok cool, so would I just taper the ends down to fit heads and nocks?
Unless your time is worth nothing I suspect aluminum arrows are probably the most affordable.
You might have a point!
The idea of DIY really appeals to me but I'm finding more and more that my time is the commodity I have the least of and hold most precious. I suspect an hour if overtime at work could probably get me at least a half dozen very functional arrows.
I priced them out. Big Jims GT blemished arrows are the way to go and not much more than Aluminums, if at all.
I am wanting to make ALOT of them if I can do them myself with cheap materials. I have a tendency to lose/destroy arrows like no one else I have seen. Plus I would like to experiment making my own wood arrows.
as already stated, 3/8" dowel, i like birch. it will be a Very Heavy arrow, too. you can pretty easily taper the ends (or for that matter, barrel taper the entire shaft) by chucking into a v/s drill and coarse sanding to a proud 11/32". should also be one Tough arrow.
Awesome, I am gonna have to find some around here.
Have you thought of cane?
QuoteOriginally posted by Matty:
:campfire:
Pretty sure that's not possible....
I stand corrected. I don't even know where you can buy 1 feather for $.45 so in feathers alone I'm already over a buck!
make yer own fletching. nothing special required other than a sharp knife and some sandpaper at the least. one of the Best feathers for arrows comes from canada geese - and they're free. next month is the moult, and the ponds and golf courses (amongst lotsa other places) will be strewn with goose flight feathers. too boot, they have built-in natural water repellent. :cool:
goose feather fletching (http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000106)
(http://www.tradgang.com/rob/goose/goose1.jpg)
QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B:
Have you thought of cane?
Theres tons of it around but I wouldn't have a clue to know how to spine it
QuoteOriginally posted by Matty:
QuoteOriginally posted by Matty:
:campfire:
Pretty sure that's not possible....
I stand corrected. I don't even know where you can buy 1 feather for $.45 so in feathers alone I'm already over a buck! [/b]
I have a lot of turkey wings and just bought a low profile banana chopper that can do both right and left wings.
QuoteOriginally posted by Matty:
QuoteOriginally posted by Matty:
:campfire:
Pretty sure that's not possible....
I stand corrected. I don't even know where you can buy 1 feather for $.45 so in feathers alone I'm already over a buck! [/b]
Then you didn't read the post for the $.92 arrow. Mike tells you where to get feathers cheap. When the post was made 4 years ago, Sagittarius was selling full length feathers for $25/100. They are now $35/100, still a good deal.
carbons from big jim just glue the feathers on and go of course you will have to play around with point weight but they will loutlast wood so in the long run they are cheaper mho
I love to stump shoot with friends and thoroughly enjoy taking risky shots that will eat arrows if one is off target a bit too much.
When I shot 55# +/- I made-up a bunch of nutters and had a ball. When I stepped-up in poundage, I was busting arrows right and left and couldn't make enough to keep me shooting at suspect targets, so decided to give carbon a try.
Well, let me tell you, it hurt to bust those babies! Then someone on here suggested footing the carbons with pieces of aluminum arrows. There was a great thread with a video, http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000112 in the How To section, but it appears the vid is no longer accessible. I'm sure if you searched the site some you could find pics and other threads that show how it is done. Maybe PM the original poster and he may have the video saved somewhere else.
Bottom-line is that I started footing my carbons on both ends and don't break arrows very often any longer. My bow is 71# at my draw and I can confidently be stupid with my target choices. I still break a few, but total cost of arrow ownership has dropped significantly since footing both ends. I usually carry a few extra nocks with me as they will occasionally pop out from the force.
So, it isn't exactly a "cheap" option when starting, but over time it has been the least expensive way for me to launch arrows at hard things or into suspect areas.
I've had the same experience with footing carbons.I started footing carbons in 2008 and have yet to break a footed Gold Tip.That's pretty cost effective.
Easy......Wally World carbons. You can get them in 29-31". Add a 1/2" of 2117 and good to go. 250 up front and it shoots from 55# up to about 65# at 28".
june is upon us, and so the moulting season begins. it's really fairly easy and straight forward to make yer own fletchings from the ubiquitous omnipresent canada goose feathers. can be done with hand tools, but a belt sander or disc sander will make good fast work.
although the resulting fletchings are gray drab camo in color (and can be hard to find in the grass and bush), they are naturally extremely water repellent. give it a go, and they're FREE. ;)
gray goose fletching (http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000106)
(http://www.tradgang.com/rob/goose/goose1.jpg)
I made these hill cane arrows recently. They shoot well from my 56#@26" sinew backed osage static recurve. The two with the white fletch are a bit stiffer but should shoot well from a 60# to 65# bow. All are 30" long, have self nocks and weigh between 546gr to 606gr with 125 field points.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/2014hillcanearrows003_zpsf4f06932.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/2014hillcanearrows003_zpsf4f06932.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/2014hillcanearrows001_zpsa9408da2.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/2014hillcanearrows001_zpsa9408da2.jpg.html)
gotta love cane, the "naturally organic carbon shaft" :D
Can't get much cheaper than walking down the driveway and cutting some. d;^)
carbons from big jim just glue the feathers on and go of course you will have to play around with point weight but they will loutlast wood so in the long run they are cheaper mho
American Woodcrafters Supply, 3/8" birch dowels for around $25.00/50, self nocks, 23/64 points.