I've been thinking about making my own arrow shafts, mostly for something to do.  Anyone here make their own?  

I have some pieces from a silver maple that I split for staves that I was thinking of splitting some shaft material from, but I'm not sure how to go about doing it.  Can I just split some strips about 32" long and plane them round (or there-abouts) with a hand plane, or is there more to it.  If they split crooked, how do I go about straightening them?

Or, am I getting myself in way over my head?

Thanks in advance!

Joe

I'm sure it can be done, but that would be tough to accomplish. You would waste alot of wood and time I'm afraid.

Let us kow if it works out.

There was a good article in the 1989 winter edition of TBM about making your own shafts like that, he made it sound fairly easy.  

I just subscribed and i'm slowly reading my way through them all, it's great reading and a wonderful resource!

You can split out wood and plane them down to arrow shafts. I haven't done it that way but have use sawn 3/8"x3/8" blanks of pine and by removing the four corners with a plane, then removing the 8 corners that you just made and so on you can achieve round shafts. I have only used White Pine but other woods will work as well.
  There are doweling jigs you can buy inexpensively that will produce good shafts and there are expensive shaft making gizmos that will do the same.
  The board below is what I use when making arrows from scratch. I mostly use hardwood shoots but I have made shafts with square stock with this jig. You lay the square stock into the "V" groove that runs full length and I use a small thumb plane to remove the corners until the stock is round.

 The tool kit below are some of my arrow making tools...

  Hope this helps.     Pat

Pat B,
Would you mind going into a little more detail as to what each tool is and what it is used for.
Thank You
Daren

There are 3 arrow wrenches, the one I'm demonstrating on the cane shaft, the darkened osage(my first arrow wrench) and the wood handle with the eye screw on one end and the cup hook on the other. The latter tool is more of an arrow straightener and is used by rubbing it vigorously over the outside of a bend in the shaft to compress the wood and at least reduce the bend in the shaft if not eliminate it.
  The tile saw with the osage handle is for cutting self nocks and the small rat tail file is for rounding the bottom of the self nock and relieving the corners.
  The small section of hickory is a grooving tool for making lightening grooves in hardwood shoot shafts. It is a section of a hickory branch cut in half with a shaft sized slot cut across it and a sheet rock screw protruding into the slot and a blade end is ground on to the screw. This is dragged along a hardwood shoot shaft and the "blade" cuts a small groove into the length of the shaft. I have only used this tool a few times to see if it will help to keep shoot shafts straight...with mixed results.
  I have other arrow making tools that are not posted here. More small files, a thin bladed knife and various grades of sand paper.
 The small thumb plane is what I use to shape square stock shafting and to reduce hardwood shoot shafts for arrows. It costs about $8 from ACE Hardware.  Pat

There was just an article Similar to this in the Nov. TBM.  I think it was on making your own shafts from boards though.  Still may be of some use.

a doweling jig does make more sense. i just didn't know if splitting shaft material would make a better shaft. these are all good responses, keep em coming!     joe

A split out shaft would be stronger but arrows can be made with sawn lumber too as long as the grain is acceptable.

What kind of spine youenz getting out of 11/32" pine?

zbone,  I'd like to know that as well.  What kind of spine can I expect, or should I look for a certain grain or type of pine board for a good spine (around 55-60#)

Probably 40# to 50#. They weren't heavy(physically) enough for me. I prefer hardwood shoots or cane.
I believe George Tsoukalas has something about white pine arrows on his site. I think that is his standard arrow.    Pat

I always try to saw the first side parallel to the grain. I have very little runout with my shafts.

I cut 3/8ths squares and run them through this:









Here are some shafts I made from old yellow pine wainscoting.

That's awesome Jim.  You made that jig?  Wish you were a little closer, I could use some lessons!

Joe

Jim that looks very complex when you have a guage and all but, that is truely simple and VERY nice. What cutter bit are you useing?
DEATHMASTER

I just use a straight cutter. When the end of the square stock gets too close to the set up to go farther, I put the drill chuck on the finished end of the shaft and pull it on through.

The dial indicator just makes it easier to change from one size finished shaft to another. (Have to change the output bushing too.)

Here is a simple diagram that was the inspiration for what I made:

 http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=53

Oops. Double post.

Hello All
I'am looking to buy the shaft cutter on the nov/08 TBM but I lost my issue and don't remember the name of the tool can anyone help me out.

Its the veritas dowel and tenon cutter available at Lee Valley Tools.