Ok this probably been beat to death . Is there any advantages to footing cedar shaft with hardwood like purple heart,? Also 2 foot verse 4 foot . My arrrows are short only 27 in so i need all the help i cant . Those who know me Know i need help!!!!  

ttt

Appearence for sure and strength in a critical area too.........I made some 2 foots by hand and they were a lot of work, and then Ted at Raptor Archery make some 4 foots-that was way better.  

Weight up front is another advantage if you make the footed part longer.

I would like to see how the 4 footting is done. Anyone ever done a build along for them? I have tryed to serch the forum but no luck.

Cobbow

I have had footed Cedars and the next footed shafts I use will be Douglas Fir. Quality Douglas Fir is readily available at Surewood Shafts and footed shafts by Dave Doran at Archery Past (541)388-8400 are excellent. Footed shafts are not cheap and Cedar still breaks rather easily, the footing on the ones I had simply moved the point that the break occurs from the back of the field pt. to the back of the footing. They were not fragile but Douglas Fir is definitely tougher.

If strength and weight forward are the big issues, try my Reparrows.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=48;t=001064

As others have mentioned, footing increases the strength immediately behind the point.  Actually increases the strength the entire length of the footing.  I haven't experienced footings breaking four-six inches behind the point.

Normally, a standard length hardwood footing on a softwood (cedar) shaft will add about 20-30 grains.  That translates to about 1-2% FOC, so you don't gain much FOC by footing, unless you go with a particularly long footing.  The reason you don't gain much FOC with a standard size hardwood footing is you're just replacing the cedar that was already there (and had weight of its own) with hardwood.  So your weight gain is not the weight of the hardwood footing, but rather the difference between the weight of the cedar that was already there and the weight of the hardwood footing.  But, they look cool and do make for a stronger front end of your arrow.

For info's sake the Cedars I mentioned earlier were footed with Cocobolo and a section of all Cedar, point tapered and exactly the same length as the footed section cut immediately behind the footing fade-out weighed 90 grains and 150 grains respectively, the footing adding exactly 60 grains.