I just purchased the footing jig from Three Rivers Archery and have footed a couple of shafts.  Wondered if anyone have any good suggestions on getting an even round shaft after the square is applied?

Tom

I use a small block plane, a couple of wood rasp and files, and then sandpaper 220 grit and finish with 400 grit.

Also spend a LOT of time eyeballing the foot/shaft and taking a little material off the foot.

I expect it takes me a couple of hours for each shaft, but I tend to work kinda slow, anyway.

I have a lathe and was trying to figure out how to chuck up the shaft without damaging it but could not find a solution.

Wish I could I expect it would be a bit faster...

Charles.

Most people use a belt sander and carefully work down the excess, then use a thumb plane and hand sanding.

I use a draw knife, then a thumb plane and then use a arrow shaft plane from 3Rivers to work mine down. Then sand to finish. The arrow plane really helped me.
I just finished a dozen Surewood, douglas fir with purpleheart footings and weighed them, 10 grains difference between 12 arrows. I never did close to that until I started using the arrow shaft plane.

Ten grain difference is pretty good tolerances for sure.

I have been working on  a dozen Sitka spruce from Hildebrand.

Gonna do some Surewoods next.

Good to see you are still around Brad.

Charles.

I use a thumb plane to get them close and then a belt sander to finish them up.  With practice, I can now do a shaft in about 20 minutes.  I made a jig that I ut the shafts on to plane them and it helps a lot.  Basically, its a short piece of 1" thk pine that I made a shallow 90 deg cut out of one edge and clamp it in a vice.  I put the foot in it while planing and it works well.

By the way, My wife has a wood lathe and I tried making a collet, but it is actually easier and faster to use a plane for most of the work.  Just make sure the blade is sharp!!!

By the way, My wife has a wood lathe and I tried making a collet, but it is actually easier and faster to use a plane for most of the work.  Just make sure the blade is sharp!!!

Hey Charles,

I do love those Surewoods. It took some sanding and tweaking for me but I made this last dozen and stayed within 10 grains. They're the best ones I've made so far.

Brad

I use a 4x4 with a V grove down the center and a spokeshave to take off the square edges. Then a little work on the belt sander. Then a lot of hand sanding. I have refinded some just last night I was working on some new shafts. After the spokeshave I now have a scraper I bought from St. Johns Bay tools in Arizona. I was looking for a chair devil in 3/8 which he did'nt have so he sold me this scraper with about 15 diferent sizes drilled into it so I can step down as I go. I found a handle for it at a Woodworker shop. If anyone is interested I will try and take a picture of it tonight and show tomorrow.

Here are some photos of my method.





I have added some file work at the footings (as suggest from Renfros DVD on footed shafts) and it works well. One of the issues I have had is removing to much of the soft wood where the points of the footings meet the shaft. The file helps alleviate this.

I have a lathe and used a three jaw chuck pushed the shaft through the headstock and lightly tighten the chuck on the shaft near the foot.  I then used the power feed and just lightly removed material but on about the fourth pass the shaft twisted off.  No luck on the lathe