Straightening wood arrows

[Ottawa Archer]

Hey all, Was wondering what some of the tricks are to straightening some wood shafts if they start to get a wobble to them?

[30pointbuck]

Here ya go Found in the how to section of trad gang.
 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000060

[Zradix]

Beat me to it 30pointbuck.

I just recently tried that technique after seeing the vid.

It works good.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

After all My arrows are finished all I do is use My hands to take out any bends.

When making arrows I use a round shank screw driver and little heat.. Works great....

[30pointbuck]

Yep i use it, works great.

[Converml]

Hi,
  3 rivers has a utube demo on doing it by hand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kBd5A843o8
also they have a utube video on how to use a tamer.  Merle

[b44mag]

man im glad you asked that and 30point posted that. i have some 23/64th shafts i need to straighten and was thinking of making a roll-r-straight out of a pully. and to think i had the right toll next to me the whole time i was thinking. happens all the time.

[Mike Vines]

I use a 6" piece of 1/2" copper, just because I had it laying around one day and couldn't find my screwdriver on the bench.  Now it is my go to straightener.

[Charlie Lamb]

Call me old fashioned, but I still do the heat and bend routine. Matter of fact, I think it's an important step when making an arrow from scratch.

If you heat and straighten the shaft will stay that way after you seal it. Also you'll find out the safe way if there are any internal flaws which could make the arrow break when shot.

Always scrutinize any shaft with a severe bend in it. Usually it will break right there.

Nothing wrong with doing it the other way for that matter you just get a more intimate understanding of the arrow shaft when done by hand.

[Don Stokes]

If the grain in the shaft is straight, you should be able to just sight down the shaft and bend it across the heel of your hand to reverse any bends you see. I tried many methods but never found anything that worked better. It just takes some practice, like everything else we do in this sport.

[Stumpkiller]

I keep a pair of 1" x 6" dowels with holes that are a tight fit on 11/32" and 23/64" shafts.  The one with the holes opened out allows it to slip over a shaft with a broadhead.  You can look down a shaft and slide these along until you get to a kink and work it out.  Over heat if you want a better set.  

These also work by rubbing down on the high spots with the tip of the shaft supported on a table (like the screwdriver method linked to in an earlier post).

 

 

 

 

I straighten each bunch of raw shafts, then again before nock tapering, and again after the shaft finish is applied.

[snag]

That's a serious straightener there Stumpkiller!

Charlie, I'll have to try the "heat treatment".

The shafts I buy are Surewood shafts. I don't seem to find but a few that really require much straightening of any amount. I can usually just hand straighten these.

[David Mitchell]

Shaft Tamer is all I use or need any more.  Great tool....Dave

[Bjorn]

Fingers, do it like Don Stokes says.

[Chinook]

We have all probably developed our methods the work for us.  And that makes it enjoyable too.

I started out with a piece of an Autum Orange shaft (from my first deer kill).  Then went to buying "something better" here and there.  Hooks, rollers, wood, etc.  Well they all worked O.K. - but I always went back to that old piece of aluminium shafting - because it was always right there on my work bench.

So now I have sold all the various straighteners at rummage sales and my club swap meets, etc.  But the old Autum Orange shaft is still in use.
If I can't get it straight with that - it becomes a stump killer.

[Shawn Leonard]

The wheel on a pulley works very well also. I usually can get them very straight just by heating and hand straightening them. Shawn

[Ottawa Archer]

WOW, thanks for all the replies guys! this information will be put to good use--Lots of great ideas!