Types of wood shafts

[Ari]

What types of wood shaft have you used and whats your favorite and why? I've only really used POC and I find that I break a lot because the soil is quite rock where I live. I have been looking at trying some Fir or ash wood shafts as I hear they are stronger and hopefully might last a bit longer.

[jsweka]

I've used POC, douglas fir, and ash.  Lot's of guys find fir tougher than POC, but in my experience, I thought it broke just as easily.  Now I do LOVE the straigtness of fir and how well it shoots out of one of my longbows.  With my go-to bow these days, I'm using ash.  You can get ash straight, but you need to keep an eye on it even after sealing.  The only thing tougher than ash is carbon and I find during the seasons when I'm shooting ash, I build a lot fewer arrows than during the seasons when I'm shooting fir.

[Rob DiStefano]

imho - surewood doug fir, with the front end internally footed with nail or bamboo.  poc is too soft.  hex pines are good, too, but not as straight or easy to work with as surewood doug fir.

[Ari]

Ash sounds good, does the hard wood give you problems tapering the nocks and points with a pencil sharpener type taper tool?

[jsweka]

Not a problem with a sharp taper tool.  I found douglas fir tends to chip with with a pencil sharpener type taper tool.

[Ari]

I recently got an internal footing jig but haven't done much testing on the increased strength it produces, so far the arrow I did have footed with a 2" nail died in a terrible head to head with a bolder, guess nothing can withstand that... Does the amount of footing effect the strength, maybe 2" was to long?

[snag]

Most definitely try Surewood Shafts. They are pretty durable for wood. If you have to straighten any of them they take to straightening very well. Great shafts! If you have sander to do the nock taper it is best.

[Ari]

I would agree that they aren't to hard to get straight, I've got some Surewoods as a spine test kit, but they have never left the range so I haven't really seen what their strength is like.

Would Ash straighten fine by hand or would it be best to get one of the tools available or make one?

[meathead]

I like Surewoods too.  Just had some delivered today.  For stumping arrows I use laminated birch quite a bit.

[kindor]

I just recieved a dozen surewoods today also.  doesn't look like i will have to do any straightening and they are heavier than the cedar I've been using. If you decide to go with surewood I highly recomend braveheart archery

[Arwin]

Tapered chundoo!!!!      
My current shafts weigh 392-400 grains. With 190 grains up front they slam into foam with a loud smack.   :cool:

[Don Stokes]

Any hardwood shaft (ash, hickory, maple, yellow poplar, etc.) is several times tougher than any softwood shaft (POC, spruce, fir, chundoo, etc.). If breakage is a problem, go with a hardwood. I'm partial to yellow poplar because it's the lightest of the hardwoods while still giving me arrows in the 600 grain range with reasonable point weights, but much tougher than any softwood. POC is so soft you can cut it with your thumbnail.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by jsweka:
Not a problem with a sharp taper tool.  I found douglas fir tends to chip with with a pencil sharpener type taper tool.

i've fletched up over 6 dozen surewood doug fir shafts and they all shaved cleanly with a pencil sharpener tapering tool.  never had one chip with any for nock or point tapers.  i do hone my tapering tool blades to razor sharpness, though.

[moththerlode]

Surewoods Fir for me also ..  not too much soft dirt around here and POC just doesn't hold up here. I use a pencel sharpner on them with no issues, but can see a problem if on the dull side.

[Ari]

Don, where do you get your shafts from? The only hardwood shafts I can find is Ash and I'm thinking they might be to heavy for the 52# bow I plan to shoot them from.

[Don Stokes]

Ari, I was in the arrow shaft business for a few years, and kept enough to keep myself in shafts for life. Mostly I'm keeping them for myself and a few friends. I think Alleghney Arrow Woods might have yellow poplar. If you can't find it anywhere else, PM me on the spine you want and I'll see if I have some to spare. I'll be glad to share if I have what you need.

[Ari]

Thanks for the site, looks like they got a nice variety of shafts. I'll have to shoot them an email and see if they can fix me up.

[longstiks]

Ari,
  With ash you are better off to use a tool to straighten them as hand straightening doesn't seem to keep them true for long.
Denny