Wood arrows, more testing and fun

[TomBow]

So our friend mobow teaches me about wood arrows during an intensive learning session at his house earlier this summer.  And durned if he didn't give me a few shafts, points, feathers and nocks for me to "give-er-a-go" with.  So I get online and research an arrow roller (straightness checker) and a spine tester (Jim Hill) and make myself one of each.  Then I get an actual Putting-Arrows-Together tackle box and points, nocks, glue, taper tool, etc.  I put together the donation-arrows and I'll be an uncle-monkey if they don't fly very well!  Then I look at some more Ashby penetration studies, get to thinking about FOC, upping arrow weight, with wood shafts in mind.  So's I hit Stu's calculator, speak with Neil Hildebrand and order some Sitka Spruce in 80-85 spine, 420-440 in grain weight, and some new 225gr Tuffheads, and 225gr brass field points and put a few together.  I end up with arrows going 650-675 grains total, FOC's in the mid17's to upper 18's that are flying pretty well.  I have been tweaking fletching configurations (4", 3", and adjusting wrap lengths) and shaft lengths to come up with the magic arrow.  Still testing but I am getting close.

Field testing will begin in a bit over 2 weeks, when I hope to see just how well the penetration is.  I got some lighter single-bevel heads also donated to me so I have been using 100 gr. woody weights and 125 grain heads to bring total point weight up to 225 gr. to match the Tuffheads.  It actually works pretty well and I have had zero failures so I must be gluing them correctly.

Just thought I would stir up some conversation and to advise that even I can make good flying arrows so you can too~!

Hope you all have a great time practicing for the upcoming season and have the patience necessary to endure just a few more days of NOT bowhunting!  Best of LUck to all!

[TomBow]

Update:  Learned a valuable lesson: When I ordered those 80-85, or 80-84 spine shafts in August, Neil H. suggested going down a spine group but I, in my infinite wisdom, stuck to my guns and he sent me what I asked for.  When they arrived, I cut 3 down to my desired length right away after straightening and wiping on 4 coats of poly and straightening again before cutting.  LESSONS, there are 2:  #1-listen to Neil, if he says go down a group, GO DOWN A GROUP  #2-Don't cut them before you shoot them!  What I ended up with is over-spined shafts except for the last 3 which I didn't cut at all.  Me getting all "cutty" made the first 9 too stiff as I struggled to find the right length and got longer with each cut.  I ended up with a dozen that ranged in size from 29" to back of point (BOP) to 30.5" BOP.  My desire was to have an arrow about 29.5" BOP but I didn't take the point-taper into consideration on the first few, discovered my mistake and adjusted length, all too stiff until I tried them at full length.  When there is an inch extra on the shaft, it seems that the broadhead is hanging out way past the shelf at full draw.  I draw a hair over 28".

Fast Forward to my most recent order:  I had a long conversation with Neil, LISTENED to his advice and ordered what he suggested, 70-74 spines cut to yield 29.5" BOP.  When the shafts arrived, they were 29.5" which I thought was a bit short to yield the BOP length that I wanted, but was excited to have new shafts to "work" so I proceeded to weigh, spine and write the weight and spine on the top of the shafts.  Per Mr. Arne Moe, I oriented the grain so the most forward pointing "feathers", the ends of the grain running horizontally would be designated as the top of the shaft.  He taught me that, you want the forward pointing grain away from your hand in case the arrow splits at the shot, which is pretty rare but you might as well be prepared for worst-case, correct?  If those forward pointing grain layers do split at the shot, they might imbed in your hand if orientated on the bottom of the shaft.
I then took 6 of the shafts, straightened them and put on a coat of wipe-on poly.  Then I was in the cities this weekend, went to Menard with wife and Mom-in-law to get Mom some paint, I wandered around the paint department and decided to get some stain for the new arrow shafts.  Got home and put on a coat of stain over the first coat of Poly, LESSON:  Stain penetrated SO much better if you stain first, NOT POLY first.  Suffice to say, the stain didn't penetrate a whole lot and the new shafts are only slightly darker than the old ones.
After 1 Poly coat, 2 Stain coats and another top coat of Poly, I tapered 4 of the shafts, and put on nocks, white wraps (3.25") and 4-fletched (3" White that I cut down from 4" Parabolics).  2 shafts got 100 g. Woody Weights and 125 gr. blunts, 1 shaft got the 100 g. Woody and 125 gr. Grizzly.  The other was for future point application.  These shafts yielded a 29 1/8" BOP arrow.  I contacted Neil and turns out that they should have been cut to 30.5" but were cut 29.5" at Hildebrand before shipping.  EXCELLENT Customer Service at HIldebrand:  He offered to ship me out a replacement dozen and have me send back the 6 "Non-worked" shafts!   I appreciate that when I order something and it is not right, Neil is willing to make it right.  Gotta say, I think he's got a dedicated customer now!
So far the new shaft, although a bit short, is flying well bare and equally as well fletched, so I think I have the right spine now to use 225 gr. Tuffheads.  The new arrows weigh around 640 gr. total  with an FOC in the 18's, about 12 gr. per lb. with my bow.  After hitting and killing that doe with a shoulder shot through heavy bone (not intentional), I am sold on heavy arrows and the Single Bevel Tuffheads.
Was intending to "fancy up" the new shafts until I discovered the length issue.  Now I will wait for the new-new shafts and have time to figure out how fancy I am going to get.  And I will STAIN FIRST, POLY SECOND!

Hope you are all doing well and are having great times in the woods and behind your bows!

ME done been gittin' some real learnin', yup!
TomBow

[Popester]

I've been shooting a recurve for about a year, and I love it!  A couple weeks ago, against my better judgement, I went to The Footed Shaft in Rochester.  I was curious about making my own wood arrows, I've only shot aluminum till now.  This was against my better judgement because I AM NOT a handyman kind of guy, I'm not very patient, and may be putting out money for something that I'm gonna regret.  Terry took the time to show me how to do things and answered all my questions.  I just made very basic arrows, they fly straight, and I really enjoyed it!  Like I said, they're very basic arrows, but hopefully I'll be making fancier ones in the near future.

[TomBow]

Oh Popester!  What have YOU DONE???
Let me warn you, I too am no handyman, not too skilled with hands other than guitars and basses.  I dove into fletching, bought a Bitz. and darned if I don't produce a good flying, purdy fletched arrow!  That was many year ago when I was compounding and I have a box FULL of fletched arrows to show for my efforts.  Then I got into the trad thing, traded for a couple bows and some OLD wood arrows.  Shot a few of those just to see what would happen, then decided maybe I'd try to make some PROPER wood arrows.  Now I have an arrow making tackle-box and can turn raw shafts into beautiful, straight flying , deer killing arrows.  My first batch of arrows were pretty plain, clear finished shafts, painted on all-white "cresting, 4-fletched with big Yellow feathers.  Latest are grain-rich, spruce, white vinyl wraps with 2-yellow and 2 red 4 fletches.  I am on my 5th set of arrows and I am sure that there will be many more woods becoming arrows at my house. 
You may be headed down the same road.  Good luck my bow brudder, enjoy the ride!!

[PRK]

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum but thought I'd jump in to this wood arrow conversation.  I've been shooting wood since I started shooting though I have experimented with aluminum and carbon.  I understand the superior qualities of non-wood but can never get away from a good cedar arrow.  Making wood arrows is just as addicting as shooting trad.  Wait till you start splicing, burning, and chopping feathers.  There's no end to it.