February Harvest/Homemade Arrows

[ToddsPoint]

I’ve always wanted to try making some arrows, primitive style. Luckily, I planted an arrow wood viburnum in my yard 30 yrs ago. It was mature and needed rejuvenation anyway so I harvested all the canes. I need to bundle them and hang them to dry. Then start working them down into arrows. This is my first attempt. Any arrow makers out there that can give advice? I’m all ears!

 

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[russau]

A picture pictorial of this process would be a neat thread to see !

 

[releventchair]

Kid and I bought cane at a garden center to make atlatl darts.
Heated biggest crooks with (near not in) a fire to bend them fairly straight.
Quickly ruled out most of them for stubborn character defects vs hopes of straightening.

One surprise was how poorly we could attach drag to the rear of one and still stabilize flight..
From cutting nice vanes after splitting feathers and securing more than the ends , to only cutting the ends of a split shortened feather, to only attaching ends of a whole feather.
A friend made some with strips of fur spiraled.

Yes modern fletching design is more durable and consistent. And can be transferred to your cane.
Experiment! You can remove what you don't like and reuse good shafts.

 

[Older The Better]

I made one once I thought it came out great but I never fired it, I don’t have a bow and I gave it to someone anyway, I used heat to straighten the shaft that was the most helpful thing I learned, I’ve been wanting to take a crack at a bow but that looks very challenging

 

[newnan man]

Good luck!

 

[DizzyDigger]

I’ve always wanted to try making some arrows, primitive style. Luckily, I planted an arrow wood viburnum in my yard 30 yrs ago. It was nature and needed rejuvenation anyway so I harvested all the canes. I need to bundle them and hang them to dry. Then start working them down into arrows. This is my first attempt. Any arrow makers out there that can give advice? I’m all ears!

Best advice I could give you would be to register over on The Leatherwall, a forum dedicated to traditional and primitive archery. I've been a member there for over 25 years; good people there, and no doubt they will walk you through every step of making those arrows. I can assure you they will also go bonkers over seeing some of your points..

Stickbow.com's Leatherwall II"

I made one once I thought it came out great but I never fired it, I don’t have a bow and I gave it to someone anyway, I used heat to straighten the shaft that was the most helpful thing I learned, I’ve been wanting to take a crack at a bow but that looks very challenging

It can be a challenge, but it's also great fun, and not near as difficult as you might think. Takes just a few basic hand tools, a good stave and plenty of patience. I'd again suggest the same site, in the link above.