Arrow Building

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Eledhwen
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Arrow Building

Post by Eledhwen »

This is the start of what I intend to be a growing thread on building arrows medieval style. Not all the tools are medieval but the tools used which are blatantly modern have the benefit of training eye and hand so they eventually are not needed. That said, I will use them anyway as they are efficient, fast, and simple.

To start with, a pic of my first arrow, that is, the first one I ever did. As can be seen it used a plastic snap-nock as at the time I hadn't the tool (or the courage) to go for a self-nock. The thread used for binding is black silk. Useful, strong..but I will probably use artificial sinew for the rest of them. It is cheaper, still strong, and cheaper. The fletches are real feathers, just dyed; I wanted an unusual combination so grey and grey barred white were the selections. When I have used them all (a matter of some 100 arrows) I will go to simple turkey and goose feathers.

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This next image is my work table with the tools present. Taper tool (the black cylinder), nifty nocker (the aluminum cube and tightener, the various points, the saws and files, etc. The camera makes the shafts look curved but they are not.

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Another image of the work table, which, btw, is a round shield blank nailed to the center of one of my working stumps. ;)

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And finally a rather blurry image of the self nocks and one of the inserts. Since these shafts are ash and therefore a hardwood I do not really need the inserts; I would with Cedar of course, but not with hardwood. I will not likely use the inserts in the bodkins and use a different color for different heads...quick differentiation maybe.

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I will add to this thread as I make things and try to give a step by step as I go...hopefully some can learn along with me as I learn as I am still very new to this and no expert.

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Jonathan B.
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Jonathan B. »

Looking good so far. Thank you for making this thread.
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Mirimaran
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Mirimaran »

I second that! Great work, and documentation!

Ken
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Eledhwen
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Eledhwen »

On we go. I did this shaft up rikki tik to get it all rolling:

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This is the 11/32nds ash arrow shaft spined for 55-60 pound draws locked into the Nifty Nocker self-nock guide. The block is made of aluminum and as you will be able to see, is cut rather easily by the saw blade so care must be taken. It is a nifty contraption but I will in time replace it with a better version that does four shafts at once and is made of steel.

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This is showing the shaft end with the grain emphasized by pen; since this is a bodkin point and the shaft is hardwood I will not use an insert but instead simply cut the nock into the shaft perpendicular to the grain. This prevents splitting. Were the shaft made of cedar or some other soft wood, I would cut a slot with the grain and glue in a hardwood shim. Once it cured I would then turn the shaft 90 degrees and cut the nock into it perpendicular to the grain, strengthening the nock area. As we will see later, there is another method to assist with this.

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Here I have the nocker clamped into the vice and you can see I have made the initial guide cut perpendicular to the grain using a hacksaw blade. This guids the round blade that is used to form the nock itself. I found this step useful but you could simply discard it. In one shaft I messed up I simply cut the nock into the new end free hand...it is not too bad really.

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The nock is cut, this is the jig in its two parts. Though the nock slot is cut, it is not finished. It requires filing to shape so the string slides in more easily and there are no snags. You can file it to work much like a snap-nock but I have not done that as of yet.

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The point end of the shaft in the tapering tool.

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The tapered shaft.

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Long bodkin point friction fitted to the shaft.

Next I will linseed treat the shaft. After that comes tuning which will take a bit and be a rather slow process that involves cutting the shaft to optimal size from the point end hence a lot of gluing and re-gluing, and finally adding the fletches and the binding. This is going to take a while to complete so please bear with me.

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Kiriana
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Kiriana »

Oh wow that is so kool

I shoot crossbow and want to make my own bolts some day.
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Eledhwen
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Eledhwen »

I have not made crossbow bolts myself but I am told much of it is similar. I have discovered that making these arrows is fun. I have a nasty suspicion I will go through the 100 shafts rather quickly.

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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Kiriana »

Well Erich knows how to do fletching and such.. we just need to get some tools to do it.. will have him teach me eventually hehe.

I know my current bolts are same thickness as his arrow. And only need to put two feathers vs 3 like an arrow has. No nock is needed. Basically I can get 2 possibly 3 bolts out of one arrow shaft hehe

And he needs long arrows. He has like a 32" draw.. big ole boy that he is hehe. And our youngest is like just an inch shorter than dad right now.. and will be bigger. He too has a long draw. So maybe can get 3 bolts out of one of their arrow shafts hehe
“From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.”

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Eledhwen
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Eledhwen »

I have a 30" draw myself. I am after, down the line, making some flu-flu arrows for bird hunting. Those have four fletches. I use a Jo-Jann six pack jig so I can fletch six at once. It was the self nocks that had me flummoxed and not a little nervous for a long while. I am still sorting out the binding but it gets better each time. The newest part is tuning the arrow before fletching.

Eventually I will start in on making a bow. *gulp* That's scary. LOL

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E.MacKermak
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by E.MacKermak »

Need to get the tools...haven't tried my hand at self nocks yet. My old First Sergeant (who re-introduced me to traditional shooting over 20 years ago) had a 6 pack jig...I never got one and have had to pay for pre-made arrows...time to go back to making my own. Thanks for the tutorial.
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Eledhwen
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Eledhwen »

I had never heard of them until late last year. I got this one, at the time the only one I could find. I have since found a four pack. I would like a six, if I could find one. I have a six arrow fletching jig so why not?

Welcome. More to come. :)

Another new thing to me was tuning the arrow to the specific bow. This is something I am mightily curious about and will have a go with my current bow and a different size arrow shaft spined for it. I want to see how the technique works. They say it adds range and accuracy since the arrow is already about dead accurate before it is fletched. This I have to experience. As I do that, I will post it in this thread along with pics.

All the way to the end of the journey. It is likely to take a while.

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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Kiriana »

It will definately be fun to watch.
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Eledhwen
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Eledhwen »

Here we go, a quick fletching section. This is just one arrow, a test since I have not done this for a bit, as will be obvious in the pictures. :) Live and learn.

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Here is the jig, the clamp, and the cock feather. Traditionally the cock feather was striped and the hen feathers were solid color. The cock feather is set at ninety degrees to the nock itself and makes it easy to know when the arrow is nocked correctly for shooting.

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This is the cock feather set into the clamp. The arrow is in the jig set for the cock feather to be applied. After this I add a strip of fletching tape, a double sided adhesive tape that makes this job something less messy and so far, easier.

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This shows the nock receptacles; they have a piece of metal where the string would be and they rotate and lock for each feather to be attached. This is a Jo-Jan rig and can do both three and four feather fletches. In this image it is set for the cock feather, which I always do first.

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The cock feather has been applied. I forgot to take a picture of the clamp in place but oh well. There are plenty more to fletch. You can see the helical curve to the feather. Please forgive the feet in the pic; sandal tan I'm afraid.

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The second feather being applied. This is the part I forgot with the cock feather. This one is, obviously, a hen feather. If I were doing four feathers, there would be two cock and two hen feathers. Historically up to six feathers could be used. Down the line I will use four, but only for 'flu-flu' feathers for bird hunting.

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All fletches applied but of course, you can only see two of them here.

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Binding applied. I did not photograph the actual process as I have only two hands and there are tutorials for doing this on YouTube if you want to look for them. I still have trouble getting the spirals even...but that will get better in time. The arrow here is effectively complete save cresting. The thread here is black silk as it shows up better than the artificial sinew does.

Doing the single arrow first helped me get comfortable again and pointed out some things I hadn't prepared for..such as my glue for the binding which took about an hour of searching to locate. ;) Plenty more arrows to go and I will add some more detailed images as I go..especially when I use different clamps. Before long I will begin working on the trade point hunting broadheads. That should prove very interesting.

Another step along the road.

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Kiriana
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Kiriana »

Wow looking good!!
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Jon »

Your nocks look quite a bit better than mine. Is it really worth getting a jig though? BTW Is 6'' by 3/4'' down to 1/5'' too big for fletchings?

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Eledhwen
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Re: Arrow Building

Post by Eledhwen »

Since I seem to be unable to saw a slot in a straight line, yes the jig was worth getting.

As to what is too big...I think that is more personal choice. The larger the flight, the more drag...but if it is on a larger arrow possibly not so much. I use 5- 5.5" flights on mine and my shafts are 31" long to start with, of 11/32 ash.

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