Building Traditional Arrows

[pupper]

I am just kiln drying some 1" thick yellow cedar to make into traditional hunting arrows, I was wondering if anyone knows any tips to building them or some dimensions I should work with?

I was planning on making them 9/16 x 9/16 squares but then what is the best way to making them cylindrical and what should the finished thickness size be?

do the tips have to be tapered?

thanks for the help in advance

[Will]

Well you're ambitious.....I like it !

Arrow and shaft building is a whole science unto itself....I've made some crude cedar shafts using a spoke shave but this is a real test of patience doing it this way...

Even the folks I know that "build" wooden arrows buy the shafts and do thier own tapering, fletching, cresting etc. The shafts are ordered pre sorted by spine etc.

A good read on the basics of Wood arrow building...
http://www.stickbow.com/features/ind...re=arrowmaking

Here's a couple more sites to browse and satisfy your "Primitive" side...lottsa good reading and useful info

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/directory

Hope this helps...abit.

[pupper]

thanks for the info Will!

[Evolution]

I made some yellow cedar shafts using my router. I only made three and they all broke off in stumps. I gluded ribtek broads on them and they just wouldnt let go of the heartwood of the old fir stump. I might try again one day, but for now I just buy Port Orford pre turned shafts.

[35 Whelen]

Lee Valley apparently sells a doweling jig that hooks up to a power drill. It will take square stock down to a dowel or rod shape quickly and accurately. Buddy of mine uses it and makes great shafts.

[horshur]

you can easily make a shaft jig to use on a table saw out of a block of wood....I can turn fir shafts pretty slick and quik that way....

I made up a couple dozen after several culls and have made decent shafts that made pretty good arrows....11/32 in my last batch seem a little stiff.

measuring spine and wieghing shafts will be my next project to get better consistency...

with the jig I can also reduce over diameter ramin dowleling and make a durable shaft as well....

use my culls to make arrows for the kids...

[Chris76239]

Check out this months issue of Traditional Bowhunter, they have a pretty good article on arrows from scratch.

Good Luck

[Monashee]

Saw to 3/8" square , follow the grain of course.

[Johnnybear]

Three Rivers Archery has a great video on building wooden arrows. Check it out if you like.

http://www.3riversarchery.com/Books+...1_product.html

They have all the stuff for gettin goin too.