[Woodywoodduck]

I was in Creek Side Archery Shop in Middletown this afternoon...

Was looking at all the stuff the guy has and looked at the different arrows he makes himself to sell..Got some Ideas on what to do with all the old Buck Racks I have cluttering up the attic and shed...I showed my Wife the Bow/Hat/Coat Rack he had made and has in his shop and suggested we make a coat rack like that with the racks and she agreed and wants me to try making one...


I want to see what all you guys say on Wooden Arrows....


He has a few different arrows he makes and sells..

some he makes that have goose feathers on them, Pretty Neat how they look..

Then he has the Typical Turkey Feather Arrows and flew flew arrows made with different types of feathers and then there is the regular arrows with some kind of Feather that is White (I didn't ask, but maybe Bald Eagle tail feathers

)

Those of you who shoot Wooden arrows, which would you choose...
Regular White Feathers, Traditional Turkey Feather or the Goose Feather Type and why?

Is there a Differance in the flight of the arrows from being made with Different Feathers?


I'd love to have him make me some out of wild rose bush that he told me he has made before...something very different, but do not want to spend a heck of a lot on arrows...Maybe I'll get him to explain to me how to make them and then try my luck at making arrows!

 

[Buckethead]

Goose feathers are nice if the weather is raining due to their natural water repellency. And they do look kind of cool. Turkey feathers also scream traditional. I have a few hunting arrows with turkey feathers I use for spring gobbler hunting. They are plain shaft, no cap dip for lower visibilty. My normal hunting arrows are made with a red cap dip and red feathers. They are more visible in flight. There really isn't any mystery or magic to making arrows. I enjoy making my own. Much cheaper than buying them already made. Over a few Christmas' and birthdays, I just asked for arrow making stuff or gift certificates to 3 Rivers. I have a fletching jig, crester, feather chopper and a whole tackle box full of feathers, nocks, field points, etc.

Here's a couple plain janes I made...

The cap dip is just a darker colored stain...

I don't have a close-up of my deer hunting arrows but you can get an idea of my setup from this pic.....

 

[Erik T]

Cedar shafts and turkey feather fletching is the standard if you want to shoot wood arrows however there are many, many variations. I've made arrows out of cedar, fir, maple, ash, ramin, aluminum, fiberglass, and carbon. They all work well. If you want to get into shooting your longbow I'd start basic with a set of cedar arrows. Check with Bob Hildebrand and he'll set you up at a reasonable price. Once you play around with it some more you may want to delve into making your own.

 

[bushmaster]

I'm a fan of Douglas Fir, real heavy and durable, relatively easy to straighten and takes stain well. Here are my hunting arrows for this season.

 

[bushmaster]

I bought these shafts off of Bobby H, he'll treat ya right!

 

[Woodywoodduck]

Ok, the guy I talked to on Saturday explained how to Straighten certain Woods to use to make homemade arrows....BUT what I did not ask is..

When you get the limbs or stalks you plan on using to make the arrows out of, do you have to do major sanding of the wood or do you just look for very nice smooth limbs and Stalks?

He told me about how he made arrows out of Wild Rose Bushs and showed me some of them and how he went about straightening them...but I never asked how he got them so smooth...
Do you have to majorly Sand??

I can see me getting stuff in the future to make homemade arrows and I can see the Wife getting Pretty MAD at yet another thing I would want to tinker with that involves Hunting and all the other Non-Hunting Stuff I make!

 

[Erik T]

Making your own arrows out of raw stock, let alone rough stalks or shoots, crosses the line into primitive archery. Not saying you can't do it but most folks start out making their own wooden arrows from planned shafting. Some progress futher and get into primitive archery like the guy you met.
If you want to get into arrow making I suggest you purchase shafting and go with that. Try Allegheny Arrow Woods up in Coudersport http://www.arrowwoods.com.

 

[Woodywoodduck]

Erik,

Thanks for that Link...

You do know that you may have just gotten me on the road to being, How can I say This...

would Neutered be an ok way to say it?

The Wife is not going to take this to well....

Anyone have any Suggestions on HOW to sneak Arrow Making Supplies and Tools into the House??

 

[Buckethead]

Can't help ya there, Woody. All I can say it is obvious you have been bitten by the trad bug. No known cure but it can be kept in check by making arrows, shooting stumps, joining a trad archery club....Wait, those things only further the addiction. But, do them anyway. Might as well not fight it!