Eastern Woodlands Two-Fletch

[JackCrafty]

Recently I was asked to do a detailed build-along of NA style two-fletch.  I've only done a couple arrows this way (a long time ago), so I felt it was a good opportunity for me to get some practice and also to have a piece I can study later.  So here goes:

(Some of this will be repetitive for those who have seen my other build-alongs....my apologies.  Please bear with me)

I will be using two wild turkey secondaries, deer sinew, privet arrow, and fish glue.
Here are the materials:





First I peel off the vanes of the feathers.







Then I trim to size using Jim Hamm's book for a guide.
In this case I will be reproducing Cherokee arrow fletching.









Then I trim the quill.
I use one of two methods:  slow and difficult with razor blade….and fast and easy with dremel tool.
Here I show both methods.










Then I dip the feathers in water to soften the quill (for bending).






Then I prepare some sinew while the feathers are in the water for a minute or two…





Then separate the vanes and bend the tip to prepare for attaching to the arrow.







Next I dip the sinew and apply glue to the shaft….







Then apply the fletching.









Smoothing down the sinew with my fingernail.





Then trimming the excess quill, folding over the feathers, and attaching the front of the quills….














NOTE:
There is about a 90 degree difference from the back of the feather to the front.  I've seen even greater angles on some arrows.

[El Destructo]

Nice Job Patrick....I think I will try a few of these with the Boo I got from Eddie Parker

[JackCrafty]

Trimming the feathers
Most examples I’ve seen have very short feathers….Cherokee being a good example.









Comparing to the illustration of a Cherokee arrow
The nock is usually parallel with the rear of the fletching.
Mine is pretty close.
The fletching on mine could be cut back a tad more, but time is short and I’ve lost daylight….





A few more close-ups:





The end.

[JackCrafty]

I might add that this is not the only two-fletch design used by Native Americans.  This style, with the rear of the feather retaining vanes on both sides of the quill, was used east of the Mississippi.  There is also the more conventional two feather fletch with the quill glued down and/or tied on both ends...and having vanes on only one side of the quill.  The feathers were either laid down straight or in a spiral.   In almost all cases, however, the feathers were trimmed short....usually around 1/4" in height.

OK....now...

The End.

 

[medicinewheel]

Another really great post of your's...!
Planing on doing a Penobscot sometime soon; this would be the right sort of arrow to go withone of those I reccon!?

[n2everythg]

Nice job patrick thanks for the BAL.

only ur supposed to chew that sinew

n2

[JackCrafty]

Frank, yes, this arrow fletching is appropriate for your Penobscot bow.  There are a couple of Penobscot arrows in Jam Hamm's book.  They are not shown with fletching, the nocks are bulbous, and depressions are cut into the sides of the nock where the fingers pinch the shaft.  There are few Delaware arrows in the book and they all have this style of fletching.  The only difference being that the rear of the feather is blocked (cut perpendicular to the shaft) instead of being tapered like the one I've shown.

N2.....I've never had the desire to chew the sinew.  Somehow, the thought of using spit for glue does not sit right with me.  Is there such a thing as spit-o-phobia?  I've got it bad.   

[ricktrojanowski]

Awesome buildalong Patrick.   You do beautiful work.   It couldn't come at a better time, I'm just about to fletch some arrows two fletch.  I hear you about spit a phobia.  I'm not really into chewing on the sinew either.  I'm lucky and only have Yooper sinew and who knows what Dana's secret processing technique is. .  I really appreciate the time you take to post these BAL's,  I've learned a ton from them.

[Pat B]

Nice BAL Patrick. Your bows and arrows are as close to the real thing I've ever had the pleasure to hold. Keep posting the good stuff!

[D. Tiller]

ENCORE! ENCORE! MORE!MORE!MORE WE WANT MORE!!! 

Great tutorial! I'm going to try it. But how the heck did you get that shaft so straight? I have a heck of a time getting mine straight and keeping them that way.

Tiller

[JackCrafty]

Thanks Rick.  These are not taking me as long as they used to......but I need to learn how to take advantage of all the cool features of my camera.  I still haven't figured out how to get a whole arrow in focus when I take of picture of it looking down the shaft.   

Pat, thanks.  I'll keep taking pictures and posting stuff when I'm not doing honey-do's, yard work, and the occasional "Daddy, I need money for something at school....can you go get some?"...

Thanks David.  I'll tell you my secret for getting them straight:  start with a stick that doesn't have drastic bends.  For keeping them straight:  You got me.  I have to hand straighten every time I use them (or take pictures of them). 

[TRACY]

Patrick, thanks for the tutorial! Ever use cane or boo for 2 fletch where you actually split the shaft(Nock end) and insert tail feathers? I've done a few that way and really like it. I think Pat B or Hillbilly suggested it once and so I tried it.

Tracy

[JackCrafty]

Tracy, nope, I haven't tried the "splitting the cane" method of making a two-fletch arrow.  Looks like it's very effective, though.  I might try it someday.

[jamie]

nice work pat. im still diggin the mustard bottle of glue.  id end up with fish glue on a sandwich

[JackCrafty]