How did you do it...

[cooksomerice]

How did each of you learn to build arrows?  Is there a good book, did someone teach you, trial and error, etc...?  I built a selfbow but shoot aluminum arrows due to lack of knowledge.  Would like to learn to build arrows soon.

Kyle

[nugget]

A lot of trial and error. Plus talking with people from this site and looking at pictures posted here. There is a wealth of knowledge floating around.

[Cromm]

Hi,
there is some great books out there but if you have found this site just look at as many arrow info and photos as you can for free.
Is there a type of arrow you have in mind that you want to make???

[Scowler]

ALOT of trial and error.  Check out this and other traditional/primitive web sites for information.  Two good ones (besides this one) are Stickbow.com and Paleoplanet.  Ask alot of questions.  There are some good bokks out there as well.  good luck.

[Hillbilly]

Like the others, reading, asking questions, and a lot of trial and error. A couple good books to get you going are Jim Hamm's Bows and Arrows of the Native Americans and Jay Massey's arrow chapter in the TBB vol. 1. There are also a plethora of good arrow-making articles in the back issues of PA magazine.

[recurve shooter]

i still cant make em.  but the difference between aluminum (which i used to shoot) and good wooden arrows is amazeing. if nothing else order some wooden arrows from 3 rivers.

[huntertrapper]

trial and error. this great site and shooting the ones ive made. my biggest lesson was keeping the same wing on the arrow not left and right, learned that the hard way 

[cooksomerice]

Thanks all.  I currently shoot aluminums.  They are 30 inch 2018's with 175 grain tips.  If I were going to order woodies, I would not even know which ones to get.  Any suggestions based on the arrow that I currently shoot?

[1/2primitive]

It would depend on the weight and draw length of your bow.
When finding the right arrows, it's important to test shoot differing spine weights to settle on a certain one that flies well from your bow.

A good, cheap way to learn is to get some poplar dowels from your local hardware store and experiment with those.
     Sean

[scattershot]

2018s spine at 65#. I would think 60-65# woodies cut to the same length with 160 grain points would be awful close.

Good luck!

[bootboy]

i read jim hamms book, went to the forest and homedepot, got some shoots and some dowels and then chinatown for goosefeathers and fake sinew, and messed about till they started to work correctly.

[mullet]

 The first book I had was Jim Hamms also. The first arrows I made were bamboo. I just cut it arrow size and stuck some crude glass points and some feathers on and shot them. If they came close I was happy. I didn't know anything about spine, I just shot them. Then I got on here and was exposed to people like Art Butner and learned from a lot of people on this site about arrow building. I'm better at gathering the materials for arrow building and trading people that build beautiful arrows. I have lots of nice arrows.

[Pat B]

I've read every archery book out there and from them I started playing with bought shafting(Port Orford Cedar). I learned how to make arrows from them(actually it is more like assembling  ). In the first few editions on PA magazine, Ken Wee wrote a four part series called "Arrow Making 101". Find and read those articles.
  I thought I knew about arrows until I met Art Butner. Art explained to me(and many others) how to really build good shooting arrows. I'm a lot like Mullet. I can and do collect lots on arrow making material and send it to the experts and they send me a few arrows in return. I too have lots of excellent arrows.