Reducing Nodes

[hillbilly61]

What are some ways of reducing the nodes before straightening? I noticed the ones I'm practicing on still look bent after straghtening, enven though I know they are straight. I know the nodes need to come off. I just thought it might be better if it was done first.

[nugget]

I use a file and spin the shaft with my hand as I am filing the node off. Then I smooth with sandpaper. Go slow and try to file evenly.

[aero86]

I use a dremel tool with a sanding drum.  Hold the dremel steady and spin the shaft.   Then smooth it out.  I've heard some people compressing the nodes down.  I've yet to try it

[Cacatch]

I've never done it, but there are some guys on here that heat the nodes and roll them over a round rock to press them flat.

[Pat B]

You want to do all the straightening first. I generally don't reduce the nodes but when I do I either compress them or sand them. If the cane arrows spins true it should fly true. Having a crook here or there doesn't necessarily mean they won't fly well.

[agd68]

I recently made my first ever cane arrows out of garden stakes. some I straighten first then reduced the nodes I tried reducing the node first on 3 of them but when I heated and tried to straighten the node area they snapped like chalk. I don't profess to be an expert, just my experience on my first attempts.

[Tom Leemans]

I took two sand paper discs, like you'd stick on a bench sander and bolted them together, face to face, then chucked it up in the drill press. I scalloped the edges of the discs so the edges don't dig in. The discs have to be really flexible so they'll spread apart as you sort of wedge the shaft in between them. You turn on the drill, then spin the arrow shaft as you push it in between the discs. Takes a little practice but works good. I got the idea after watching a video of this dude making Korean arrows. His was much cruder though. He had an electric motor sitting on the ground that looked like your cousin Bubba just wired it up with some wire he had left over from his old truck.

[Hillbilly]

Reducing the nodes before straightening is a recipe for broken shafts. I always straighten first, then reduce the nodes. There are lots of ways to get the nodes down that all work well, some are just faster-belt sander, Dremel with sanding drum, file, knife, flint flake, sandstone, etc. I usually use my Dremel and sanding drum.

[hillbilly61]

Wellll. I know one that is gonna break.  I sanded it today but still need to straighten it. I think I'll just wait a few weeks an use it to plant tomato's Thanks for all the info You guys are great.
 

[Hillbilly]

You can try it-it very well may not break if you're gentle with the nodes when you're straightening it. Just saying that they are a lot more likely to break if you have to do any major bending after reducing the nodes, enough so to straighten first as a general rule.

[DanaM]

Straighten as best ya can then on to the belt sandander for node reduction, if a node needs a little tweaking it won't hurt it any.
Just don't over heat and be gentle eh

[Woodland Roamer]

I'm like Pat, I reduce the nodes very little, sometimes none at all.

Alan