Arrow assembly

[Pdwight]

I have some pre spined shafts coming in, I want to assemble my first arrows. Let me see if I have this correct

Stain first

Partial dip to cover the fletching area (optional)

Cresting

then several dips in sealer (allowing dry time)

Then spine weak side away from bow

feathers , nock, and point ??

I know this is a very brief summary but I just wanted to run this by you folks, I am going to use Minwax Water based sealer, what should I use for the fletching area (I want white)

Thanks

Dwight

[Hillbilly]

Sounds like the process. Most folks use colored gasket laquer, I think, for crown dip on traditional wood arrows (and clear for a final finish, usually.) I usually put the stiffest side against the bow, but just be sure to get your nocks lined up perpendicular to the grain of the shaft.

[Pat B]

With store bought doweled arrows you have to pay attention to the grain when lining things up to make arrows. The edge grain of the shaft will generally be the stiff sides but you don't always get to put the stiffest side against the bow. You want the "flames" of the grain pointing towards the point end.

[riarcher]

Left out the first step........... straighten. 

Sometimes it's nice to recheck the straightness and radial static balance before fletching.

I've 2 pcs. of (lucky) 7" pcs. of 1/2 round. On a flat counter top I set them to just inside the nock & point areas and see if there is a heavy, wobbly side by rolling them and looking under. Sometimes I can cure some, sometimes they become flu-flus or rabbit arrows.

I feel if I static balance them (like a drive shaft) they seem to fly a bit truer. Even if they need a very slight bend to balance out.
Can't say the balancing is a must do thing,,, just seems to insure a more consistant arrow flight for me anyways. I've never heard anyone else ever trying it. But think it may be why some go to a heavy offset or heli (to counter act the balance issues). I try not to get too carried away with helical and such because I feel it adds noise to the flight. Just my opinion though (and possibby B.S.?)
Only takes a minute and I feel more confidant.

[dmassphoto]

Thanks for this post, as I'm starting out in this too.  What do you mean exactly by "spine the weak side away from bow?" 

Also, posting some potential problems that could occur, along with solutions would help tremendously.  Thanks!

-Dave

[HatchA]

What do you mean exactly by "spine the weak side away from bow?" 

Arrows have a stiff side and a weaker side.  The stiff side is always the side which sits next to the bow/arrow rest because the weaker side needs to bend more as the string forces the arrow on it's journey "around" the bow.  This whippy flexing is called Archer's Paradox and it's the stage wgere the arrow straightens up to fly to it's target.


@ Pdwight...

the shafts you're getting are pre-spined but do you not still need to determine the correct length of them for the bow that they're for? 

I thought the first step would be to position the nock correctly

Then the pile

Then fire from the bow without fletches etc and shorten the shaft until the nock sits dead centre

Then do all the fancy cresting/sealing etc

Then the fletches?

[Pdwight]

Hey Im new to this, I have not shot a bow in 20 years and just got back into this. In the past I never spined anything we just bought arrows and shot them....that being said I want to do this right...you guys tell me.

Dwight

[HatchA]

Hey Im new to this, I have not shot a bow in 20 years and just got back into this. In the past I never spined anything we just bought arrows and shot them....that being said I want to do this right...you guys tell me.

Dwight

No worries man, I'm new to this myself.  Haven't tuned any arrows to my first bow as it isn't at it's finished weight yet.  I think the shafts come in different spine ranges but also in full length form - about 34 or 36 inches long.  As I understand it, you set the nock up correctly and then add the pil/point, shoot it to see how far left the nock is, then shorten the shaft from the tip end a couple of inches (if it's nock left by a good bit), re-fit the pile and shoot again.  The nock should be less left of centre now so you'd keep trimming off a little at a time until you shoot the arrow and the nock sits in line with the tip and your bow.

I've been told that if the shafts are spined together very closely, you can get away with doing this to one arrow, then cut the rest of the shafts to the same length and they'll fly just as straight.  I s'pose that depends greatly on the source of the shafts and how well matched the shafts are to each other.

[riarcher]

Dwright -
When I came back I spent a lot of time looking thru old post.
Unbelievable what is in there. Probably most all the answers your ready for anyways.
Plus, you'll see more of what is opinions, works one way, works many ways, and what is effected by what.
Good reading. You may want to gleam some insight in the search.
Warning,,, seems every answer opens 5 more questions.
Sort of like the more you know,,, the more you learn of the things you don't know. 
Like before you order arrows,, you may want to consider a ton of things first.

[George Tsoukalas]

These >>>>>>should face toward your shooting hand when the arrow is in the shooting position or as close as possible. Before staining get your self a finish nail and make a little hole at the nock end about a 1/4 inch from the end to mark where the points are. Are you cutting self nocks or installing plastic nocks? here's some arrow stuff. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/simplearrow.html