Making arrow shaft

[stringstretcher]

I am in the process of making jigs to do some arrow shafts from square stock to round.  I found a good jig on the net via you tube and got some pictures from the guy who made it.  He uses a hard wood to burnish the round stock from 3/8 down to 11/32 but would not say what wood it is.  1. what would be be hard enough to do that pushing a 3/8 stock down into a smalller diameter hole to burnish and compress?  2. Is there some liquid that you could or should use on the stock to keep friction down while doing so, but could get it off the shaft for finishing?  Any help would be greatly appreciated

[Cacatch]

I would think any hard wood, smooth rock, or antler would work for burnishing to reduce diameter. As for the oil, lard, and just about any kind of oil would do.

CP

[Pat B]

Charlie, do you really need an oil to prevent the friction? You probably won't be creating that much heat and what little you do creat will temper the wood.

[stringstretcher]

Well I am not sure Pat.  He pushes 3/4 stock through it into the router which gets it to 3/8.  As it catches the pick up block going out it is still 3/8 but has three other blocks of hardwood, I assume with different gradual hole sizes that compresses, burnishes and when done, no sanding or anything, just a good clean 11/32 shaft.  I  am just going to have to try some different woods to see how it works.  Got the side rails and the pick up hole blocks cut today, no looking for some hard wood to make the other blocks.

[Pat B]

Can you start with smaller square stock? like 3/8" or so. That is what I have used to hand plane shafting.

[stringstretcher]

Oh yeah, I am sure you can, if you make the jig to work with that.  What I am wanting to do, is buy lumber, 1X4 or 6 and just rip it into square stock.  My entrance hole feeding into the router will accomadat that size square stock.  This will elimanate a lot of extra cutting and planeing.  Look for a pm and you will see the jig in action.......

[Cromm]

Oh yeah, I am sure you can, if you make the jig to work with that.  What I am wanting to do, is buy lumber, 1X4 or 6 and just rip it into square stock.  My entrance hole feeding into the router will accomadat that size square stock.  This will elimanate a lot of extra cutting and planeing.  Look for a pm and you will see the jig in action.......

Hi,
Can you send me a link or PM on the jig as well please??
Thanks for your time

[JustinNC]

dogwood, persimmon, american holly are about the three hardest I can think of that are fairly readily available....ironwood/hhb aint bad either.

[ken75]

i think i would get me a compression block from 3 rivers, heat and compress

[Jim Davis]

3/8 to 11/32 is a horrendous amount to compress. Seems likely to start a fire!

I have my router jig set to cut a 3/8 square down to about .002 bigger than the desired shaft size. It then enters a steel bushing (I have used oak successfully) that burnishes it down to finish size. They come out ready to apply the finish--look like they already have it.

Here is a picture of my setup.

[stringstretcher]

Asharrow.  I sent you a PM.

[Jim Davis]

3/8 to 11/32 is a horrendous amount to compress. Seems likely to start a fire!

I have my router jig set to cut a 3/8 square down to about .002 bigger than the desired shaft size.

You clearly did not see the words about .002 larger than desired size.

[stringstretcher]

asharrow.  I got your PM.  If I sent you one, that was over a year and a half ago?  In August of 2010?  I can not remember what I did last week let along over a year ago, so it must not have been too important.

[Jim Davis]

Guess that was a delayed response! I think I opened this thread thinking it was a more recent similar one that I had posted on.

Sorry.