Some new long arrows

[markinengland]

I thought I would post some pictures of my new set of long arrows as I make them. A kind of build along.

The shafts are 33 inch tonkin, 50-55#. The forshafts are black palm, 13 inches long.



I made up a special drill bit from a 10mm spade bit.

I checked for the heavy end of the shaft and chose this as the point end. I bound the end of each shaft with silk ribbon and soaked it in glue. I chose super glue as this seems to work very well with silk. The colour doesn't matter too much as this will be covered later. Right now the binding is there to stop the shaft splitting when the shaft end is opened up for the foreshaft.

I shaped the end of each foreshaft to match the shape of the drill bit. I put the foreshaft in my electric drill and ran it against my hand belt sander.



As you can see there is very little bamboo left right at the end so some kind of binding is essential. This will help provide a good smooth tight fit of the foreshaft.

Last photo for now shows the foreshafts very roughly fitted into the sockets just to give an idea of how they will look. My 39 inch rule is shown next to them for an idea of the finished length.



I'll post more as time allows. I hope to have these ready to try unfletched very soon.

I got my scales out and weighed the shafts and forshafts. After working out what the average shoud be I put the shafts and foreshafts together to get at close to this as possible. I was suprised at how well matched a lot of them are with virtually zero effort.

The weights came out as follows (in grains). Shaft is bare, foreshaft not yet glued and bound, nocks not yet cut and bound, no fletchings.

665
666
666
673
674
686
687
691
693
697
697
697
699
700
705
711
725
725
735

Even if I do nothing there are some nicely matched arrows there and without very much effort I can have a set of 9 at around 650 grains and 10 at around 690 grains.

An unexpected bonus with making arrows from shafts and foreshafts.

The average weight of the 33 inch tonkin bare shafts was 450 grains, the average for the foreshafts around 245 grains.

I am at home tomorrow so I hope to be able to make good progress on these and post more.

Mark in England

[Josh]

those are some really good looking shafts Mark.  Can't wait to see them fletched and finished.   

[half eye]

Hey Mark,
       Very nice foreshafted arrows, sir!
rich

[markinengland]

I did some more work on my arrows today.

First job was to glue the foreshafts on with pitch.



Apllied heated pitch to the foreshaft, and some into the shaft and while still hot force together



And using damp fingers squidge down to cover the joint



The bind the joint with silk and glue



The Amazon Indians use rafia applied very very well by rubbing pitch onto the shaft and onto one side of the rafia. I have tried this but all I make is a mess so I am doing something wrong, but silk works for me.

When all the foreshafts were glued on and bound (I may need to redo one) I started on the nocks.

Straight forward cut at fourtyfive degrees on each side



Then clean out a little with a rat tailed file.



And bind with silk and glue.





Getting there. I look forward to seeing them finished but in an odd kind of way am enjoying making them so much I hope it takes ages!

Had an odd thought while making these arrows, glueing black palm forshafts onto bamboo. I am perhaps the only person in the whole world outside of the Amazon perhaps, who is doing this today!!

Mark in England

[LEGIONNAIRE]

hey mark, I love these arrows, great job make sure to keep us posted.
Cesar

[Wolfsongforge]

those arte the cats pajama's! man that black palm really set em apart from others i have seen. did you find the palm wood to be splintery? every block or scale set i have put on a knife developed small splinters around any radius i did. anyways, nice!

God Bless
Kenneth

[markinengland]

Kenneth,

Yes, the black palm I have is a little splintery. I believe that the black palm I have is not the same species as that used in the Amazon. It coms from Asia anyway so is unlikely to be. The Amazon arrows and bows I have seen of black palm had wood that is densers, darker and stronger. I hope mine will be good enough.

[cracker]

Great looking arrows I need more installments soon.Ron

[mullet]

  WOW! Those are nice, Mark. Those arrows have the cleanest pitch glue job I think I've ever seen.