need help figuring out what to do?

[colejack3]

Hi everyone im 13 years old and trying to figure out how I can get some good arrows. I need to be able to make or buy some arrows for cheap or make them from nature for free.I cant build a spine tester because of my age. So I wouldnt be able to spine dowels or shoots. I was going to buy some cedar shafts from 3rivers but 40 bucks is alot of money for someone my age. So any ideas?

[gothmog]

I'm not near as experienced as many here, but I'd say you shouldn't really have to worry about spine too much.  Depending on what design bow you're shooting, at lower poundages most are not very finicky about spine.  I have a 13 year old daughter and she can shoot many different arrows accurately out of all of her bows ranging from 15# to close to 40(still way heavy for her).

[ken75]

go to your local lumber or hardware store and look through the dowels use 5/16 or 3/8th depending on them and your poundage if you have an arrow that you use take it and compare it to the dowels by flexing them slightly. dowels are usually less than a buck a piece and come about 4 foot long so you can work around some bad spots

[JW_Halverson]

When you go thru the bins full of dowels, pick out the shafts that don't show the grain running out the edge.  You want the grain lines to run the length of the arrow shaft.  One run out isn't too bad, but more than one is too many. 

[Thumper2]

you can get 3/8" dowels from either Lowes or Home Depot, or any fairly large hardware place around you area.

Use Poplar dowels.  Stay away from red oak.  Poplar is easier to work with to start.

All you need is a drill and some sandpaper, and you're in business.  Get a sponge or some kind of pad to back the sandpaper, because it's gonna get hot with that drill spinning it.  Use the drill to reduce the size of the dowel, but only how much you need for an arrow.

Once you've reduced the size a little, take some 300 grit sandpaper and run it up and down the shaft until you have a smile on your face, ot it's smooth whichever you like.

You didn't say how strong your bow is, so I'm gonna take a shot and say less than 40 lbs.  I haven't found too many 5/16" shafts I liked.  3/8" seems to be the ticket.  they will work great. 

spend your money on feathers, nocks, and points, and keep up with who does what on this site, or one like it. 

There ya go.

[WillAdams]

Age shouldn't impede building a spine tester --- I just built one out of Lego bricks (w/ a few Technics pieces) and built a fletching jig (also out of Lego bricks) before that.

Another option is to purchase tonkin cane bamboo tomato stakes from a home supply center and make arrows of them (my current project --- pheasant feathers from a craft store, points shaped of slate and bone nocks).

William

[aero86]

gotta love the bamboo.  its soo much fun to make them.  its what i do on the cold winter nights.  straighten a bunch of shafts in front of the heat gun.  during the summer time though, i have no inclination to do it all.  anyways, when you get a few shafts together, stand about 5 yards from a target and shoot them without fletchings and see how they fly.  if they are going left or right from where you aimed, if your shooting properly, then they arent for that bow.  if they go where you want them to, then fletch them up and you can shoot further with them. 

[Pat B]

Colejack, What area of the country do you live in?  I'm sure there are trees and shrubs in your area that will make very good arrows. Also, like said about 3/8" or 5/16" dowels from the hardware store will make very good arrows for not much money. You will have to hand pic them to be sure the grain is straight without many run offs.
  Shafting from raw materials like tree or shrub shoots or cane are a lot of work but you will learn more about the arrows you make from them than you will with store bought shafting...and for lots less money.

[stringstretcher]

Colejack.  May we get some particulars on what it is you need?  How long of and arrow.  What poundage bow are you shooting?  What weight head are you going to use?