Quiver friendly Atlatl darts ( pics added)

[Josh B]

I came up with a takedown dart that works pretty good for me and fits in my quiver with my arrows.  Basically its a 3 foot piece of cane with a big end of about 7/16" and a 3 foot wooden foreshaft of approx. the same diameter with a long tenon cut that is slightly bigger than the ID of the cane.  I'm talking a few thousandths of an inch, just enough that it fits tight with out splitting the cane.  Ideally you want to have a node within 3 or 4 inches of the end of the cane that you will slip the foreshaft into so that it butts up against the node inside as well as the shoulder of your tenon cut.  Sinew wrap the cane for a couple inches to reinforce the socket but do not glue the foreshaft in as you would an arrow.  That way the dart can be taken apart and put into your quiver.  You will want to put indexing marks on the cane and foreshaft so that you can put them back together true.  If you make several of them, mark each dart assy. different so you will know which foreshaft goes with which cane.  Think of it as a really thick arrow with an extremely long foreshaft.  The wooden foreshaft gives the dart a very serious FOC balance.  I've mostly used ash for my foreshafts but I would Imagine any wood suitable for arrow shafting would work.  Fletch, tip and nock as you would a regular dart. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.
Josh

[mullet]

Got a picture?

[Josh B]

I'm on the road, so all I have with me is a camera phone right now.  Father's Day weekend I will post some pictures of what I'm talking about.  I have to post some better pictures of my bow anyway.
Josh

[mullet]

Cool, looking forward to seeing them.

[M-P]

Hi,  I've made some aluminum taketowns to carry in my quiver.   It's extremely nice to have a dart and atlatl along whenever I take my bow out.  I'll have to try a more primitive takedown as well.    Ron

[Josh B]

Well since I haven't managed to get home and get to a decent camera, I will have to use the lousy cell phone camera.  Sorry about the crummy pics.  I also included some pics of my atlatl

[Josh B]

one more pic

[Josh B]

m-p I agree it's nice to have your atlatl along.  These darts hold up well with normal straight on impacts, but the joint is definitely a weak point on glancing blows.  I've only broke two and both were from glancing off trees.  I think a tougher take down dart would be all cane with a bone insert.  Although I haven't tried it yet, I think if you were to cut a section out of your cane in between nodes and fit a bone or antler insert that extended 3 to 4 inches into each half so that the cut edges of the cane butted flush together and the insert contacted the nodes inside each half, the dart would be a lot stronger.  In theory anyway.  Just be sure to sinew wrap the cut ends and the nodes to prevent splitting.  Once again, haven't tried it as of yet, just a theory.

[M-P]

GunDoc,  Interesting idea.  I may have to try it.   Ron

[Josh B]

I should probably mention, this dart was made out of phragmites not cane.  I get lazy and call it cane, but there is definitely a difference. Thanx
                   Josh

[JW_Halverson]

FULL DRAW PHOTO PLEASE!!!!

 

Love the work you did, absolutely wonderful.

[Josh B]

Full draw!  That's how I ended up with that nice piece of osage for the atlatl! I don't know how many times I'm gonna have to destroy a beautiful piece of wood to learn " No sapwood on osage!!!!! Ever!!!!"    That being said, I do have a nice supply for atlatl's and whatever else needs a piece of osage to short to be a bow.  Even if that wasn't the original plan for the piece in question.  But thanks for the kind words.
    Josh