Wavy Lightening Grooves

[Tatanka Kute]

I'm making some plains style arrows and I want to put some wavy or zigzag lightening grooves on them.  I made a groover but it seems like it would be pretty tricky to get the curves even without seeing under the groover. Does anyone know a trick?  I was thinking about using a pencil and exacto

[Pat B]

I have a tool I made for making lightening grooves in arrows. I'll try to post pics tonight for you.
  it is a pretty simple tool but you will have to guide it for the groove you want.

[JackCrafty]

I wish there was a trick!  If you find one let me know.
I use a pointed piece of flint and go slooowww.  It takes me about 10 minutes per groove.  After each arrow, I get "groover's cramp".  I shake it out, get more coffee, and do another.  That's it for me.  Two arrows a day is plenty.   

[Pat B]

These are my arrow making tools.


The grooving tool...




  I used a sheetrock screw with the point sharpened to a blade to cut the groove.The shaft rides in the channel of the tool with a small amount of the blade sticking through.

[Elktracker]

Sorry for the stupid question but you got my interest, what is a lightening groove? Got any pics of one? Thanks


Josh

[sadiejane]

thanks pat-have one of the tools for making grooves. basically the same but a scrap of osage cut off a bow with a "v" cut the length. anyhoos, never thought about sharpening that screw. likely make for a neater groove and possibly more control over where it goes. i typically lock  the tool in a vice and drag the arrow along it...

[Pat B]

Josh, lightening grooves are grooves cut in the shafts of some NA arrows. Some say they were to gather the strength of lightening and others say to help keep the shaft straight. I kind of follow the second train of thought.  Either side of the groove is thinner than the surrounding wood and dries faster and harder thus acting like splints along the shaft.

[Tatanka Kute]

That seems like it would be more controllable to have the tool in the vice, thanks sadiejane, I'll have to try that.
Here's how lightening grooves look, Josh. I didn't make these arrows or bow by the way...

[bowtarist]

I've never made gooves in arrows intentionally  , but if I were to use them to straighten a shaft, would I use it on the outside of the arc to stiffen the bend back? 

Thanks to all for the photos, Pat, you may or may not know this, but I really like to see pics of toxo tools, 'specially home made ones.  Like those arrow straighteners there.

Cool post, dpg

[JackCrafty]

Lightning grooves range from very wavy to very straight.  Some arrows had both types and some arrows didn't have any.  Some arrows had only one or two grooves but three grooves seems to be the most common.  Also, the grooves were probably a "buffalo culture" thing and was common among Plains Indians arrows.