noob - dogwood arrows

[Matt A]

how do you temper? just heat the shafts really hot?

[footfootfoot]

We are lousy with Red Osier Dogwood here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornus_sericea I've been only cutting the straightest stems that are between 24" and 40" I figure with anything too short I can always foot it or use it for the kids.

I've been binding some of them in such a way as to have any curved parts oppose another curved part. I also periodically untie them and hand straighten them a bit. After they've dried (with the bark on) for a few weeks they are less resilient and don't spring back as readily as when fresh. Kind of like an old carrot in the bottom on the crisper.  I also scraped a few of them right away to compare how they respond to drying, straightening, and so forth.

The stems I left the bark on while drying were much easier to scrape since the wood shrank and pulled away from the bark.

I've harvested about two or three dozen shafts and today I also picked up a couple of stems of either Arrowwood viburnum or Honeysuckle, and a few Rose stems.

[Dictionary]

Maybe i didnt read this correctly.

You guys pick shoots that have other shoots growing from them?

[footfootfoot]

yeah, today I got a bunch that were about 5/16 at the thin end and 3/8 to 7/16 at the basal end. Along the shoot were tiny alternate branches about 1/16 to 1/8 in diameter and 4 or 5 inches long. Some of the shoots terminated in a fork. I would cut the forks off, leaving the crotch, figuring that would be extra strong and if the shaft were parallel enough I could cut my nock into the crotch for extra strength.

Next time I'll shoot some photos of the branches in situ and then again after trimming.

[Pat B]

Dictionary, the shoots that foot3 cut were second year growth and appropriate for arrow shafting. The first year a shoot grows to it ultimate height and has leaves along the stim. The next year small branches grow from the leaf scars left from last years leaves. The first year growth will make an arrow but it will be flimsey and not stay straight.

[crooketarrow]

  HIT I use the oven on 350% and when they turn color but no burn. This will cause warping so a finile straighting a little has to be done. I have also used heat guns, stove top burners. Again only to they chage color.
  DIC no I try not to cut shoots that has limbs. I cut whats called around here alternet dogwood. It sends up shoots from a center shurb. They grow use'lly 26 to 30 inchs untill they have a limb. I try to cut mine that has no limbs.
  There heavyer than most other shoots, alot harder and stay straight. There is some straighting but very seldom do I need to use any heat so your times really spent on sanding cuting groves and knocks. I made arrows from everything local and then some. What I would say alot.  But to me none beats dogwood.

[Pat B]

Crooket, is that alternate leaf dogwood(Cornus alternafolia), more of a small tree than a shrub type?  I have that here too but never tried it.