new to arrow making(still)

[blackpanem]

i have no idea what im doing. at all. how could i take some cedar branches and make them into arrows? i would like a walkthrough if you could. and they have to be good enough not to break from a 50#bow

[Pat B]

You probably won't make arrows from cedar branches. Where do you live? Maybe you have good natural shoots that are good for arrows in your area. Red osier dogwood, silky dogwood, gray dogwood, viburnum, some Asian honeysuckle, Cane.
  You can also go to your local garden center and buy bamboo tomato stakes and make arrows with them.

[blackpanem]

i have bamboo, im having the toughest time ever getting them straight. its just impossible

[Pat B]

It is not impossible. Lots of folks are successfully making cane arrows. You just have to take your time with them. Look at the cane arrow build along stickyed at te top of this page.

[blackpanem]

i know about that but i dont have a heat gun
is there an aleternative?

[bowsandroses]

Heat gun is just pretty convenient I use a camp fire out back alot, stove burner ( propane works best ) and I've used the top of my lantern out camping. Any good heat source will do the more controlable the better. One tip on the cane don't burn it when you heat it, a little tanning is ok but if you get it to hot it gets realy brittle. Arrows don't have to be perfectly straight either. If you look down it from tip to tip and it has a little woble it's ok as long as it holds a good center line. ( just as much wood on one side of center as the other ) I hope that makes some kind of sence. Another arrow wood I like is wild rose and it grows all over the northwest along the waters edge.

[rmcpb]

If you  have a gas stove in the kitchen then you have a perfect heat source.

[sadiejane]

i have bamboo, im having the toughest time ever getting them straight. its just impossible

understood-sometimes it feels that way. when i first started using heat to straighten boo and shoot shafts i got sooo frustrated.
but i kept at it. it does take a little practice to become easier-but it will become much easier
sometimes still i only work on a few places at a time, set is aside, work on another, pick the other one up later.

something i learned here about straightening boo
do the sections in between the nodes first
let cool
come back and do the nodes.
sometimes i have to go back and work on the in between parts again after doing the nodes...
thats what it takes to get em good n straight

dont give up-it just takes time to get it down
but dont misunderstand me-it is always some work

[crooketarrow]

  Looks like it's all been said. Like said it will get easer with time and just doing it.

[Bevan R.]

Another thing to wrap your head around..(I know I have to keep reminding myself this)

You do NOT have to make your shafts look just like carbon or aluminum shafting. Or commercial ceder shafting. The best practice I have found in arrow making (it is the same as bow making), Learn from each batch (or bow) and improve on the next set. You will get there.

[bowtarist]

Make yourself up an arrow wrench and that may give you a little more ,everage when it comes to the straightening process.  Leather gloves work too, but since making my arrow wrench, I don't wear the gloves anymore.  Keep @ it bp.  dpgratz

[David_Daugherty]

This is how I work my arrow shafts.  First I heat my cane shaft over a candle as I don't have a heat gun either. I rotate the cane over the candle until the area I'm working on turns light brown. Careful not to over heat as this will weaken your shaft.  Second I use my straightening tool on the area I've heated.  I will hold this straight for about a minute or so while the cane is cooling down.  I usually work a shaft until it is straight then put it up for about a week and then come back and fine tune it.  This seems to work better for me.    I hope this helps.

[David_Daugherty]

<a href="http://s1074.photobucket.com/albums/w401/dw_daugherty/?action=view&amp;current=arrowcollage.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w401/dw_daugherty/arrowcollage.jpg" border="0" alt="arrow collage, So Pic A is my straightening tool, pic B is of the brown heat rings left on my arrow shaft, I like it.  I think it adds character.  Pic C is heating the shaft over a candle. Pic D is working my straightening tool over the heated area of cane. and Pic E is the arrow shaft fleched and straight just need to finish the tip.  This arrow is actually for my 12 year old nephew so its a little small but very effective for him."></a>