Hand made, shaved shafts

[kurogane_84]

Hello everyone, i was wondering if anyone has ever shaven a square piece of wood into a rounded arrow? im interested in an attempt of making my own shafts but i have no decent natural materials  nor do i have an dowel makers available to me, i was thinking of using a 1/2 inch squared strip, and shave it with a knife and a rasp, seeing the way it would have been years ago would be to do this method or straighten some natural materials

[Pat B]

I have and used a small thumb plane that cost about $8 when I bought it. You can find poplar boards at Lowe's or Home Depot next to the red oak. Poplar makes a very good shaft.

[kurogane_84]

Ok thanks Pat, id have to travel to Western Canada for them tho im in the eastern part and all we have is a Home Hardware that you cannot hand choose your own they give you some and if you dont like it, they tell you to piss off, best wood i could find here is pine or oak with grains that go  across the width, im not too keen on  that type

[Bear Claw]

You sure can make shafts from square stock. Shave off the 4 corners, then the 8 corners, then the 16 and you basically have a round shaft sand it and there you go.

[kurogane_84]

that was how i was thinking Aaron, but question, what type of stock should i start with and like i said all  i can get is cross grained oak boards, or find some pine slats LOL

[Bear Claw]

Pine slats would work I guess. You could split spruce into small enough pieces to round off. I've heard that spruce is good shaft material and I remember you saying you have a lot if that around you.

[kurogane_84]

Too much to be exact, but its in tree form, i had some Juniper tree sections but my father cut them in pieces that was under 2 foot and we burnt them long ago LOL, im thinking about making some Medieval arrows,  if i can get some fresh feathers make soem flu flu styles and just use some trade points when im at the cabin this summer,  just need to find the metal, might buy some sets of spoons they have some in the stores 5 for 3 dollars, i dont want to use dowels, although they are oak i shaved one down, it was the only piece of birch that i have seen in the shed, it is around 48 inches and no knots LOL, im going to look of a piece of birch that had the least amount of knots ans make a little self bow, any advise on making a bow if the wood has knots?? ive just made survival bows and out of pieces of trees that were 3 inches around, cut the nocks and a small shelf and it lasted a few months

[Kullas]

Making a jig for cutting shafts is as easy as drilling a hole in a piece of flat bar and cutting some slits across the hole and using a drill to spin the wood through. You could gather some natural shoots and dry them.

[kurogane_84]

I know i could find some, but the problem with that is they are all crooked cause we get heavy west, North and NW winds by the lake, i just found a piece of Birch that might be good for a bow, its about 3 to 4 inches diameter and is straight for a decent section, get my hatchet after and cut it down i guess

[Bear Claw]

Cut the spruce into sections a little longer than the arrows you want to make then split it into quarters, eighths and so on, untill you get them split to where the thickness  of the pie section is a little more than you diameter of the arrows you want to make, then split the "pie" sections across the middle. The thicker outside piece will be almost square. Round them down as described before. Hope that makes sense and helps.

[kurogane_84]

it does but i keep thinking of the pie sections will be glued into hex shafts LOL

[Bear Claw]

http://video.answers.com/how-to-make-a-split-shaft-arrow-part-1-2-166351138

Try this and see if it helps.

[Kullas]

it does but i keep thinking of the pie sections will be glued into hex shafts LOL

we are not making bambo rods

[kurogane_84]

it does but i keep thinking of the pie sections will be glued into hex shafts LOL

we are not making bambo rods

HAHAHAHAHHA i was just watching how its made on youtube and thats the episode too LOL, oh my, there are some hard wood dowels that is available in the local stores, and i have killed a a few rabbits with my 60 LB bow, not gonna trust them but i think 22 dollars for 12  straight - ish shafts that can be used decently i think for a budget or lack there of for now till i find work i may use that option LOL, and use some trade points or find some bullet points some where to use lol

[scattershot]

If you want to try dowels, American Woodcrafters has birch for around $25.00 US for 100. Even with culls, that's pretty cheap shooting. At least that way you can bypass the Nazis at Home Hardware!