Any advice for split shaft arrows?

[Christian Soldier]

I've made 4 split shaft arrows in the past from a (about 10in across, still have a lot of staves from that one) large hickory log and now I've got a new 34in oak log that I think will make some good arrows.

I split the log with wedges and then battoned a knife through to make 'staves' about 3/4in-1in across square. Then I'd take my Mora and take off the corners and whittle them down untill they were about 3/8in across and then sanded and finished them. It took quite awhile.

Do yall have any advice as to how I can do this faster or more effeciently without power tools?

[bubby]

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,31119.0.html
this is how the used to make ramrods, my father in law uses it for that and arrows, takes some power tools to make but the arrow work is all you, Bub

[JABK]

A spokeshave with a concave face works well for making shafts, and is quite a bit quicker than whittling.  From my research, the old-timey fletchers used a similar spokeshave to carve shafts out of billets.  But I do cheat and chuck the unsanded shafting into an electric drill (like a poor-boy's lathe) for final sanding and tapering.

As far as getting the arrow blanks out of a log, I think you are using bleeding-edge (I hope not literally) technology already.

Here's a link to a half-round spokeshave:

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2000562/3975/kunz-spokeshave-half-round.aspx

The downside is that concave blades are a pain to sharpen and hone (none of those slick little honing jigs work), so I use a round diamond file to build the edge and switch to wet/dry sandpaper (from 400 to 1000 grit) wrapped around a paper-towel tube for final honing.

Hope this helps.

jack

[JW_Halverson]

Most people use a small "thumb plane" and a board with a V notch to hold the square stock.  Plane all 4 sides square and consistent width, then take off the 4 corners.  Take off the 8 resulting corners and you are pretty much ready to sand it round. 

[bubby]

i thought you would like my idea jdub, what with the black powder connection, Bub

[Christian Soldier]

Most people use a small "thumb plane" and a board with a V notch to hold the square stock.  Plane all 4 sides square and consistent width, then take off the 4 corners.  Take off the 8 resulting corners and you are pretty much ready to sand it round.

Is the V notch in the corner of the board or down the center?   

If you could show me a pic of said board jig or more details that would be fantastic.

My friends dad is a carpenter so I should be able to get some small planes pretty easily.

Thanks Guys! Keep the ideas coming. 

[JW_Halverson]

The notch is down the center of a board like a 1x2.  It's basically a 90 degree angle V notch. 

[Christian Soldier]

The notch is down the center of a board like a 1x2.  It's basically a 90 degree angle V notch.

Okay, and how do you make the notch?