Dogwood shafts

[BowEd]

I'm in the process of making dogwood shafts.I'm usually shooting bamboo or douglas fir.I've heard pros and cons about their ability to stay straight after use.Mine have been seasoned for 3 to 4 months.They were bundled and straightened repeatably the first month or so.Even with long seasoning of 6 months will they stay straight for me?

[stringstretcher]

What I have found, especially with sourwood shafts, is that even after drying for a year or more, when you apply heat to straighten them for the final time, you will have to completely re work the shaft.  Once you get them straightened over several times, there will come a time where they stay straight.  I heat mine, straighten them, let them rehydrate for a day or so, and check again.  At some point, they will be as straight as you left them and mine then stay straight.  I have never been able to heat straighten a shoot shaft and it stay the first time of heating it.  JMHO.

[BowEd]

My final touching up of straigthening is done with my alladin mantel lamp with that glass chimney you know.Putting on a dry fit field piont and the old spin test.They are straight days later.Guess with persistance and and time they will stay straight.I wanted to give these some stain and then some gasket lacquer though so I guess I'll just keep shooting them over a two week period or so then finish them.

[Pat B]

The longer shoot shafts season the more stable they will be. I have sourwood and red osier dogwood arrows that are probably 10 years old that still pass the spin test just like the day they were made. Note, I didn't say they were as "straight" because my cane and shoot arrows are not straight but if they pass the spin test they will fly great.

[iowabow]

Mine fly great and even handle the dirt

[Dictionary]

I usually only have to heat straighten wooden shafts twice. Sometimes 3 sessions of straightening. Hardly ever more than that.


Pat, what's the spin test?

[Pat B]

I place the point of the arrow on the tip of my finger and spin the shaft. If I feel a wobble I reset the point...or straighten the shaft but that is rare with seasoned shafts.

[BowEd]

Do most people wrap a dogwood shaft just below the nock?I either insert or wrap my edge grain shafts always.My bamboo nocks are just above a node and I don't with those.

[Pat B]

I use a sinew wrap just below any self nocks, no matter what the shaft is made of. It only takes a second to do and it good, cheap insurence.

[BowEd]

Thanks Pat.....The older I get my eyes need help.I have to see what the back end of my arrow is doing during flight and after impact too,so excluding putting luminocks I'll wrap the nock with some yellow silk I've got.Guess I could use sinew and a light colored paint too,but I'm lazy I guess and don't have a small bowl of chilled hide glue in the fridg at the moment.A yellow silk wrap glazed with thin superglue sounds good to me.Helps me see how far the shaft enters a deer during low light too.Could put them hot pink or yellow fuzzies on too I guess.
I'm noticing if I take an even amount of wood all the way around these dogwoods the shafts come out more consistent on the spiner checking one side to the other which makes sense to me.An hour or two per shaft the result,but really like the outcome of em.Working on about three dozen of em.Hav'nt bare shaft tested them yet though so that'll tell me something too.

Ed

[Pat B]

Ed I chew the sinew strand until soft them do the wrap. My saliva and the sinew makes its own glue. Once dry(about 24 hours) I seal it with pitch varnish or super glue.

[BowEd]

Good point.I'll have to try that.Makes sense and I know it will work.