Orc Fletching

[PrimitiveTim]

If you want to know more about Orc arrows you can google it.  Basically they're just made with whatever and not very well.  However, I needed an arrow to shoot so I made one real quick.  I messed around with fletching before but they always seemed to deteriorate after several shots.  I've seen guys wrap the feather to the shaft with sinew but for some reason I didn't like that idea much.  I guess cause it separates the feather and doesn't look so nice.  Sometimes you got to do things you don't like just to try it.  So, I did.  Needless to say, I'll be doing this from here on out.  It really keeps the feathers on solid and doesn't look that bad.  I figure it's more important how the arrow functions than how it looks.

Shaft: Brazilian pepper shoot.  It's a little heavy for the bow I'm shooting from but it's a good shaft to practice fletching on.

feathers: Goose or duck... my friend gave them to me.  I'm guessing they're from one of those ugly asian ducks

Glue: Pine pitch.  This is actually my first and only batch.  It's a little hard and has some chunks in it but it's working

wrap:  Agave fibers.  I haven't killed anything yet so I'm gonna work with these fibers until I kill something I guess.



As always advice is welcome.  I just wanted to know if I was on the right track with these fletchings.

My next arrow will be wrapped evenly and I'll be more economical with my fiber usage.  All in all I'm happy with how it shoots. 

[Stalkingfox]

Instead of splitting the feather quill strip it. You wont have so much of a rise and its easier to adjust the fletching. Also no sanding the pith down.

[PrimitiveTim]

Cool thanks!  I'll try that on the next arrow.

[Newindian]

A pic down the length of the shaft could tell us some other things

[Scowler]

Practice makes perfect, that looks better than my first attempts.  You might want to sand the front quill area a bit smoother and tighten the wrapping job up front so its not so bulbous/bulky.

[PrimitiveTim]

I just fletched a shaft after receiving this advice and it was way faster and used much less materials.  When I get around to shooting it I'm sure it will shoot better as well.

  Thanks guys for the help!

[Stalkingfox]

  please share!!! 

[PrimitiveTim]

  please share!!! 

What is it you want me to share? lol

[Matt G.]

Pics

[PrimitiveTim]

Oh, haha.  Yeah, I haven't got the feathers all trimmed down and got it shooting like I like yet.  It will probably be a while until I can post a picture of it.  It looks pretty ratty right now.

[JackCrafty]

Cool.

[Mikeeeeeeeeee]

Instead of splitting the feather quill strip it. You wont have so much of a rise and its easier to adjust the fletching. Also no sanding the pith down.

Please explain........

[stickbender]

     Stripping is peeling the top layer of  shaft, and feather barbs, off the main shaft, rather than splitting the shaft of the feather.  That way you only have a very thin layer of feather shaft material, rather than having to trim, and sand the split shaft.  I still like the split and trimmed, and sanded shaft, as it is more stiff, and I can handle it better, and move it in position easier, than the curled peeled feather.  Just me.
     Definitely take the the time to make your wraps even, and tight, and not bulky.  You can put the pitch glue on, and heat it, and smooth it out, and taper it down to the shaft, and you will have a better transition from wrap to shaft, and it will not interfere with the arrow sliding on your bow, and or arrow shelf, and is more "arrow" dynamically efficient, in flight.     Sounds like you might need more bees wax, and heat it a bit more, while using it.  What recipe are you using for it?  Might just need to adjust the amount of one or more ingredient.  Or you can just use super glue.     Be careful with Brazilian Pepper, aka Florida Holley.  It's sap is toxic, and can cause skin irritation.  It is a hard wood when dry.  And if you are clearing land, and burning the debris, don't breath the smoke from it!   The fletching looks like it might be good ol Muscovy Duck feathers.   I take it you are in Florida?   Definitely take the results of how an arrow shoots, over how it fares aesthetically.
     You can work on that after you get the arrow going where, and how you want it to go.   If you are near the Ft. Pierce area, there is a park on the white city road, just east of 25th st. and there are a couple patches of bamboo, that is suitable for arrow shafts.  But .......uh go on Sunday, or in the evening....... since they frown on removing plant material.....   Never thought of using Brazilian pepper for shafting, mainly because of the sap, and the availability of boo.  Thanks for sharing.  And yes post pictures of future arrows.

                                                             Wayne

[PrimitiveTim]

great info stickbender.  I'm familiar with Brazilian pepper as I've cut plenty of it and it doesn't irritate my skin... lucky me.  I never burned cause we usually just poison the trees and let them die where they stand.  The grapevines tear it down pretty quick. 

Yes, I'm in Florida.  I've got access to plenty of bamboo that I can acquire legally.  I already talked to to the sheriff about it and he was cool with it and the patch is on my way to school so that's handy.

My pine pitch was just resin and coal dust.  I'm trying to keep everything natural so super glue is out of the question.  I'm even trying to make an arrow without using metal but cutting the notch for the arrowhead is proving difficult.  I got the nock alright with a piece of knapped glass.  Oh ya, glass is my exception to the all natural rule since I don't have any knappable rocks in the area.  I might have to gather some in GA over spring break.

[stickbender]

     You might want to check out the pitch glue resin recipe on here.  Yeah, I am not bothered by the sap, but a lot of people are.  Of course, Mango sap, and poison ivy don't bother me either.   As for the glass, it was used by the N.A. and in Australia back in the early days, they had problems with the telegraph lines, because the Abbo's would climb up, and knock off the glass insulators, and knap them for arrow heads, or rather atlatl dart heads, as I don't believe the Abo's used bows and arrows.
I could be wrong.  But just take your time with the arrows, and they will come out nice.  Yeah, if you have access to legal boo, by all means get that, instead of what the park so graciously planted for us....... I....... uh....... know someone who uh, gathered some ...... on ..... a Sunday.......  they make pretty good arrows, in fact there is a small bundle here, waiting to be made into arrows.......   Check your yard for rabbit pellets, they look like cocoa puffs.   Use them in your pitch glue.  It acts as a binder.  Uh..... crush them first.....   Like I said there is a good tutorial on this site, that some one put up.  You can use sawdust, etc.  But if you are going to stay all primitive....... Buuuutttttt....... Brazilian Pepper, isn't native to Florida.......      Another non native species, that is bigger nuisance is Maleleuca, it is a heavy, and HARD wood.  You might try to make a shaft out of that.  Never bothered with it, except in wood shop, in High School, when a kid brought a piece in and sawed a board out of it, and made an address plaque out of it.  I remember it being very hard, and heavy, for it's size.  I don't know anything about it's flexibility, as for shafts.  Might be a waste of time.   But it might be the shaft material of the century, and definite good means of eradicating it from Florida, and stop it from spreading and drying up our wetlands.  Besides I hate the smell of the blossoms, they smell like rancid butter.  The paper bark, has medicinal properties though, it highly anti microbial.  It is in the the "Tea Tree" family.  I think the Abo's used it for water purification.  Anyway, good luck, and let us see the new arrow, when you are finished with it.

                                                       Wayne