cedar shafts

[anasazi]

Does any one use bulbous nock's and if so what size are your nock's?  Do you shrink the shaft just in front of the nock or is your nock all together bigger than the shaft?
Is there any advantage to a three fletch or disadvantage to a two fletch?

Thank you every one for your help.

[twisted hickory]

I have about 60 more plastic nocks to use up then I will just cut them in with a hacksaw blade. I would just tape two or three hack saw blades together then reinforce with sinew or thread glues on with tb3.  Other may chime in on bulbed nocks but I donno
Greg

[anasazi]

Do you normally straighten them before or after you reduce them to size?

[twisted hickory]

Do you normally straighten them before or after you reduce them to size?


The process goes as follows: Cut them about 6-8inches longer then you need them. Leave the bark on and let dry for about 3 months. (you can quick dry them but seal the ends good after you take the bark off of them.) 2. Once dry use some dry heat to straighten the worst of the kinks out of them (bark off at this point), do this 2 or three times. 3. doewl them down to 3/8 of an inch at the big end and straighten again, concentrate on getting the shaft a little straighter than the initial straightening, do this a couple more times. 4. Do a final doweling down to close to the size you need. If you want a 5/16 shaft dowel them down to 11/32 then sand with 60 grit till they will almost fit into a 5/16 hole drilled in a piece of wood. 5. Straighten a final time then sand with finer sand paper till they will fit snugly in 5/16 hole the entire way, steel wool with 0000 steel wool and apply stain/finish.
You will find the shafts will warp if they get real dry or real wet so don't leave them out in the rain all day or laying in the lawn. Also when using dry heat don't burn the shaft just barley toast them and that is hot enough. You will notice after a couple of weeks of finish being applied they might need just very slight heat to touch up the straightness. Then cut nocks, fletch, attach points and go shoot them I do find that finding the stiff side of the shaft and putting it so it faces away from the bow (cock feather side) helps the arrow shoot a little better. They don't have to be perfect to get flight that is good. A decent set of arrows will allow you to kill game out to 45 yards if you do you job as a shooter. I have shot some of these out of my target recurve and they are just as accurate as my target cedar arrows when set up correctly for the bow being shot out of. Hope this helps,
Greg

[Thesquirrelslinger]

Self nocks don't need reinforcement unless you are using WEAK wood. I frequently shoot self-nocked POC, Rose, Cane and Honeysuckle arrows off of a 50 pound recurve. the only ones that are wrapped are Honeysuckle cause it has very hollow stems.
Never split a nock so far.

[JackCrafty]

Does any one use bulbous nock's and if so what size are your nock's?  Do you shrink the shaft just in front of the nock or is your nock all together bigger than the shaft?
Is there any advantage to a three fletch or disadvantage to a two fletch?

I use them.   
Yep, I shrink (carve) the shaft just in front of the nock and taper the shaft.
Two or three fletches work just fine either way.  The neater the job, the better, of course.

[bow101]

Lol...............nooooob thought, are cedar shafts really that good for arrows considering their weakness and light compared to say Douglas fir shafts

[JackCrafty]

POC (Port Orford Cedar) is big business.  VERY big business.  Think Coke... or Pepsi for archers.

[IndianGuy]

I heat my finished dogwood shafts in the oven on 200 degrees for 25-30 min. I take them out using gloves, straighten by hand then groove the shafts while still hot with two grooves from just under where the where the fletching will be all the way to the point. I then bundle 3-4 together and let sit till completely cool, Most will stay straight after this grooving while hot.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

POC (Port Orford Cedar) is big business.  VERY big business.  Think Coke... or Pepsi for archers.

But does everyone drink Cola? I think not, Mellow-yellow is quite delicious. So is hot green tea, assuming its still hot.

[JackCrafty]

But does everyone drink Cola? I think not, Mellow-yellow is quite delicious. So is hot green tea, assuming its still hot.

If Pepsi =  POC, then Mellow Yellow = ?.

Methinks reed or some other thatching material.

Green Tea = Horseweed.   

[Thesquirrelslinger]

But does everyone drink Cola? I think not, Mellow-yellow is quite delicious. So is hot green tea, assuming its still hot.

If Pepsi =  POC, then Mellow Yellow = ?.

Methinks reed or some other thatching material.

Green Tea = Horseweed.   

Green tea= river cane
Mellow Yellow= Ash

[crooketarrow]

  No big secert to keeping shoot arrow straight.
  I straighten perty straight, leave the bark on bundle. I use'lly bundle around survey stake for keep them as straight as posable. I lay flat for a year or 2,3 then make the arrows when I get around to it. All shoots ,the longer they season the straighter they stay. there's just different drying lenths for different woods if your in a hurry.