Building some Bamboo garden stake arrows

[Jeremy Holden]

I'm following the instructions on the how to post for bamboo arrows.  I'm getting ready to start on the nock end.  My question is that it shows marking the "stiff" side of the shaft so that it will face the bow shelf.  How do I know which side is which?  Is it the top or bottom when the shaft sags while testing spine?  Thanks you.

-Jeremy

[Pat B]

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[Don Case]

Hope you don't mind a bit of a hi-jack Jeremy. I'm wondering what happens if you turn the arrow 90 degrees? What if you are looking for a lower spine? Does having an arrow stiffer up and down rather than side to side affect the flight in some way?
Thanks
Don

[Pat B]

The arrow flies better with the stiff side in towards the bow and if you can work it out the second stiffest side should go down.
 Don, sometimes if an arrow doesn't fly well I'll flip it over with the cock feather in and there is a good chance it will fly better.

[Jeremy Holden]

No worries on the hi jack, we all could learn a thing or two.  Since I haven't gotten an answer yet and I can't wait any longer I'm headed to the garage.  In my mind it seems that when the shaft sags the most that the weaker side would be down.  Allowing the arrow more give.

I'll let you know how it goes...

-Jeremy

[stickbender]

     Jeremy, just flex the shaft, a couple of times, while rotating it, and you will find the stiffer side, and that is the side that goes against the bow.   Make your nock to orientate with the stiff side being against the bow.


                                                                               
                                                                               Wayne

[Pat B]

The node scars and sulcus(indentation above the node) will be up and down.

[lostarrow]

Hope you don't mind a bit of a hi-jack Jeremy. I'm wondering what happens if you turn the arrow 90 degrees? What if you are looking for a lower spine? Does having an arrow stiffer up and down rather than side to side affect the flight in some way?
Thanks
Don

 That's how I tune shoot shafts for a bow. Cut the nock 90 deg to the curve before straightening it. Straighten . Test shoot the bare shaft before fetching. Even after straightening  it there will be a stiff side.

[Jeremy Holden]

Well, I got 4 of the 5 arrows fletched up and shot them last night.  At 20' they seem to fly great.  Really excited to get to the rabge in a day or two and let a few of them fly.  I will say after all my questioning and and measuring and trying to do it all right, I still screwed up.

I zeroed in on that mark a made for the stiff side when spining them and that's the side I drilled my hole on for the nocks.  Oh well, at least I was consistant and did it to all 5!

In the end I look at them and think to myself that the arrow makers before us probably didn't know about spine and all that jazz.  They wanted an arrow that flew true and hit the game.  I think that is what I have.

I will post pictures in a day or two.  Thanks for everyones help.

-Jeremy

[Jeremy Holden]

Here's a link to some pictures of my finished arrows.  190 grain heads, oh yeah, can't wait!

http://imgur.com/a/eqM9h

-Jeremy

[nclonghunter]

Hey Jeremy, those look great.

Couple questions; are the feathers stripped? They do not look cut and grinded. What jig did you use?

May just be the pictures but it looks like the points are on the small end of the shafts. I have always been told to put the nock on the small end and points on the bigger end.

Thanks, I have a dozen I am working on now.

[Jeremy Holden]

I didn't grind the feathers, I just carefully stripped them from the quill.  I went with 4" feathers and left a 1/2" tag on the front to wrap the artificial sinew over.  It must be the pictures, I did mount the points on the bigger end.  That part I didn't screw up!   I used a bear paw fletching jig and fletching tape.

-Jeremy