A few garden stakes straightened

[Mo_coon-catcher]

The cabin fever of being layed up started getting to me. So I had to do something productive. I got a half dozen bamboo garden stakes straightened out and ready to clean up. It took almost 2 hours, but what else do I have to do. I've got a pile of several dozen I need to straighten. And is a good low impact something I can do. I havnt made any bamboo arrows in a while. I'd forgot how long they take to straighten , but how easy they bend with heat. I'm not sure of there spine, but they feel like they'll shoot well in 40-60 pound bows with a little sorting.

Kyle

[Danzn Bar]

looks like you have a very good start to some arrows 

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I was needing some more arrows and I can't do much anyway for a couple weeks. I never seem to take the time to make arrows, but am constantly workjng in bows. So why not straighten a handful of shafts each day. I can still be Atleast a little productive. I want to get some more straight grained cherry. I made a handful of shafts with it last year and love it. But straight grain cherry boards are hard to come across. But bamboo is easy to get and its a good second to cherry for me.

Kyle

[loon]

good job. what do you use/what setting to straighten?

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I just hold a heat gun between my knees with te gun set on high. Then I rotate the shaft quickly and constantly moving so I reduce the chance of burning until I can't hold my hand on the hot spot I want to move. Then I use the heels of my hands to bend a little past straight and hold it for a few moments while blowing some heat off. I hit between the nodes on all of them first, the starting with the first I heated up I do the nodes. Then I'll keep rotating through the stack straightening and allowing to cool what is needed until I'm happy. When I hear the internodes I apply the heat up to an inch or lil less from the nodes. With the nodes I focus he heat the the thicker side of the node, otherwise I seem to over heat the thin side if I center the node over the heat gun.

Kyle

[Knoll]

Those look good, sir! Am surprised how quickly time goes by when working on arrows.

[loon]

I just hold a heat gun between my knees with te gun set on high. Then I rotate the shaft quickly and constantly moving so I reduce the chance of burning until I can't hold my hand on the hot spot I want to move. Then I use the heels of my hands to bend a little past straight and hold it for a few moments while blowing some heat off. I hit between the nodes on all of them first, the starting with the first I heated up I do the nodes. Then I'll keep rotating through the stack straightening and allowing to cool what is needed until I'm happy. When I hear the internodes I apply the heat up to an inch or lil less from the nodes. With the nodes I focus he heat the the thicker side of the node, otherwise I seem to over heat the thin side if I center the node over the heat gun.

Kyle

Thank you, I'll keep that in mind next time I'll straighten garden canes

Do want to see what arrows these'll turn into

[Buck67]

The spine may vary widely on those.  I found that bamboo with the same 5/16" thickness can range in Spine from 40 to 120.  However, they are nearly unbreakable.

[loon]

However, they are nearly unbreakable.

Many of mine are brittle, I guess from fungus damage or something, so I bend test them before working with them..

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I got another 5 sstraightened this morning. I broke one at a node I didn't notice I scorched. But 5 of 6 isn't bad for me. I expect there to be a pretty good spine range. But that's what sand paper is for. Most of these first 11 feel pretty similar and about right for my average bow. But like you said, I can feel a couple that are very heavy and not noticably larger. I've broken quite a few of these bamboo arrows. Usually from a glancing hit on a hard surface that puts a hard impact on a node. Though I havnt broke any from a direct impact. I'm gonna try to get a handful straightened each day until I have a good pile of straight shafts. Then I'll sand them down to a reasonably spine. I'll probably end up having everything ready except for cutting to length and the nocks for a little bit until I can start venturing outside comfortably.

Kyle

[Hawkdancer]

Nice start - cabin fever can get you going on something.  Good to hear you are somewhat functioning again!
Hawkdancer

[DC]

Careful holding the heat gun with your knees, you might burn something you don't want burned I usually have one or two break at a node even if I haven't overheated them.

[Aaron H]

Here is a neat video of a Korean arrow maker using bamboo.  He uses some interesting techniques.

https://youtu.be/VK5INvoNTdk

[bjrogg]

Looks like you got a great plan  Kyle. By the time you get them all finished hopefully you'll be able to start shooting them. Good way to keep your spirit up.
Bjrogg

[osage outlaw]

Here is a neat video of a Korean arrow maker using bamboo.  He uses some interesting techniques.

https://youtu.be/VK5INvoNTdk

That guy needs a digital grain scale