Author Topic: hickry' arrows.  (Read 5233 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline huntertrapper

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,708
hickry' arrows.
« on: March 28, 2008, 12:16:58 am »
hickorys good for arrows right? or does it bend to much. any info on past experineces with it would be good thanks guys.
Modern Day Tramp

Offline Hillbilly

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,248
  • I like tater tots.
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2008, 12:20:12 am »
I haven't used it much, but I've made a few arrows from it. It works great for heavy hunting arrows and you're not gonna break 'em. A lot of the Northeastern tribes made hickory split-timber shafts, many of them with big, carved blunt heads.
Smoky Mountains, NC

NeolithicHillbilly@gmail.com

Progress might have been all right once but it's gone on for far too long.

Offline Kegan

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,676
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2008, 07:39:56 pm »
Makes excellent shafting. Very heavy- a plain 11/32" shaft weighs 600 grain alone. 23/64" will come out... 675 grains, and 3/8" about 800. Plus about 150 for the head and you've got a heavy arrow!

Offline huntertrapper

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,708
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2008, 08:35:37 pm »
aint exactly a bad thing havin a good heavy arrow.
Modern Day Tramp

Offline JackCrafty

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 5,628
  • Sorry Officer, I was just gathering "materials".
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2008, 03:31:49 am »
Yes, very heavy.  Also, there is a LOT of variation between shafts.....I need to get a good batch (maybe 50-60) to get a matched set of 6 (by weight).  Spine also varies a lot and the heavier shafts are not always the stiffest.

It polishes nicely but getting the wood smooth and level is a chore.  Once you got the shafts polished/burnished don't expose them to humidity and don't use a water-based paint or finish.....the grain will raise and you'll have splinters popping up in the softer rings.

They seem to hand-straighten pretty well but after shooting a while they will be crooked again.  It's best to start off with the straightest wood you can get.  Heat straightening works pretty good - like most other wood.

The wood fire-hardens VERY well and if you like shooting sharp wooden tips (like me) they are a real pleasure.....and DURABLE.  I think ipe is the only other wood that will make tougher arrows (something I've been itching to make - no pun intended). ;D

Hope this helps.
Any critter tastes good with enough butter on it.

Patrick Blank
Midland, Texas
Youtube: JackCrafty, Allergic Hobbit, Patrick Blank

Where's Rock? Public Waterways, Road Cuts, Landscape Supply, Knap-Ins.
How to Cook It?  200° for 24hrs then 275° to 500° for 4hrs (depending on type), Cool for 12hr

Offline Badger

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,124
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2008, 06:16:13 am »
   I like jacks tip on fire hardening. I think it might help it to stay straighter. I think I will try that. I haven't been too happy with hickory staying straight and swithced to ash and maple. Steve

Offline huntertrapper

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,708
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2008, 01:12:08 pm »
alright thanks guys. i was actually gonna buy a batch from a company just 100 or so miles north of here so they will already be spined and straightened. all i gotta do is add fletching and points. but i plan to cut some myself sometime. :)
Modern Day Tramp

Trapper

  • Guest
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2008, 07:02:37 pm »
This is too answer Jackcraftys reply, Dogwood is heavier than hickory and tougher also, and another one that is even harder is pomagranite. Oh and if you are having problems with the grain raising on your hickory shafts , I just sand and wipe with a wet cloth and then just keep doin this till it doesnt raise anymore. it Might take ten times but can be accomplished.  Trapper

Offline JackCrafty

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 5,628
  • Sorry Officer, I was just gathering "materials".
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2008, 07:43:49 pm »
Trapper.....hmmmm....dogwood is heavier than hickory?  ???  Maybe instead of smokin' that red osier, you should weigh it?   ;D

You're right:  flowering dogwood has a specific gravity of .80 and the true hickories have a range of .69 to .75.....but who makes arrows from the trunks of flowering dogwood trees?  Dogwood shoots have a pithy center as well....often making them lighter than a hickory dowel of the same diameter.

Keep wipin' and sandin' them hickory dowels...I'll just use alcohol or oil based stains and paints, thank you very much.   ;D
« Last Edit: April 04, 2008, 07:48:58 pm by jackcrafty »
Any critter tastes good with enough butter on it.

Patrick Blank
Midland, Texas
Youtube: JackCrafty, Allergic Hobbit, Patrick Blank

Where's Rock? Public Waterways, Road Cuts, Landscape Supply, Knap-Ins.
How to Cook It?  200° for 24hrs then 275° to 500° for 4hrs (depending on type), Cool for 12hr

Offline Kegan

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,676
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2008, 07:47:10 pm »
I'm gonna try to make hickory arrows from a hickory board (if I can get my paws on one). It's my favorite shafting so far, and was also the favorite of Will and Maurice Thompson, and liked by Pope and Young as well.

Offline artcher1

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,114
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2008, 08:14:21 pm »
.....but who makes arrows from the trunks of flowering dogwood trees? Me  ;D! I was very disappointed in a set a flowering dogwood arrows I made up about ten years ago. Not to say that they won't make good arrows but the one tree I made my set from made lousy shooters. It's great wood for self-nocks and foreshafts (and bows) but I don't think I'll make another set of arrows from it anytime soon.
Badger, I believe some of those boo arrows I sent you have some remnants from those arrows.-ART B

Offline 1/2primitive

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,026
  • Bible believing Christian
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2008, 12:05:09 pm »
I havn't used it for arrows, but I have used it for forshafts, and it is very tough. I've shot a cane arrow with a hickory foreshaft into an oak tree, and it sticks in it without being the least bit nicked. Of course, it's mainly penetrating the bark, but I've broken foreshafts made of different woods on the same tree.
     Sean
Dallas/Fort Worth Tx.

Offline huntertrapper

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,708
Re: hickry' arrows.
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2008, 10:48:31 pm »
thanks guys, i actually got the ash arrows thats all that was in stock for my draw and spine but i do plan to cut some next winter, thanks for all the info. ;)
Modern Day Tramp