cane/bamboo arrows.

[Fox]

I just cut a big pile of cane of some kind. there all around 7/16ths at the big end and 4 ft or more long. how long should they season? what is too thin of wall thickness? are the nodes too big? any idea what kind of cane this is?? So many questions! thanks!

Untitled by Livvydog, on Untitled by Livvydog, on Untitled by Livvydog, on Flickr

[Pat B]

Where do you live, Fox? If in the southeast US it could be river cane(Arundanaria gigantia).
 It usually takes a few months to dry out. After heat straightening I usually reheat the nodes and compress them by rolling them on a smooth hard surface with a piece of hardwood.

[Fox]

I live in south West Virginia. Id be surprised if it was river cane as it was planted by my parents probably 30 years ago. It never gets big though like normal bamboo so I’m not sure. Heat straighten after dried right?

[Pat B]

Yes, heat straightening when dried.
 There are many exotic bamboos so no telling which one it is unless you are a taxonomist.

[Fox]

Thanks Pat

[gutpile]

Fox I would put a pass on them now for straightening.. very little heat is needed when they are green.. trust me on this.. you can use a heat gun and just barely hit them and get a lot of the kinks out now.. I put a tad bit of heat and put the spot I want to bend on edge of a table and get it in one hit..can't do that easily when they have dried.. then bundle them and let sit till they turn yellow.. after they turn yellow you can put the final pass on them.. if you wait it will be tricky to not over heat them .. lot of bending to be done on those.. still should make fine arrows. I always put a pass on mine while green because it is so much easier to get a huge kink out then... JMO..I wouldn't worry about the nodes at this point either.. best to leave them proud till final straightening is done and even then I leave mine proud just sand a lil if it is too proud.. gut

[Juan Ant. Espinosa]

Hello.
Well, I´m not a botanic, just a gardener; but it seems to me like Phyllostachys aurea. For the leaf, the size, the way to grow and for the plane side.
I´ve not use this specie because of the plane side detail. But maybe it also makes good arrows.
I´ve used Pseudosasa japonica and another close to it specie whose I don´t know the name. And with both I´ve notice that they begin to be useful for an adult bow from 7 mm diameter at the smallest extreme. It will depend on many factors like how thick the wall is, how long the arrow or how heavy the broadhead, the actual draw weight and draw lenght, for example.

[Fox]

Okay thanks guys... good info! Im wondering on the season time for these, will they be usable before fall? hoping I can use them for hunting this season

[gutpile]

when I pick cane I give it a good shake first to check stiffness.. if too flimsy I leave it.. also try to pick the ones without husks.. they seem to be stiffer and more mature.. I cut way longer than I need and keep as it aids in straightening and be sure to cut your point end long. I see in some of the pics your point end is cut too short to the node , if you want to foreshaft.. , you can hand spine cane easily.. once you find the right spine it is fairly simple to match by hand spining. I do have a spine tester that gets me in the ballpark but really don't need it. once you find your spine just match diameter as close as you can it should be in ballpark.. but cane can have different spine depending on sides too.. something to pay attention to..Ya'll all know I foreshaft my cane.. some people love it or hate it..not totally necessary but gives me a better FOC and they just seem to fly better to me, also allows me to shoot a stiffer spine arrow. I have a 26.5 draw but I cut my spined cane at 60 to 70 pounds at 25 inches that is after straightening and ready for foreshaft my bottom node is only 1 1/2 inches to end of cane .. bows are 50 to 60 draw weight.. when I add my foreshaft to cane which is usually 6 inches bottomed on node about 1 1/2 inches in cane my arrows end up being about 29 inches some less.. that brings my spine back down to where it needs to be with weight of head and wrap and pitch... good luck on your cane.. literally natures carbon.. cane is lightweight since it is hollow but is a superb arrow material.. to me it is the most simple arrow material out there.. as for work involved to produce a great primitive arrow.. plus you just can't replicate the primitive look of a cane arrow.. yes they should be yellow by fall.. gut

[Fox]

Thanks so much for the detailed reply gut! Really appreciate it.