Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: rileyconcrete on July 20, 2009, 12:17:30 pm
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Hey guys hinking of making my first set of arrows. I live close to the snake river in Idaho, and wild roe grows along the banks almost everywhere. I have heard of guys using wild rose and was wondering what diameter would be best? And also how well do they stay straight?
Thanks in advance.
Tell Riley
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Wild rose makes good shafts, and they stay straight as well as any shoot shafts if you're picky cutting them and make sure they're well-seasoned and then heat-treat them. Pick shoots a little bigger than you think you'll need-they shrink as they dry, and the bark/cambium comes off which further reduces the diameter. You can pick ones that are a little bigger and plane them down to size. Wild rose checks easily, so it's best to let them dry a month or two with the bark on before peeling them.
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Thanks I will cut them extra long. How long should I season them? It is very dry here with temps around 105. will this dry them to fast? And also what is the best way to heat treat them?
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If you have a good source and some time you can find some very strait shoots that don't need much work to straiten. Although they have a pithy center they are hard and stiff so 5/16 finished shaft shoots well with 40-50#. If you ctt them now some will crack, you can try to dip the ends in wax, or wait till winter
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I have also been gathering wild rose or multiflora rose shafts for my first set of arrows. Are they the same thing??? I read some where to take an 7/16" or 1/2" open end wrench along with you when you are gathering shafts. This way you can slip it over the shaft to find out a pretty close approximation of the diameter of the shoot and where to cut. I know it really helps me, so I thought I would suggest it. The reason I suggested the 7/16" or 1/2" versus a 5/16" or 3/8" because people claim they shrink and it is always better to have em a bit to big versus a bit to small. Good luck!
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Sleep Junkie, that's about the size I look for. I also often cut bigger shoots and plane them down to a uniform diameter. There are a bunch of different species of native wild roses, in my area swamp rose and Carolina rose are both common. We also have millions of the invasive Asian multiflora rose. All of them that I have tried made good arrows, both domestic and imports.
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I use alot of rose from down along the columbia river in eastern washington.Good arrows.I let them dry with the bark on and cut them a foot longer than the shaft is going to be.I get them a little larger than I need and plane and sand them to the diameter I want.Once sealed,they stay straight. I tie them in a bundle of about 25 and let them dry for a good long time.(I've got some that are 8 years old) couple of months see them plenty dry.I always cut them early before they start leafing out. ' Frank