Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Sasquatch on February 13, 2014, 11:50:14 am

Title: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: Sasquatch on February 13, 2014, 11:50:14 am
So I finally found some proper arrow making wood at Lowes.  They were 2x4s and 3.27 each.  I cut it in to 3 peices 30" long.  I used dowell turner and got 10 arrows from each section.  30 arrows for $3.27.  They are all spineing around 65-75#, which is a little high but they are 3/8".  I will make some 11/32 and that should produce what im looking for.  Cool :D
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: Mohawk13 on February 13, 2014, 11:59:38 am
Doug Fir is great arrow wood. Nice job on some economical arrows......Haft em, Fletch em, and lets see some results!!!!
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: Sasquatch on February 13, 2014, 12:05:16 pm
Thanks Mohawk,  but don't hold your breath.  ;) 
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: TimBo on February 13, 2014, 12:07:31 pm
Nice find!  Was it marked as Douglas Fir, or just SPF (spruce/pine/fir)?  That would be considerate of Lowes if they sorted it out for us...
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: JackCrafty on February 13, 2014, 12:09:03 pm
Doug fur is awesome arrow wood!  I've made several.  I really like the feel of the wood.
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: DavidV on February 13, 2014, 01:19:43 pm
Heck, that grain looks better than some of my surewoods. Has anyone figured out how to cut square stock without a tablesaw or bandsaw?
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: toomanyknots on February 13, 2014, 01:22:48 pm
Heck, that grain looks better than some of my surewoods. Has anyone figured out how to cut square stock without a tablesaw or bandsaw?

No clue, but maybe you can try splitting them? Maybe with really sharp mini-wedges to help guide the split?
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on February 13, 2014, 01:31:48 pm
A skil saw would work. Buy 2 x 6 so you have more width for the saw to ride.
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: Jim Davis on February 13, 2014, 01:44:52 pm
Here's a few iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis for you guys who are down to using uuuuuuuuus. ;)

Great job on the shafts. You did well to find a straight grained hunk of Douglas fir at Lowes. Clear wood is more common in D. fir than in spruce, but straight grain is not found in every 2X4.

Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: Sasquatch on February 13, 2014, 03:13:50 pm
Thanks everybody,  Yep I used a table saw.  I went through half a pallet of them and got 3 boards.  Ill be going back asap.  The problem is't grain its the knots!!.  Which brings me to George Tou.....'s(IDK) website.  In the pine arrows he makes, anybody notice all the knots?  Can an arrow with a pin knot still function properly?
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: TimBo on February 13, 2014, 03:23:35 pm
I always figure that if I can flex the shaft enough to straighten it, it is safe, including pin knots and less than perfectly straight grain.  It would really stink to have one stuck through your arm though...
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: Sasquatch on February 13, 2014, 03:32:09 pm
BTW I wanted to mention to George Tsoukalas who might read this, that I mean no disrespect to him or his arrows!! without his efforts on that site i would have never tried to make my own arrows from wood.   :)  I am really thankful for people like him! 
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: JackCrafty on February 13, 2014, 05:03:52 pm
Has anyone figured out how to cut square stock without a tablesaw or bandsaw?

You can rip boards using a hand saw.

http://thesawblog.com/?p=540
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: Jim Davis on February 13, 2014, 05:55:06 pm
But not just any handsaw. It needs to be a rip saw and it needs to be sharp. The link should help.
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: Thesquirrelslinger on February 13, 2014, 07:09:01 pm
And... the link doesn't work for me.
Thanks for posting though
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: bow101 on February 14, 2014, 01:12:45 pm
Looking good,  if you can get some Oldgrowth,   I made a few and they turned out perfectly straight.  40 rings to the inch.
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: JackCrafty on February 14, 2014, 11:41:33 pm
I fixed the link.  Somehow the last digit didn't get copied/pasted the first time.

And most saws at the hardware stores today work well for both ripping and cross-cutting.  And they are quite sharp.
Title: Re: Douglas Fur 2x4
Post by: Tom Leemans on February 21, 2014, 11:42:52 am
I would think you could also adapt some kind of feather board or hold down (bench dog holes along one side?) to that hand saw bench for when you get closer to the end of the board. Just be patient when ripping with a hand saw and let the (sharp) saw teeth do the work. You're not framing a house, so take it easy. Doug Fir is good wood for stuff you want to keep straight. It used to be the wood of choice for all house framing until we started using faster growing pine. Tear an old house apart and see just how straight the 2X4's stayed!