Spine and Dye Questions

[Wildchild]

Hello all,
I was wondering if anyone could tell me if 5/16x32" birch dowel rods would, on average, yeild a spine of 40-45# or greater.
I was also curious as to what you all would use for staining your arrow shafts a darker, almost black color, thats not going to turn my hand and bow black when i shoot them, thanks to all

Wild Child

[Wildchild]

oh, and i was also wondering what you use to cut points from circ. saw blades, besides a plasma cutter as i dont have access to one
thanks
Wild Child

[stickbender]

     As for the spine question, I don't have a clue.  But as for the dye, you could use leather dye.  As for the saw sawing?  I would think you could heat it to bright cherry red, and then let it cool down, and then use a metal blade on a band saw, and cut, and shape your knife, or arrow head, and after getting it shaped, you can heat it again, and dump it into a vat of oil, or if you want it super hard, dump it into a vat of dry ice, and acetone.  For a knife, I would dip just the cutting edge, and then after the knife has lost some of it's redness, and is a very dull red, I would then dip the rest of the blade in.  That way, your edge will be super hard, and the rest of the blade will have less hardness, and will take more abuse.  You might wait for someone on here that makes knives, and has more knowledge, and experience, to give you a better idea.  I have made some, but not like Mechslager, and some of the others. 

                                                                       Wayne

[ricktrojanowski]

For the spine question, the spine on the dowels will vary from one to another.  But if they are non laminated birch I think that 40-45# would be about the max spine for a 5/16 shaft.  Just a guess.  To dye I would use Feibings leather dye USMC Black.  You can get it at leather suppliers.

[Pat B]

If you seal the shafts after you dye them you should have no problem with the color bleeding. Feibings leather dye is alcohol based so water based poly, or Tru-Oil should work for a finish.
  The simplest way to cut out points and blades is with a cold chisel and hammer. Score along the outline with the cold chisel and break the points free. Then use a file to shape and sharpen the blade. If the saw blade you began with is good steel, you shouldn't have to worry about annealing beforehand or tempering the blades after.

[Wildchild]

thanks to all of you, and Pat B, wouldn't it be easier to heat the blade first, then use the chisel? i dont have much experience metalworking yet, otherwise id just be doing right now instead of asking lol

[Pat B]

When you heat it it will soften. If you want to cut it out with a hack saw, heating first would help. For a cold chisel you want the steel more rigid so when you score it with the chisel it will break along the score line.

[Wildchild]

oh ok, that makes sense, thanks Pat!

Wild Child