what i learned straightening bamboo shafts today

[sadiejane]

ok, so i've been trying to various degrees of success(and a lot of frustration) straightening bamboo for arrows.

seems like it would be rather straight forward and simple...but i've found that not to be the case.
have spent numerous frustrated afternoons trying to get them buggers straight.
have read most of what gets posted here regarding straightening bamboo and have watched numerous vids on youtube and elsewhere.
today i think maybe, just maybe i am beginning to figure it out.

so what ive have learned that has been helpful:
one, i am not always a patient person. so bearing that in mind, when i take on a batch of boo, i pick out 6-12 sticks and determine to get those done-no more.
so i dont get frustrated or in a hurry looking at a pile of 50-100. all i have to do today are these 6 or so. i can always do more tomorrow...

second i have used numerous methods of heat. alcohol burner, wood fire, bunson burner, propane torch.
but today its raining, and i have some other chores at home that need getting done, so no heading to the studio for me today.
decided to just use the burner on my gas stove-yup that simple old stove in the kitchen.
found that i get more even heat which really helps the process, for me anyways, and get it warmer faster. can really see the waxiness that comes up as it heats.
think i've simply not been getting enough heat in previous attempts.

third-actually followed some of the instruction i've been reading. took those shafts and one at a time, looked at them not as a whole but as each piece between nodes. have read this numerous times, but reckon i'm rather hard headed(or maybe just dense...) and finally today followed that. one section at a time, i straightened each one. when i felt like each of the individual sections was straight to my satisfaction, then straightened at the nodes.  boy oh boy does that ever work. have a half dozen very straight shafts that shld make some fine arrows.
but not today, other chores take precedence. so i tied em all up real good and set em in the corner.
will get some feathers prepared and make those arrows over the weekend. will post pix then, ifn i find them worthy...
and now  i feel much better about my abilities.
if i could ever learn to listen better sooner....

just thought this little insight might be helpful to others who are struggling with getting that derned boo arrow straight.

[hillbilly61]

Nice to hear you're getting them going. I can feel your frustration. I had a hard time till I started using a heat gun. Look forward to seeing the finished pics

[Josh]

i like using sterno cans when I straighten mine.  Seems to work fine unless the wind is blowing really hard, LOL.

[Cacatch]

I've had some difficulty with straightening boo here lately myself. I bought a couple bags of real nice tomato stakes from WalMart of all places recently and out of the 2 bags, all but 4 sticks should make arrows. The 4 were just too light and thin. I've straightened hill and river cane before and even smaller diameter tomato stake boo fairly easily. But these are giving me fits. I try straightening the inner sections first and then the nodes but it seems like some of the nodes are so strong that to bend them enough, I have to apply so much pressure that I end up re-bending part of the inner section again that I already HAD straight to begin with. So I've had to go around and around on a couple of them but it seems like I got them done. Although they will be weak now from the bending and rebending but they are still plenty strong. What I doubt is that they will STAY straight now that they've been bent back and forth. But that's why I only took out 3 (broke 1) to start on. I've learned it's a lot better for me to do one or two arrows at a time and that way put more care into each one individually. I liken myself to an old woman baking homemade pie.  

In summary, all the advice you gave here is very good. I've been using a single candle as my heat source, because I have an electric stove. But I agree with you, gas burners are awesome for heating, be it for bows or arrows either one. I also think what I've been doing is overheating the nodes on the outside and not heating them thoroughly enough inside, in other words getting impatient and scorching the node, getting it too close to the flame.

CP

[markinengland]

I have found that working on a whole load of shafts at one time helps. Picj one up off the cooked pile, heat a section, straighten it, put it in the straighter pile. Pick another one up of the crooked pile and so forth. By the time you have gone through one whole pile the first ones will have colled down enough to be safe to heat and bend locally without undoing the work you've already done. Bit by bit straight shafts will become straight between nodes, then straight at the nodes (but only one at a time) and then maybe straightened where an unexpected kink is discovered. Work with bare hands rather than heat protective gloves because if the bit your holding is too hot to hold then perhaps the heat is not localised enough and you'll run the risk of undoing your hard work. Work in good light so you can see the shaft sweat and thus avoid  scorching and breaking a shaft. Finally I know that I will go wrong and will occassionally ruin my work, but I guess that is something I must accept and just keep on working through the pile until the shaft is straight enough. I may be a masochist but in an odd kind of way I enjoy doing it!

[sadiejane]

these are just things that i have found work for me, might work for someone else too, or not. no quitter here, but i really was rather frustrated. had to find a process that fit.

[nclonghunter]

I posted some discoveries I recently learned not long ago. The most important trick was to get a straight line on a work bench or maybe a 1X6 board a yard long, then lay the cane or boo shaft along that straight line and see whats not straight. Then heat the node or between and bring it into line. The first batch I did turned out great.

Here's the link to my post with some pictures; hope it works

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,26111.0.html

[Josh]

if you get them close you can roll thim between your open palm and a flat surface whichever part flops up and down while you roll it ain't straight and needs more straightening.   that's how I do it anyhow.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I use a heat gun and found it much cleaner, even heating source than an open flame. I don't want to scorch my cane and I can get all the heat I need and then some from a heat gun without scorching. It's easy to localise the heat where I need it and I just turn it off in between working on the trouble areas.

I think your doing it right Sadie, that's how I do it also. Straighten the sections in between the nodes first then work on the nodes. A good straight edge like a board or a yard stick also helps when you lay the shaft beside it. The straight edge gives your eyes something perfectly straight to focus on and makes those problem areas easier to spot. Then the last thing I do is roll them on a flat surface to check my tip for wobble.

One last thing, I fully intend to go with a glue on Magnus Snuffer this year on my can shafts. I'm going to have one complete traditional but modern set up with the BBO and carbon arrows, then another complete set up with the Hackberry, w/sinew string, and cane arrows. Just so I have a little variety to choose from. 

[johnston]

sadiejane you did it to me again. Remember that osage gift bow you were building and you posted pic's for tiller advice? That was the last straw on my camel's back. That was when I decided to start building bows. Ain't got a clue as to why that did it but if you will remember I posted and asked you about the finished pic's. Been hooked ever since. Damn it.

Today I took some cane out of my old truck bed where I had laid it to dry about 2 months ago and brought it in. Figured to work on it along and along. But now I think I will go start on it tonight.

Lane

[George Tsoukalas]

Learning is fun. Sometimes learning on your own is a little more fun. Jawge

[stickbender]

     Isn't it a neat thing when that little light comes on, and the bells and whistles start going in celebration?  Yeah, for me following directions, just isn't a man's best trait.   I learned pretty quick, not to straighten or sand the nodes till after the sections in between are straight.  Then go for the nodes.  Sometimes you have a node or nodes, that are at an off angle, and can't be straightened very much, so you just sand it a bit, but not too much, because that will be a weak spot.  I have some I have straightened, and got sidetracked, and never fletched, or put the stone, or metal points on.  I have been looking at them lately, may have to get my mind in the groove, and make a couple of arrows.  Well more than a couple, maybe at least six.  I am going to use inserts, and I want to use the stone points I made, Like Billy posted, I can make functional points, just not pretty points yet, so those that I consider halfway decent looking, and functional, will be put on a dowel, and made into an insert.  I want to make some target points, on inserts also, and I want to get them to match the weight, so I can take out the target point, and insert the stone hunting point, and be ready for bigger game and such.  Well that's the plan at any rate.  I get distracted easily.   I need to get my peace pipe finished.  I need to take some pictures of it as I progress on it.  I have the bowl drilled, and shaped somewhat, but still need to drill the draft hole in the stone.  I guess that is what you call it, sounds good to me.  Anyway, then I will start to carve the Eagle head.  Again that is the plan.   I still need to carve my frog for the Fantastic Flute Michael C made.  I need to carve a frog out of foam rubber for a friend of mine who is also a clown, that does missionary work in Mexico, and she uses the frog as a comedy bit, as she has a frog in her throat, and she puts her hand to her mouth, and coughs, and inserts the frog, and then pulls it out.  Kids get a kick out of it.  Anyway, just found the eyes for it.  They are hard to find, and I had bought these some time back and didn't know where I put them.  So Now, was it arrows, or pipe, or frogs I was going to do?   Oh yeah the beer.....

                                                                       Wayne