New Batch of Poplar Arrows

[paleryder]

Made a new batch of poplar arrows from stock. Here are some photos:

http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a480/paleryder1/Archery/PA090285.jpg
http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a480/paleryder1/Archery/PA090286.jpg
http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a480/paleryder1/Archery/PA09028.jpg
http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a480/paleryder1/Archery/PA090287.jpg

Making arrows is the least favorite part of my hobby. The only thing worse is buying arrows from someone else! I really don't like fletching which is why my arrows look the way they do. I put purpleheart inserts in the nocks. In the past I've inlaid cow horn/hoof in the nocks and footed the arrows. Looks very nice but it is a lot of work.

These are seven remaining shafts from the original batch of 14 shafts. I lost a couple during the dowel making process. Of the remaining 12, I broke one nock working on the arrow. The other four broke while bareshaft tuning. I used my fiberglass longbow 46# at 28" (I draw 27") for consistency. I was shooting about 10-15 yards and it snapped several arrows when they hit the foam target.

The shafts are 5/16" in diameter with 125 gn field points. They all came from the same stock and weight as follows with the respective spine:

2. 495; 46.1#
3. 488; 40#
4. 491; 45.6#
5. 509; 51#
6. 509; 46.4#
7. 509; 48.6#
9. 511; 47#

I'm using a home-built (2 Jays) spine tester but I have never calibrated it to a commercial one or to commerically produced arrows. Not sure if this is good or bad consistency with respect to weight and spine.

Today will be the first day of shooting with fletchings. I'm going to make a set from pine and see how different the results are. Yes, I said this is not the funnest part of my hobby but I forgot to tell you that I'm neurotic. I have to test and compare.  Enjoy.

Todd

[stringstretcher]

What type of set up did you use to make the 5/16 shafts and where did you get you stock from to make them?

[paleryder]

I purchased the wood at a local hardwood shop. I then cut 1/2" (I think) blanks. I used a jig and plane to round the edges. I then hammered the dowels through several holes in a steel plate. I begin with 25/64 and each successive hole is a 1/64 smaller than the previous hole. I do this until I get to the desired diameter.

I've made poplar shafts in the past and they've proven quite durable. This is the first time I did bareshaft testing and I may not know what I'm doing. I probably could have taken a little more time with stock selection and split the wood as opposed to cutting it. I've never done that before but it would give you better grain.

I think I really need to go down to 1/4" with poplar for draw poundage in the mid to high 40's. I dont' recall seeing to many commercial points at 1/4" diameter. I guess I'm going to need to learn to make my own. I'm sure there are instructions somewhere on this site.  It would have given me lighter arrows and a spine that would be more appropriate for a primitive bow with a draw weight in the high 40's to low 50's. I think these would be too stiff for my self-bow that is around 50#. Maybe they'd be okay because my current bow has a stiff handle and is a little narrower. I'm gearing up to make a sudbury bow (Rudderbow blank) and a Cherokee style D bow (red oak from scratch). I'll test them in both those bows. I'll be shooting for 50-55# for the sudbury and 45# for the D bow.

I forget to indicate that the arrows are 29 1/4" from base of nock to beginning of field point and 30 3/4" to the tip.

One questions I have. My 2 Jays spine tester has a measuring distance of 26" and this seems to be the standard. Do I need to convert the results even if my arrow is 28"? Any ideas on how to convert the spine test results for the length of arrows I have made? Thanks.

Todd

[CherokeeKC]

You subtract 5# off the spine for every inch over 28 and add 5# for every inch under 28.  But the AMO standard is to measure spine of a 28 inch arrow with 125 grain head on 26" supports.

[paleryder]

Thanks CherokeeKC. So my arrows are 30 3/4 from base of nock to tip or 29 1/4 to base of point. For this purpose, is the arrow length measured from the back of the field tip or the very point? Depending on where I measure, my adjustment would be anywhere from 5# to almost 15#. If the higher, then the spines come in much lower like 25# to 36#. Might this explain my snapped arrows? If there is only a 5# adjustment then I'm fairly close to where I want to be at. I think 40# spine would be ideal.