How do you install your stone points?

[Key]

Would like to hear some pointers on installing stone points.

[Hillbilly]

My method: Cut the slot in the shaft as close to the thickness of the point as you can and just deep enough for a stable haft. Taper the end of the shaft in both thickness and width to make a smooth transition from shaft to point. Heat up some pine pitch/charcoal mixture and fill the hafting slot with it. Hold the point by the tip with pliers and heat it up, then push it into the pitch. Clean off excess pitch that squirts out before it hardens. Put the tip of the point on a flat piece of wood and spin the arrow. If it wobbles, gently heat the point until the pitch softens a bit and adjust it until it spins true. When you've got it the way you want it, wrap it tightly with sinew, and wrap the sinew down the shaft at least an inch or more behind the point to keep the shaft from splitting on impact. Cover the sinew with thin pitch or other waterproof sealer (TB3 works well, also).

[Key]

Thanks for the detailed instructions Hillbilly. Where can I get the pine pitch? Is there a certain type of pine tree that should be used?

[Pat B]

Pine trees!    Sorry, I couldn't help myself!    I do the same as Hillbilly but others use epoxy to do the same. It makes it harder to adjust the point with other glues like epoxy though. If you don't have access to tree pitch, I believe 3Rivers sells it.    Pat

[Key]

Pat, be nice I am assuming that pine pitch does come from a pine tree? Apoxy? geeze that's not primitive

[Hillbilly]

I've used pine and spruce pitch both with good results. You can usually find a tree bleeding pitch pretty easily if you look around. Landscape trees are good because the lower limbs are often pruned off, and they ooze pitch around the wounds. Sticky or dry, it doesn't really matter. Put it in a tin can or something and heat it up (outside, don't try it in the house) until it's liquified. You can strain or skim the trash out of it when its melted. Mix in finely powdered charcoal until it's the consistancy you want, some people add beeswax and/or crushed dried rabbit or deer pellets. If you dont get enough charcoal and other in it, it's too brittle, if too much, it won't harden at all.

[Key]

cool, got some spruce trees and the bottom of the hill. I am going to take my dog for a walk now and see if I can get some. I do have apoxy but would rather not use it, but it's ok if Pat does

[Pat B]

Sorry Roger. Feeling a bit froggy today.     I like to mix the pitch with charcoal(ground) and bees wax ( about 1/3 of each). The charcoal(dried deer or rabbit pettets do the same) adds body and the bees wax makes it less brittle.
   I was told just the other day that if you boil the pitch in water, the pitch will rise to the top and the impurities will sink. I haven't tried it yet but it would be safer than heating the pitch by itself.     Pat

[Key]

Thanks Pat, I think I was wondering about the amount of charcoal and bees wax. I have 4 great hunting points a friend made for me at MoJam this year. I haven't used stone points before and looking forward to doing that this year for whitetails.

[Justin Snyder]

Pat, who are you trying to fool.  I can see clear as day that you got so excited at the opportunity to be funny that you forgot to answear the question.   
 Has anybody ever tried hide glue mixed with ash.     Justin

[Pat B]

Justin,  You caught me! Damn, you are perceptive!
That would probably work better in the hot, dry western states than pitch but not as well as pitch here in the humid east.     Pat

[jamie]

i favor spruce with some rendered fat in it. ive used hide glue before but find it reguires more of a custom fit on the shaft and im just too lazy for that.  . peace

[D. Tiller]

Any of you ever tried tar? I've done it and put a smidgen of wood ash or ground charcol in with it. Head and aply like Hillbilly mentioned. It works great and is natrurally waterproof. The native Californian indians along the coast used this same method for attaching points and waterproofing their wovend containers. Water sure must have tasted funny! 

[episaacs]

I have some natural bitumin coming to me; I'm going to try to haft some with that.  This AM I took a chunk of dried pine sap and lit it on an incense disc.  It burned with a black smoke for a while, then left a dab of black ash and a puddle of the clearest amber resin you've ever seen.  Brittle as glass.

[mullet]

   I cut my shafts so the arrow fits real tight.Then apply a drop of TB3 and slide the point in.I then wrap it with sinew soaked in watered down TB3.I have used roofing tar with grass cuttings and ashes.It added too much wieght to the point and not smooth enough for me.For a primitive look I've mixed up ground pine sap and charcoal with TB3.Can't tell the difference looking at it and smells like turpentine