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Author Topic: More cane shaft questions.  (Read 8832 times)

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Offline Eric Krewson

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More cane shaft questions.
« on: October 21, 2014, 10:22:33 am »
I did a search but found nothing on heat treating cane shafting.

My new cane arrows are pretty good for the most part but several still need a little hand straightening day to day, all were straightened with heat but not to the point of caramelizing the shafts, which brings me to my next question;

Have you guys seriously caramelized a shaft like some do for bamboo backings? Did you find these shafts stayed straighter?

Also; do you find different varieties of cane easier to keep straight, japonica opposed to hill cane or Tonkin?

I tend to over think anything I get into in the search for a better product. I then then settle into a practical solution that produces a consistent result.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2014, 10:48:00 am »
Ive only used hill cane. I heat only enough enough to straighten them. They stay as straight as POC or spruce shafts do. I might have to straighten a few every couple months. Ive also noticed it takes one crooked cane shaft to fly poorly. Most can wobble along and still shoot broad heads like a bullet.
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2014, 12:01:18 pm »
The last set of hill cane arrows I made I took a heat gun and tried to give them a slow steady heat treatment before I straightened them.  They turned a light carmel brown.  I did that before I scraped the rind off.  So far I haven't had to adjust any once they were finished.  I plan on trying this again on my next batch of arrows.
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2014, 01:15:14 pm »
I cut a bunch of hill cane yesterday from a several different places. It is surprising how quality varies from one patch to another. My first patch had long "blood grooves" on every section, next patch had the same grooves only on the upper sections, patch #3 had very round cane with almost no grooves where the leaf clump attached.
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Online Pat B

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2014, 01:30:39 pm »
Eric, you are probably cutting switch cane(A. tecta) and not hill cane(A. appalachiana). They are very similar but hill cane only grows up in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
After I straighten cane I will go back over the cane starting at one end heating it until it takes on a little color. I move out the shaft, spinning it slowly as I heat it until you get to the other end. Be careful, any moisture in the cane will come out the far end as steam. Once I've done this I lay it flat to cool completely. You may have to tweak it a little but they usually stay straight after that.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2014, 02:06:07 pm »
You guys got me thinking now. Ill have to try heating them up as you do. Although I don't have any issues that bother me, if I can make them better I will.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline lebhuntfish

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2014, 02:11:12 pm »
What about putting lighting grooves in them? I read somewhere that some Indian tribes would do that. Patrick
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Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2014, 03:04:09 pm »
Ive seen them in hardwood shoots, but never cane or boo. I don't think you'd want to compromise the power fibers that way. Just a guess.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Online Pat B

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2014, 03:56:36 pm »
No lightning grooves in cane. Like Pearlie said, it will compromise the power fibers.  I've done lightning grooves in hardwood shoot arrows with mixed results.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline lebhuntfish

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2014, 04:57:48 pm »
That's cool, just wondering I'm fixing to make a bunch of arrows myself. Thanks, Patrick 
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Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Online Pat B

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #10 on: October 21, 2014, 05:26:49 pm »
Well seasoned wood or cane makes better arrows.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2014, 12:24:12 am »
I was heating a cane shaft today, had all the shaft browned but the smallest section, about the  time this section started to turn it blew up like a small firecracker.
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Online Pat B

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2014, 12:50:05 am »
Too hot and possibly too much moisture. I've never had a cane internode explode while heat treating or straightening. You can drill a very small hole at the node to relieve any internal pressure that build up while heating.
 I watched a youtube video of an Asian man sitting in front of a sheet metal barrel/oven and straightening cane for arrows. He would run the cane in and out of the very hot oven, pull it out and straighten a section then back in the oven. I think he drilled a small hole at each node.
 You really don't have to get cane all that hot to make it pliable. I add scorch marks for camo effect on cane but don't try to get a solid darker coloration.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2014, 09:41:16 am »
This cane had been in the attic for 5 years. I was experimenting with caramelized cane and the section that blew got brown faster than I expected, I pushed the limits a bit and it blew.

Next question; How about speed drying cane? I am going to put a half dozen shafts in my drying box to see how long it takes to dry out at 100 degrees. I suspect there will some cracking and splitting but I have an unlimited supply of cane.
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Offline Aaron H

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Re: More cane shaft questions.
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2014, 10:40:11 am »
Well send some of that cane my way then! 
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