Primitive shoot arrows build-along. Low budget. Modern tools.

[icu812]

I thought I'd take advantage of this beautiful 34 degree Sunday here in Nebraska and try to contribute to the PA Community. Here's the start of a low-budget, primitive shoot arrows build-along using some modern and some primitive tools. Let's start with the harvest.

I have no idea what these shoots are, but anyone who does is welcome to chime in. They were discovered about 50 feet to the side of a gravel road in Southeast Nebraska on the bank of the Platte River.

Here they are in their natural habitat... and here's what to look for, and what not to look for. You want to choose the straightest possible natural growing shafts to make the straightening process as painless as possible. If you were to harvest one of the shafts as bowed as the one in the second photo, you'd be hard pressed to ever keep that thing straight, if you could ever get it straight in the first place!

[icu812]

Here's the harvest. I like to choose shafts that have about a 3/8 diameter on the point end, and about 5/16 diameter at the nock end. I cut them about 40 inches long to allow for size adjustments and splitting while drying. A really easy way to size your shafts before harvesting is to carry a 3/8 and 5/16 wrench with you, and use them to check the diameter of the shaft at the point and nock end. I'm OK with just eyeballing, and can usually get pretty darn close.

I can already tell by flexing them in their green state that they'll be just about right for my 55 pound selfbow. In the beginning I was meticulous about spine and weight, and matched all my arrow sets, but nowadays I don't like to get too technical with my primitive arrows.

I just can't imagine the Native Americans whipping out their spine tester or grains scale. A lot of fellas like to spine and weight match their arrows.. I just gave most of that up fairly recently when I realized that I can put a large variety of spined and weighted arrows into a pretty tight group. If it'll hit a rabbit at 20 yards, SWEET! I never cared much for applying all the sciences to get 12 arrows into a quarter sized hole.

By the way, I am by no means an expert...and this is all just personal preference! I just really enjoy archery, and I enjoy making my own gear. I chose to go with some modern tools for ease of effort and lack of free time. I have learned everything I know by following the PA forums the past few years. Any of you are welcome to chime in at any time with corrections, tips for the community, or constructive criticism!

[icu812]

Let's get started with bark removal. Harvesting in the late-fall and winter months is great because the sap content is lower in the wood. This helps minimize warping and splitting while drying. So far the only tool we've used  to harvest is a $7 folding tree saw I picked up in a clearance isle at a home improvement store.

Now we'll switch to our super-special $9 Harbor Freight survival knife for bark removal. I like using a longer blade for scraping bark because it makes it almost impossible to slip and gouge the shaft. I've ruined plenty of arrow-worthy shafts using a short pocket knife. I guess I just get a little too vigorous... slip, cause huge gouges, and ruin the shaft.

Just hold your knife at a 90 degree angle to the shaft and scrape away! The bark peels right off with very little effort. I like to do bark removal right at the harvest site because as you can see, it makes a huge mess!

Here are the photos of bark removal, some of the shafts de-barked, and finally all of them debarked and ready for the initial straightening. Energy drinks optional.

[icu812]

All of 'em stripped naked.

[Chief RID]

I am with ya brother.

[icu812]

Here are some shots of the point and nock ends of the shoots. Again, you're shooting for approx 3/8 at the point and 5/16 at the nock. I'd say we got pretty close! We'll have some room to fine-tune the sizes when we do the final cut-to-length. 

[icu812]

I've never had much luck straightening shoot shafts by hand. It seems like I just chase the bends for days. I create 2 bends for every one that gets straightened. I found the idea for this arrow straightening tool during a random search, so I don't know the source. It's a sapling approx. 2 inches in diameter with a 1/2 inch hole drilled at about a 60 degree angle through it.

I don't know how to explain it that well via typing, but you want to drill low enough on the sapling that it doesn't break through the top of the hole. Then you trim the material away from the top of the hole creating a channel with a small lip on the top of it. This keeps the shaft in place while manipulating.

Then, I use a knife to clean up the two edges that the shaft will contact when pressure is applied. This makes for nice smooth contact surfaces that won't dent, kink, or break the shaft. This little tool is a life-saver! It works really well.

Hopefully the pictures can give you a better idea of what I'm trying to explain. So far, our expenses are $7 folding saw, $9 survival knife, a couple bucks in fuel for the drive to the site, some free shoots, and a free sapling arrow straightener. The saw and knife will last for hundreds of shafts... possibly indefinitely, so I'd say we're on track for a low-budget build!

[icu812]

I'm doing this build-along in real time... so I'm off to build a fire and get on with the initial straightening. I'll have an update later this evening with some action shots of the handy-dandy sapling tool. 

Forewarning: Being real-time... we're going to have a little break after bundling while we wait for them to dry up a little! I'll be waiting until two Sundays from now for the final portion of the build. It's extremely dry here this time of year. I don't know what the humidity is, but we've got scales on our scales! It puts the lotion on the skin.... or else it gets the hose again.

[Scottski]

I'm watching along.

[DC]

If you open up the notch on your arrow straightener it works just as well and you don't have to feed the arrow in from the end. Too bad you don't know what kind of shoots they are.

[Pat B]

This will be interesting. I've been thinking about doing a sourwood shoot arrow build along. Maybe later.
 One note I'd like to add here...if you strip the bark off some green shoots they will check as they dry. I know for sure blackhaw viburnum will. Sourwood shoots, however won't check. I've cut a shoot, scraped the bark, laid it under my wood stove for 3 days and made an arrow. I don't recommend doing this for your everyday arrows. Arrow wood, just like bow wood, needs time to season.
  I also wish you knew what plant this is. Not all straight shoots make good arrows.

[icu812]

I'm researching my butt off with no solid evidence thus far. The closest two species I've found are blackhaw viburnum and arrowwood viburnum. I'm still skeptical though. I'll continue researching until I find it. Hoping someone recognizes it and chimes in.

[Pat B]

Do you have any of the shoot tops. Viburnum have easy to ID buds and most have opposite buds. I don't think it blackhaw like grows around here. Any leaves on the ground around the plants?

[icu812]

I don't remember any leaves on the ground Pat. I'm going to go back out there again in the next day or two and get some better pictures of the finer details.

[icu812]

Ok, onto the initial straightening. This was done a little more hastily than I normally would have. I had about an hour and a half to build a fire and straighten 14 shoots until it was time to clean up for date night with the wifey.

The first photo is ..well.. the fire, shoots, and straightener. Pretty straight forward.

The second photo is one of the shoots that was straight two hours ago. There was noticeable warping of some, minimal warping of others, and none at all on some. Once I figure out what kind of wood this is, it'll probably explain why they warped in such a short time. This didn't turn out to be an issue, because as soon as they warmed up in the fire they returned to their original shape. Anyone with some science behind this is welcome to explain.