« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: Black locust for arrows?  (Read 3815 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Mo_coon-catcher

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,347
Black locust for arrows?
« on: October 18, 2015, 09:53:30 pm »
Like the title states, how is black locust for arrows? For some reason I've been wanting to try it. Due to a lack of good arrows I have arrow building on my mind. When I cut some stave trees I'm thinking about keeping back some shorter straight grained sections to try as dowel arrows. Think it'll be worth the time and effort involved?

Thanks,
Kyle
Logged

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,633
Re: Black locust for arrows?
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2015, 10:29:35 pm »
Should make good arrows. Will probably be heavy physically.
Logged
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline bowandarrow473

  • Member
  • Posts: 696
Re: Black locust for arrows?
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2015, 08:28:45 am »
I made some black locust arrows a while ago, they seemed to fly well but I don't know the specific weight or spine as I don't weigh or spine stuff (I use my hands) but the flight was simalar to my dogwood and hickory arrows so the weight might be around the same.
Logged
Whatever you are, be a good one.

Offline TimBo

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,047
Re: Black locust for arrows?
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2015, 05:49:07 pm »
I planed some out from a board a couple of years ago.  It seems like a great arrow material, but is very dense.  Mine are too heavy to use with the 50-55 pound bows I shoot.  If I got them down to 5/16", they might work.  As I remember, they heat straightened very easily.  I did self nocks and didn't feel that they needed any reinforcing (but who knows about that since I didn't shoot them a lot).  Jay Massey mentions black locust in the arrows chapter of TBB vol. 1 - maybe that's where you got the idea.
Logged

Offline Mo_coon-catcher

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,347
Re: Black locust for arrows?
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2015, 07:43:05 pm »
I'm glad to hear that it won't be any issue using black locusts. I've actually never read any of TBB books. I got to thinking about it with how stiff the stuff is in the form of a bow and got to thinking that it might make for some high spine for small diameter arrows. And it splits so easy I feel like you can split it down into shafts fairly easily. It'll be a while till I cut some more locust, but once I do and make some arrows I'll report back on what I think of them. So far I only have hickory and pretty soon some either white pine or Douglas fir (came from a 2x3) arrows to compare to.

Kyle
Logged

riverrat

  • Guest
Re: Black locust for arrows?
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2015, 07:55:05 pm »
ive plained them out in the past after splitting some out. tell ya what, i loved them. makes awesome shafts! respond well to dry heat bending as i recall. if some are bent a little.look very nice.Tony
Logged

Offline PortlandJoe

  • Member
  • Posts: 24
  • nock. draw. LOOOOSE!
Re: Black locust for arrows?
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2015, 03:29:18 am »
Black Locust shoot shafts are not worth the time  in my opinion. I've never tried split for m a board but it sounds neat.
Logged

riverrat

  • Guest
Re: Black locust for arrows?
« Reply #7 on: October 24, 2015, 04:58:14 pm »
not split from a board. split from a log.just like a stave.actualy think of it as a small stave. then you debark, get rid of sapwood..."if you want". and then split out your arrows.thats how i did it anyhow.
Tony
Logged
Pages: [1]
« previous next »