To groove or not to groove that is the question?

[ntvbowyer1969]

Hello everyone. I have seen a mixed bag when it comes to making grooves in hard wood shoot shafts to keep them from warping. What is everyones thoughts on this and does it work? I have always just made little tweaks if need be in the field. they never seemed to me to warp badly after heat straightening and such. Just wondering. It seems like a lot of work if it doesnt pay off and who wants to score their beautiful arrows you put so much into up til now?

[Pat B]

I've grooved hardwood shoot shafts and didn't see any improvements or advantage. Well seasoned shoots are more stable than quick dried ones. I like to give hardwood shoots a year to season and 2 is even better. After heat straightening I temper the shaft by starting at one end and heat and rotate the shoot moving down the shoot from end to end. This forces any excess moisture out so be careful of steam at the far end as you approach it. You may have to hand straighten while it's warm and lay it flat to cool completely. I've done this with sourwood, red osier, black haw viburnum and other dogwood shoots. They stay straighter than other shafts I have.

[ntvbowyer1969]

thx Pat. I cut these in Jan. (privet). i dries one month bundled with bark on the removed the bark and bundled/hand straightened every other day. I moved them in a small room upstairs with a dehumidifier in it. When late spring /summer came i moved them into the sunny days laying flat on a table.when it became humid i moved them back to the room with the dehumidifier. I used the same process as i do with bows and weighed the shafts at beginning and checked before i started heat straightening them last week. They are very straight now and i didnt lose any to cracking. I did lose 3 from bending. I am pretty sure i am ready to finish them up at this point but from now on i will def. try and season them longer. I have 5 bundles i havent did anything with yet besides store them upstairs in the house .Thank you for all the info.

[BowEd]

I've never needed to groove mine or feel I needed to.I concur on your processes and results.You should have some nice arrow shafts in time.I feel all shoots should be treated close to the same manner before making shafts.I've shown dogwoods made stating the same conclusions[extended seasoning times] Pat B has stated with the same success.I also have a dehunidifier in my house that I use all the time in the summer time.Prior to seasoning while bundled in groups of 7 I straighten them individually to the extent of being pretty much pipe straight even before heat straightening[ bark on or not].I try to give the wood a memory to go back to.While green preliminary straightening them is easier and less chance of breaking also.