arrow/shaft source?

[Bob Barnes]

I have a friend that shoots a 35# selfbow and I want to make or buy some arrows for it.  I want something spined for the 35# draw weight, but really want wood/bamboo that weighs 10gpp or less when finished at 28".  What/where do I need to look?
thanks,
Bob

[Pat B]

Wayne at TSA, 3Rivers and other sponsors of PA.

[Bob Barnes]

thanks...and I get that... but everyone use to post the weight and spine range on wood shafts...all I see is spine any more.  I guess I will email all of them to see what's available. 
thanks again.
Bob

[DC]

I find it hard to get bamboo that light but I use 45-55# spine. The Tiger bamboo are very nice shafts but the ones I got run in the 450-500 grain range. If you try garden stakes every so often you'll get a stiff one that is in the 320-350 range. It still doesn't leave any room for the tip weight. Spruce and Hemlock work.

[Strelets]

Tulipwood (Liriodendron tulipifera, known as "American Poplar" here in the UK) will average around about 300 grains for a 5"/16 x 28" shaft. You can expect up to 15% variation in weight for shafts of the same dimensions. Tulipwood is much stronger than Port Orford cedar, spruce or pine but is not so strong as ash. When I used POC I used to break about one arrow a week, with tulipwood I break one every couple of months or so, and with ash I break about one a year.

I use 3"/8 tulipwood arrow shafts for bows of up to 70 lb, but 5"/16 should be OK for 35 lb. I buy the shafts direct from a dowelling manufacturer, requesting "arrow grade".

[Knoll]

Like Strelets posted, tulip poplar at 5/16 will likely work. But you're gonna need to buy manufactured dowels or make your own from boards. I use the 1/2" boards avail at big orange box store, and hand plane 'em down.
POC should be doable too.
Also, Wayne at TSA would be good resource to speak with.

[Pat B]

Tulip poplar makes great shafts. Very strong but lighter than POC in my experience. I have and have used 11/32" poplar shafting.

[Hawkdancer]

Red osier dogwood May work also- don’t have weight specs on the tip of my tongue,
but it is light and tough.  I will be bringing some to MoJam, well cured and bark on.
Hawkdancer

[Bob Barnes]

thanks guys!  I will look around for those poplar dowels or just make my own since I have a month.

[TSA]

thanks all, for the referrals
hi Bob, i can help you with the correlation between spine and mass, more so with our own shafts- but the formula kinda stays the same for all the woods- just the size of the numbers vary.
i am more than happy to help you with any question or technical data i can help you with, and i certainly dont expect you to purchase shafts from us.
If you are planning to build them by hand with a "shooting board", there are lots of folk on here that do that heaps.
if you are going to build a jig- either a router based or table saw based jig- i can help some with that- i have built a few of them, but more so if you are planning on using the veritas jig- thats how we started many years ago- and i notched up a lot of hours on that jig
thats just if you need some assistance. i am sure you are more than capable

[Woodely]

I find it hard to get bamboo that light but I use 45-55# spine. The Tiger bamboo are very nice shafts but the ones I got run in the 450-500 grain range. If you try garden stakes every so often you'll get a stiff one that is in the 320-350 range. It still doesn't leave any room for the tip weight. Spruce and Hemlock work.

You have any luck with Hemlock..?   " I use 45-55# spine."   .........….so what ya use for your bows that are under 40# 

[DC]

I found Hemlock to be a bit weak but that's compared to Bamboo. I've only made a couple of bows under 40# and I just rummaged around in my reject arrow bin until I found a couple or three lighter arrows that worked.

[jeffp51]

if you make the arrow a little longer, you should be able to get the dynamic spine down to where you want it.

[Bob Barnes]

Thanks everyone for the help... a couple of friends, Gifford and Feathers -n- Wood, helped me out and I should end up with some arrows that will work just fine.   

[Hawkdancer]

Wayne, sent you a pm.
Hawkdancer