Hardwood shoot collecting time

[Allyn T]

This honeysuckle hasn't checked on me yet. I do hand straighten a little but I've found if I try to bend too much the split badly when green. So if it requires more I'm gonna wait and use heat. I've gotten about 75 shoots so far from this stuff and I'm only looking around work.

[Black Moshannon]

This honeysuckle hasn't checked on me yet. I do hand straighten a little but I've found if I try to bend too much the split badly when green. So if it requires more I'm gonna wait and use heat. I've gotten about 75 shoots so far from this stuff and I'm only looking around work.

I collected Amur honeysuckle here where it spreads invasively. I used two of them to make arrows, they came out nice. I’ll take a photo and post it.

[Allyn T]

Thanks Kenneth

[Black Moshannon]

Here's the amur honeysuckle arrows I made so far. It was much easier to work with than wild rose, both collecting and making. Also they're a non-native invasive here in PA so I'm happy to get rid of them and put them to use. They are heavy like wild rose and worked out perfectly for me.

[Allyn T]

Wow they look really nice!

[Black Moshannon]

Thanks Allyn I’ve been pretty happy with them

[Allyn T]

What did they spine at? And what length are they

[Black Moshannon]

I made the first one 29.5" and the second 30" since I had decided to start making my arrows a full thirty inches just to simplify things and I think the extra length makes them easier shooting. I don't spine test my arrows but I do have a 55-60# spined Surewood Shaft which I just use as a guide. I know how that flexes so I just make my shoot shafts flex similarly, I judge it by flexing it and seeing how it looks and feels.

[GlisGlis]

I really like the long dark lines along the shaft. Are these burned?

[Black Moshannon]

Yea I use a hot piece of metal to burn three or four straight lines on the idea was to create long stiff areas to act as stiffeners to keep the arrow straighter. I still have to check shoot arrows and straighten out small imperfections if they’ve not been used for awhile

[Pat B]

Kenneth, do you temper shafts after you straighten them? I know the using heat to straighten them somewhat tempers them but I go back over each one, starting at one end and rotate the shaft over heat while working down towards the other end then lay them flat to cool. I still sometimes have to do a simple hand straightening(cold) but the shafts usually stay straight for me after that.

[WhistlingBadger]

You guys got me all inspired, so I went out and collected a bunch of red osier dogwood shoots last week.  What looked straight in the field looks more like pretzels on my bench, and they won't bend straight.  I kept about a half dozen that I think I might be able to do something with.  The rest went in the reject pile.  Oh well, always good to get out.

[Pat B]

When I collect hardwood shoots I bundle them using rubber bands until and even after straightening. The rubber bands will keep the bundle tight even after the shoots start to dry. They shrink as they dry.
 WB, did you try to straighten with heat the ones that were crooked? Did you harvest 2nd year shoots, the ones with small branches on them. First year growth only has leaf scars now and are too flimsy for arrows.

[WhistlingBadger]

When I collect hardwood shoots I bundle them using rubber bands until and even after straightening. The rubber bands will keep the bundle tight even after the shoots start to dry. They shrink as they dry.
 WB, did you try to straighten with heat the ones that were crooked? Did you harvest 2nd year shoots, the ones with small branches on them. First year growth only has leaf scars now and are too flimsy for arrows.

OK, I didn't know that!  I thought the first year growth was what you wanted.  This wood all felt really spongy.  I tried to straighten them like I straighten wood shafts:  bend it a little past straight, hold it for a few seconds.  Most of them sprang right back.  Is that because they were too green, do you think?  Should I let them dry out a bit before straightening?

[Pat B]

Yeah, bundle them for a month or two and they should be pretty dry. You can also unbundle every few days and hand straighten a little each time then bundle back up while they are still green. You can get them pretty straight this way while they are drying. Once dry use heat to make the final straightening and tempering.
 I would not remove the bark until they are dry but others have had different experiences.