Cane nodes...reduce or not?

[GregB]

Tracy, I'm still procrastinating about buying another camera to replace my last one that went belly up. I'll try and take some over at the club this weekend with Pappy's camera.

[TRACY]

No problem Greg. I know you've been working on them and just wondered how they were turning out. i've been working on my first batch and trying to figure out what I like best. It's a lot of fun and I'm amazed at how well they shoot. Very rewarding.

Thanks Tracy

[welch2]

If you are on the fence between sanding and not sanding , you can compress the nodes instead . When they are almost straight or after straightening . Use a clothes iron ,or two flat rocks and a heat source , and roll the shaft while pressing the node . I've done it a few times ,never enough to get the node completely even  ,but close. If then you sand it down you will be removing less material.


Ralph

[GregB]

Ralph, I tried something similar to that with some cane this past weekend. Had a pair of fencing pliers with about a 3/8" or so diameter hole in it. I got the pliers hot with a torch and then used them to compress the nodes. It helped, but didn't get them down as much as I'd hoped. I then sanded them almost flush with the rest of the cane.

[Hillbilly]

I did some scientific tests at a 3D shoot this weekend on cane shafts with the completely flush-sanded nodes. I dead centered and side-swiped a few trees and rocks (intentionally in the name of science, of course  ) and even split the side off of a sapling with the cane arrows coming out of a 60#-ish bow-no damage, breakage, or problems whatsoever, not even a scratch.

[Pat B]

...and he only lost cane arrow...when Steve's wife goosed him just as he released.