Arrow-making "stuff"

     I say stuff rather "tongue in cheek" because if a person gets into wood arrow making to any degree, they will gather lots of equipment, supplies, tools, and whatnot...which any casual observer or spouse will refer to as "arrow-making stuff".  Trust me, you will need this stuff to turn out good arrows, but being on the somewhat frugal side, and following Howard Hill's lead that arrows are "ammunition", they need to be made/produced in an affordable way.

    There are many really fine wood arrow makers out there today, and this will take nothing from them.  They turn out great products and they are not getting rich at their craft. They are making and selling wood arrows because they love it.  This post is for the ones that want to make their own wood arrows and to further understand what makes a good wood arrow, one that will fly straight to where it is aimed.

     We've studied what woods can make fine arrows, what dynamic spine is, how to know where to start in that regard, so now we need to know what kind of products can be purchased without selling the farm.  Starting with the arrow shafts themselves...if at all possible, it's best to buy in some kind of bulk quantity.  This makes it easier to sort the shafts by spine and weight into tighter tolerances than the sellers will do as a general rule.  I like to buy in at least 3 dozen lots, and more if the funds will allow it.  Shafts kept in a moderately dry area will age indefinitely so no cause of alarm to stock up.

     Now we need to know what tools and supplies are needed.  Here's the short list of what will make  good shooting wood arrows out of those "wood dowels" you just received.

     A good spine tester.  Not absolutely necessary if you completely trust your shaft supplier to sort and group arrows in true 5# spine groups, but eventually you'll want one to better sort your arrows and make grouping your arrows easier.  There are several on the market, and some online instructions to make different types.  Most will work fine for the hobbyist.  As in all things, get the best you can afford.

     A grain scale.  These are mostly digital versions available today and they all will work if they can zero out in grains.  Grain scales are easiest to use if they are the flat pad with a digital readout.  Pick your version, they're not too expensive.

    A shaft tapering tool.  These come in different versions, the two most common types are the pencil sharpening look-alike tool and the sanding disk version.  The pencil sharpener type uses a sharp blade to trim off the taper, and work best for shaft materials of cedar, poplar and pine.  If you are using Fir, Spruce, Hemlock or the hardwoods, then the sanding disk version is best as it won't tear the wood fibers.  If you can only pick one taper tool, make it a sanding disk version.  You can buy some types, but most arrow makers will build their own with disc sanders and jigs to hold their shafts at the proper 5 or 11 degree angles.  There are online sources to show how to make these in various ways.  

    A shaft straightening tool.  These are sometimes necessary and work to straighten shafts by compression of the wood fibers on the high side of the unwanted bend.  These are extremely easy to make your own.  I use a large eye bolt, with a section cut out of the eye to make a hook.  A round screwdriver shaft also works well.  Cheap is good here.

    A cresting jig.  Only necessary if you want to add paint cresting with straight, fine lines to your arrows for identification purposes or for artwork.  This isn't needed to make good flying arrows, but sometimes we need to tickle a fancy itch.  Jigs can be as simple as two V-blocks supporting the arrow and turning it by hand, or the shaft chucked into a drill, or even a repurposed sewing machine motor...anything that can rotate the shaft will you add paint with a small fine brush.  Testors model paints and model brushes work well.

    A wood saw with a fine tooth blade like a hacksaw or coping saw to cut the shafts to length....or my favorite tool for cutting wood shafts to length...a utility knife and sharp blade.  This is a favorite arrow making hack of mine and I'll show you how it works later when we start building arrows.

    A fletching jig.  There are lots of choices here.  I use Bitzenburgers, to me the Cadillac or BMW of the lot. However, there are some jigs that are easier for some people to use than others.  Jo-Jan is a popular brand, and there are some by Bohning and others that work well also.

    Feather chopper or burner or template...only necessary if you want to make your own custom fletch shape.  Not necessary to purchase as feathers can by purchased already shaped and cut to length. The old Young feather burner can still be found used now and then, and there are a couple of different sources for feather choppers.  Both kinds work. Some people trim feathers using a metal template and scissors.  You don't need fancy, you need consistency of fletch size and shape.

    Finish dipping tube.  Necessary if the arrow finish of choice is bought in liquid form (not spray form) and the user doesn't want to use a rag.  The dip tube leaves an evenly coated shaft and allows the use of finishes bought in bulk quantities for better cost savings.  These can be bought premade, or made yourself using PVC pipe and fittings.

      A rack of some kind to hold dipped arrow shafts.  This can be home-made for sure...or it can be a simple wire to hang arrows from as they drip dry.  My version is shown in the photos.  More on that later.

     Arrow finish.  This can be water-based or Polyurethane, enamel, or oil-based.  The finishes I show in my photo have worked well for me for a very many years and are compatible with Duco household cement for fletching and nocks.  Some finishes work well with the various super-glues or Bohning products. I don't know about these as all I use is Duco, and have been using it for over 30 years on these products.  Again...my arrow finishes are the best at the least expense for arrows that are deemed ammunition rather than artwork.   My take on this...pretty arrows sure look good in the quiver or on the wall, but if they cost an arm and a leg, you won't want to take that shot at a squirrel on a limb, or a rabbit on a rockpile, or a deer trotting by.  Those types of shots are what the Hill style of shooting inspires you to take and you need to be able to shoot without any worry of arrow cost.   

     Glues and adhesives.  As I said, I use Duco for my feathers and nocks.  I use simple hobby/craft low heat hot glue sticks from the hardware store for my points.  The good ones, which are more opaque or amber colored.  Not the dollar store kind.  This hot glue is less brittle than the advertised Ferrule cement that's been around for a very long time, and will keep points on arrows better if hard objects are hit by the arrow.  It also melts at a lower temperature, allowing you to change a damaged point in the field more easily using a cigarette lighter if needed.  You'll need a candle, alcohol burner, or small propane torch to melt the glue for the heads.

     That's it.  Pretty basic.  Get your stuff together and we'll start making arrows that will

      Shoot Straight.