The arrow splicing jig...courtesy of Stephen Graf

 https://tradbow.com/fixing-wooden-arrows-is-a-snap/

        Here's the link to the best little arrow fixin' tool I've ever seen or used, courtesy of Traditional Bowhunter Magazine.  Many thanks to Robin Conrads for granting permission to use it.

      Fellow longbowman Stephen Graf, a former NASA engineer, is also a bit of an inventor.  Besides having a bent for writing (his two books on shooting longbows and building tackle can be found on various booksites) he also spends some time in his shop crafting longbows, wood arrows and tools to work on them.  This jig to allow the making of a single-footed splice on an arrow shaft is pure genius in my opinion.  The instructions are easy to follow.  

        I was gifted one by Steve a few years ago, and I'm testifying that it works extremely well.  I've never had an arrow break at the splice.  It's really a great way to make your arrows last longer with a minimum of expense and time.  I gave a set of plans to a longbow-shooting cousin and he built his own jig in a short time and he has reported to me that he is saving money by not buying new arrows and repairing damaged ones.  It's also just a great way to spend time in the shop working on archery "stuff" that is very beneficial.

     The use of the jig requires a block plane.  I use a small one, but really just about any size would work.  The trick is to practice on some scab shafts until you get the feel for lowering the plane on the shaft and using light planing strokes.  Easy does it, don't try to take off too much material in few passes.  Let the weight of the plane do most of the work and you'll have no issues.  I like to plane the shaft materials perpendicular to the grain, so that when I glue the two pieces together, the grain lines up.  In my mind it may be a stronger splice, but I really don't know.  I do know they last.  Steve has a method of marking arrows that he's spliced, and some of the arrows he carries in his quiver to stump shoot or hunt with have been repaired up to 10 times. That's saying something to the durability of the splice.

       Like I mentioned previously, staining or clearcoating a splice isn't the prettiest because the splice itself isn't as cosmetically appealing as a two or four foot splice, but if you're into making your arrows all one color of lacquer or enamel, that is not an issue as the splice is covered over when you repaint the shaft.  If you dip your arrows, you only have to dip to just above the splice, not the entire arrow.  Paint that is thin enough will flow easily, making the repair look nice.

      I look forward to Steve sharing some more insights into archery, possibly some shooting tips that he has learned in learning and writing about the Swing Draw method of shooting, or maybe some other tackle and/or arrow making tips.  We'll see what the future holds.  Until then,

      Shoot Straight.