[Ansteorra-archery] Question on UHMW length for bolt/arrow heads

[Dwherplvr2 at aol.com]

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After researching several sites, including the Ansteorra-Archery site, I'm
extremely confused as to what size the UHMW part of the blunt needs to be.  I
understand that it needs to be a diameter of 1.25" but the length seems to be
different depending on which website you look at.  On the Ansteorra-Archery
site, the article on "UHMW Heads on Fiberglass Combat Arrows" by Wilim
Penbras states to cut them at 1" increments.  While the Fellwalker.com site
shows them at 2" increments.  This is where I'm getting confused.  I have
ordered the UHMW rods (which have arrived but scared to cut) and have ordered
fiberglass 14" crossbow bolts from NorthStar Archery.  There is another
dilemma that I'm having also, the padding on the UHMW rod.  I've read on
several postings that the blue camping mat sold at Walmart is an acceptable
choice for the closed-cell padding on the arrow head. (In which this has
already been discussed recently and understood.)  What about the foam
practice golf balls?  With about 1/4 inch cut from one side, there is over an
inch of foam left. These aren't squishy nor are they so hard that they
wouldn't compress when hitting an object or person.  A friend of mine who's
helping me get bolts ready said these couldn't be any worse than being hit by
a Balder Blunt.

Originally, we had made about a dozen bolts with wooden dowles and the golf
balls cut in half but we've since found that there wasn't enough padding at
the end and that wooden dowles do not make for good arrow heads (Lord Eadric)
and have scrapped that method.  I just want to do it right, which I hope I'm
on the right track now but I can't figure out the correct length to cut the
UHMW.  Can someone help me?  Also, is there any difference in the heads
ofcombat bolts vs. combat arrows?  Maybe that's what is confusing me.

Thank you in advance for your help and advice,

Jorunn Gunnarsdottir
newbie to combat archery