[Ansteorra-missile] UHMW Heads on Fiberglass Combat Arrows

[meggiddo at netzero.net]

I have the instructions below saved on my computer. They should help
anyone who is looking at making UHMW combat heads. Need to be aware this
was before the use of APD's. With this in mind, ignore any mention of
the words vanes or flatting.

In additional - need to round off the edges of the UHMW blunt so that
there is no sharp edges. 

Hope this helps.


Michael Fray
Unit Combat Artillery for the Condottieri


Academy of the Bow – A.S. XXXVI

UHMW Heads on Fiberglass Combat Arrows
by: Wilim Penbras ap Gurgeneu

Materials
5/4 inch UHMW rod
(Ultra High Molecular Weight)
1/4 inch fiberglass rod
Closed cell foam
Nocks
Plastic vanes
Strapping tape
Duct tape
Glue

Equipment
Saw (for UHMW and fiberglass rods)
Drill with 1/4 inch bit
Scissors
Fletching jig
Taper tool (pencil sharpener)
5/4 or 1 3/8 inch inside diameter pipe
File
Router (Optional)

Preparation Stage
Before you can build your combat arrows, you must first turn the raw
materials into the arrow head components. This will require that you
first cut the UHMW rods, closed cell foam, and fiberglass rods to the
correct dimensions.

UHMW Preparation
The Ultra High Molecular Weight rod (hereafter called UHMW) combined
with the closed cell foam (hereafter called CCF) will become your combat
blunt. The UHMW comes in various lengths, but is most commonly found in
five foot sections. Set up a jig or miter gauge on your saw to cut at a
ninety degree angle. Cut the length of UHMW into as many one inch long
pieces as possible. The final result
should be about sixty pieces that are 1 1/4 inch in diameter and one
inch long.
If you have a router, it is possible and desirable to round the edges
with a 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch rounding bit before each cross cut so the
leading edge of the arrow present no rough edges. The UHMW isn’t quite a
blunt yet. You need to prepare a hole to insert the Fiberglass shaft
into. If you have a drill press, set the guard so the hole is centered
on a point 5/8 of an inch from the edge.
This should place the hole in the center of the UHMW. Otherwise you can
use an empty film cannister to mark the center of the section. Poke a
whole in the center of the canister, place this over the UHMW, and use a
marker to mark the center. Then drill a whole in the center of the flat
side of the UHMW to
a depth of 1/2 inch.

Closed Cell Foam (CCF) Padding
To make the padding, you need to cut your closed cell foam into a set of
circles of the correct diameter. If you rounded the edges of your UHMW
blunts, then you will need to prepare a cutter of 1 1/4 inch inside
diameter. If you did not round the edges, then instead prepare a cutter
of 1 3/8 inch inside
diameter. To make your cutter, use the file to sharpen the edges of one
end of the pipe. Once you have prepared your cutter from the pipe, use
it like a cookie cutter to cut out pieces of foam to the correct
diameter. If you did not round the edges of the UHMW, the extra 1/8 inch
of foam on the larger pieces
of foam can bend over and around the rough edge of the UHWM. Cut out as
many of these as you will need, two or three for each arrow head.

Precutting Shafts
Next, make that fiberglass into arrow shafts. The maximum permitted draw
length is 28 inches, so your shafts should be 28 inches, plus an extra
half inch to embed in the UHMW. Therefore, cut the shafts to 28.5 inches
in length. Fiberglass and UHMW can be hazardous to your lungs. So when
cutting or removing them, remember to wear a face mask that will filter
out the minute particles of
fiberglass and plastic.

Construction Stage
Once the raw materials are converted into their respective components,
you can combine them into the actual arrow heads.

Nocking and Fletching
Taper the nock end of the shaft. These are fiberglass so it is
unimportant which end you use. Nor do you need concern yourself with
lining up the nock with the grain. Just take a standard taper tool or
pencil sharpener to one end and taper it. A healthy dose of arrow glue
will hold the nock on. Once the
nocks have dried, sand the last five inches or so with a piece of 200
grit sandpaper. Don’t forget your mask. Then use your jig to fletch the
shaft.

Applying the Blunt
Insert the shaft into the UHMW head. There is debate concerning how much
this helps, but I recommend that you use a little glue in the hole to
help keep the head on the shaft. At this stage, cut two lengths of
strapping tape, each about eight inches long. Take two or three pieces
of the closed cell foam disks and position them over the end of the
blunt. Secure them with two pieces of strapping tape crossed over the
end. This foam should be thick enough to provide an inch of progressive
give.  If it does not, add another layer of foam.

Finishing Touches
The final things to be done are as follows: 
Wrap the length of the shaft in strapping or electrical tape.
Wrap the blunt head in duct tape.
Label the arrows with your name and your kingdom.

Things to Check
The final draw length should be, at most, 28 inches from the nock to the
back of the blunt. There should be sufficient compression. There should
always be at least two fletches on an arrow. The nock and blunt should
be checked to make sure they cannot be removed from the shaft.