[Ansteorra-missile] UHMW Heads on Fiberglass Combat Arrows

[Bob Dewart]

To make life a little easier, you don't have to make a cutter for the foam.
Get a 1 1/2 inch hole saw.  This will have the same 1 3/8 inside diameter.
Leave the drill bit part in.  Set the drill to reverse.  After about three
discs the inside of the hole saw will fill up.  Then the little discs will
just fall off when cut.  However, sometimes they'll go aways when they do.

Gilli
Shoot more arrows.  You're bound to hit something.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <meggiddo at netzero.net>
To: <ansteorra-missile at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 10:00 PM
Subject: [Ansteorra-missile] UHMW Heads on Fiberglass Combat Arrows


> 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.
>
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