[Namron] Arrow making, preferrably period

[mikea]

On Tue, May 31, 2005 at 11:04:38AM -0500, Jim L Couch wrote:
> Is there someone that could, would, or would not mind so much teaching
> me how to make my own arrows?  If it makes a difference, I would
> prefer to learn how to make both period and not so period (wood shaft,
> plastic nocks, etc) arrows; what materials I need to buy, where I need
> to buy them, what equipment is required, etc.  I don't necessarily
> want to make them using period methods.  Payday is next week so would
> be better on the budget if someone was available next week so that I
> could purchase materials.

Baron Ulf and I both can do this. 

You'll want to order shafts spined for your bow weight, in ramin or cedar.
Ramin is merely expensive, while cedar can be _very_ expensive. 

You'll also want points for the shaft diameter that you order. I like 
field points, and they're pretty much the standard. "Target" points don't
have the same weight, don't fly as well, and don't stay on the shaft as 
well while being pulled out of a backstop. You'll want glue to hold the 
pionts on, and a taper tool (like a pencil sharpener, but priced like 
it's made of gold) to shape the point end of the shaft for the point.

You'll want fletching, which you can order (or buy) pre-cut or as un-cut
feathers. Buying pre-cut pretty much limits you to the shapes available in
the catalogs or from the stores -- parabolic, for the most part. If you buy
uncut feathers, then you have the option of shaping them as you wish, with 
a fletching-cutter (I have one) or a hot-wire burner (I don't). I like the
old-fashioned shape myself, even if the drag is a bit higher: 

-------------------
-------------------
     \          \
      \          \
       \__________\

You'll need glue to keep the fletching on, and a fletching jig to hold the
fletching in place while the glue dries. If you want a _perfectly_ _period_
arrow, you'll use hide glue, then spiral-wrap thread around the shaft and 
through the fletching to keep the feathers on when the glue gets wet, as it
inevitably will. 

You have the option of using plastic nocks or sawing a nock; if you use a 
sawn nock, you probably will want to reinforce it, say with horn. You'll 
need a taper tool for the nock end, too, if you use plastic nocks; some are
made with two taper bits, one for each end of the shaft. Plastic nocks will 
need glue. If you choose the sawn, horn-reinforced nock, then you'll need 
glue to keep the piece of horn in place. If you don't use horn, then you 
*will* want to wrap the nock end of the shaft with thread and glue the 
thread in place, to keep the shaft from splitting.

Finally, wou'll want to finish the arrows after you get everything all 
glued up, so that they don't absorb any more water than can be avoided when
you shoot into a wet backstop, or the shaft winds up in wet grass, etc. I 
use a good tung-oil finish, thinned down to about 50%: I just want to coat
the shaft very lightly, not to put a _lot_ of oil on it. I apply this with
a paper towel. You could use linseed oil, thinned down with turpentine, but
that takes longer to "dry" (polymerize, actually), and you have the hazard 
of spontaneous combustion with linseed oil and everything it touches. 

Shopping list: 

o	Points

o	shafts

o	nocks

o	horn if you're doing sawn, reinforced nocks

o	saw blades for cutting shafts to length and cutting nocks

o	fletching materials (cut feathers or uncut)

o	fletching cutter if you're shaping your own

o	glue (modern fletching cement or hide glue) for points, nocks, and 
	nock reinforcements

o	thread for fletching wraps and nock reinforcements

o	shaft finish (tung or linseed oil)

o	thinner for the shaft finish

Note: perfectly-period arrows, using hide glue for points and fletching, 
are _damned_ fragile in comparison to arrows using modern fletching cement.

Master Ulf may have something to add to the list, or something to take away.

-- 
Mike Andrews		/	Michael Fenwick 	Barony of Namron, Ansteorra
mikea at mikea.ath.cx	/	Amateur Extra radio operator W5EGO
Tired old music Laurel; webBastard; SCAdian since AS VIII