DIY Arrow Making

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It's important to look after your arrows, especially after you've been shooting them for a while.

Recently I went on a trip to Eire, there was some wear and tear and when I got back, it soon became apparent I had some work to do.

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I had a batch of arrows to look at making too, so I gave them a look over and a quick inspection. Sometimes, if they are in storage for a long time, they may warp or bend slightly.

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Part 1 of the Arrow Maint Vids

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2nd Part of the Maint Vids

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It's pretty clear but I don't yet have the skill and tools to make arrow blanks and then round them off into shafts. That will come soon hopefully as I've a bunch of pressure treated wood I want to get experimenting on for spine allocations etc.

For now though the guide starts from the point of getting the shafts from a supplier…

The first thing I do is order up some pre-cut and rounded arrow shafts that suit the bow you’ve got.
Ebay is where I get my supply's currently…

Note: If you have a timber supplier nearby and your own electric band-saw you could try making your own shafts for arrow-making. This is advanced stuff though and for another guide.

Once you’ve got a bundle of arrow shafts (buying in bulk is cheaper) check each one for straightness, if it’s badly bent try and straighten it (sometimes steaming can help with this).

Having the correct ‘spine’ or stiffness counts here. If you don’t get the right ‘match’ your arrow will veer off to the left or right.
The more powerful your bow, the more ‘spine’ or rigidity it needs. You ought to make sure the weights are within about 30 grains too, otherwise your arrow shots will not be consistent either (they'll go short or farther if the grains are too far apart from one another, all things being equal).

[Harry Henderson]

You should really clean and oil your hammers if you expect gamgee to respect you

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Nocks

Next step is making the nock, where you notch an arrow.
You can do this the fancy, easy way, or the old-fashioned way.
The former is where you stick on an external plastic nock. To do that you should taper the last half-inch of the shaft to accommodate a plastic-nock.

The old-fashioned way is to make your own nock out of the wood itself. This my way of doing it as you don’t require purchase a nock. It also means there’s no nock piece to ‘fall-out’ during the course of the arrows life being shot etc.

The grain of the arrow is important, you must go at a right-angle to the grain. That is to say cutting across it.
A vice for this part is real boon. One guy online doesn’t use one (no access) so he just uses his knee’s and his free hand to steady it!

Now, using a hacksaw or equiv. Make a notch that’s about a ¼ of an inch deep or so.
Basically deep enough to get an arrow string into.
A hacksaw is good (what I use and one I made as a teenager at school!). Also a padsaw is fine, possibly a bit more easier to work with for notch-making.

Now widen the thin notch with a file set. I use two tools for widening it.
A small, slender file and a strange coping saw with a circular file-blade in it. It’s a strange little thing
but it is well-versed for this kind of work.
You can make your own shape for the nock edges. Or just leave it rough-cut.
I try and make a ‘bell’ pattern so that the string goes into the notch with a mere smigen of resistence. That way an arrow will stay nocked even on ‘stand-by’
But not so tight that it could throw the arrow awary once it’s released from an arrow.
You’ll want to reinforce the nock with binding, so use Somax thread or similar to wrap around underneath the nock. About ½ inch should be ok.

Arrow Lore: The Fletching / Arrowsmith guru’s use horn inserts for the nocks, this allows greatest of warbows to safetly use arrows without risking nock failure….

Once your nock is complete you can weather-proof it.
I use Danish Oil for this. But any wood-stain should do the trick.
After it dries (3 – 6 hours) you ought to reinforce the nock with strong thread.
Not only will it strengthen the area, but it make’s the arrow have an area you can take a purchase on a bit better.

Arrowheads

Next stage is adding on your arrowhead.
The arrowhead is a class all on it’s own. You can add an array of heads to arrows. Bone, flint, obsidian, metal etc.
Securing it to the shaft can be done in a variety of ways.
One item you will need is a fairly decent glue.
Super glue works, araldite does to.
I haven’t tried locktite and others though.
As long as one surface is porous a bonding glue should work fine.
IF you don’t have a strong glue then making a binding around the arrowhead can reinforce a weak ‘join’.
Normally this is essential if you are ‘hafting’ an arrowhead (with bone, flint etc). Pinning is another way.

Archers Lore: In times of war some archers arrows would have a weakish glue on their arrowheads.
That way an enemy could not remove an arrowhead by pulling out the shaft…

For my arrowheads I’ve got some semi-armour-piercing ones known as Modkin’s.
These are some of the most affordable one’s available outside of forging your own.

These one’s are at 11/32’s diameter.
The shafts I ordered didn't come tapered which is essential for this kind of work. The easy-peasy target points that are churned out by china just slot over the end of a straight shaft. For nicer arrow-heads, you'll have to craft the taper, a careful eye and a file /sandpaper is needed OR a bench grinder (much easier).

Add glue onto the arrow, then insert the arrowhead and screw it on tight.

Next you can start thinking about getting the fletchings done…

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Fletchings

Good resources on arrow and bow making:

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Fletchings Guide

You’ll need a fletchers jig to easily fletch the arrow shaft.
Or you can mark 3 x 120 degree points on it and glue it manually. In days of yore they’d bind arrow-fletchings onto the shafts, possibly glueing them as well if they had time.
I used basic superglue, then for some I bind them as well.
You will want to reinforce the ‘throat’ of the fletchings once they are glued in place.
That way you can reuse them without the likelihood of the fletchings coming off at the narrowest point. This is also where the air-resistence meets them so it’s a good idea doing this.
I use a spot of superglue to stick the thread then wind it up over the fletchings. Then another spot of glue to hold it in place.
After that I PVA over the thread and also the nock thread as well.

[Watch Ryder]

I coat the arrows in Danish Oil via this handy-dandy thing I made:

It is a 1 1/2 inch pvc tube that's sealed up and clamped against the work-table. A couple of tins of Danish oil later and in go the arrows!

[TheRabbit]

I just buy Easton Bloodline arrows from Cabelas. It takes a fraction of the time. Plus the check out girl is hot and I want to bang her.

[Watch Ryder]

I just buy Easton Bloodline arrows from Cabelas. It takes a fraction of the time. Plus the check out girl is hot and I want to bang her.

I make and sell mine, plus use 'em if they don't sell. LOL