Arrows

[tcoop]

I have been checking in to start making my own arrows since my 6 & 9 yr. old kids are shooting 3-D's with me. How ever, I have found that it doesn't save very much money at all. If any of you make your own arrows, please answer some of these questions for me.

Why do you make your own arrows?

What type of arrows, wood, alluminum, carbon?

What type of componets, inserts, vains, feathers?

What brand & model fletcher do you use & why?

Where do you get your supplies, shafts, feathers or vains, etc.?

Do you make them just for personal use; for you & buddies; or do you sell what you make?

Have you found it to be cheaper than buying ready to shoot arrows?

Do you have any good tips or secrets that you have learned?

Thank you very much for your time.

tcoop

[Myk]

I make my own because I get what I want. And if you go to Presley's to get what you want it's going to cost you a lot more than making your own.

If what I want happens to come how I want them I end up just fixing my arrows. But usually what's on clearance isn't exactly what I want so I end up cutting them down or taking off vanes and putting on feathers.
It's a lot cheaper to replace a feather than it is to replace an arrow.

I use a Cabelas fletcher, it does all three at the same time. I get most of my stuff from Cabelas. Nocks I get locally where ever I happen to be. Same with Fletch-tite.

I only make for myself but if a friend wanted a set of Flu-Flu's I'd be willing to make them.

I suggest using fletch-tite for feathers/vanes. If you can't get that, super-glue gel is almost tolerable.

[tcoop]

Thanks MYK,

One of the reasons that I've been considering making my own is that the arrows that we have had made at Wolf Hollow Archery have had trouble keeping the vanes on. And it cost $3.00 or so every time they need fletching. It's starting to add up.

Is that a common problem with Carbon arrows? I never had that problem until I switched to carbon last year.

tcoop

[Myk]

I never used carbons or vanes, but I know after a year of sitting in my case I have to replace some feathers on my aluminum.

[Elkein]

Yes I've made arrows only aluminum ones though. I have always done this due to not likely the quality or durability of "pro shop" arrows or mail order.

I Use these sets of components:
Target,
X7 blue shafts
3" feathers w/ fletch-tite
Pro nocks
7% NIBB w/ ferral-tite
,

Hunting,
XX75 OR GGII
4" vanes w/fleth tite
5/16" Pronocks
standard inserts w/ ferrel-tite
75gr Field points for practice, 75 mini blasters for hunting

Now that's a pretty darn boring list, but they produce very durable arrows except for the pronocks with are disposable and unanchored. One gets damaged I just screw a new one on in seconds in the field. I usualy put a very mild twist to the flething, about a one in 35" spin, using a marten fletching rig.

edit added: For pre-fletch proccessing to make the vanes STAY PUT. I do two steps. Use good old sandpaper in a crosshatch pattern in the fletching area. Then clean the area and the vane bases with alcohol, have NEVER had a vane come off with this proccess.

[tcoop]

Thanks Elkein,

I've been wondering if the shafts and fletching need to be cleaned better than what the proshop does.

tcoop

[don in socal]

:)

i do indeed make all of my own aeros. wood, aluminum and carbon. i've been doing it for many years. i have a great deal of $$$$ in the tools to do so such as a quality aero straightner, a pro shop quality aero cutter , alum shaft cut trimmer to 'square' the cut, many different types of fletching jigs, etc

i enjoy the making of them . the only thing i don't do is form my own wooden shafts from the blank square stock. but i do taper them and just starting into making footed shafts and forming compressed wooden shafts.

my prefered wood is good ole POC (Port Oxford Cedar) due to it's inherent straigntess, and ease to work with . (not to mention the wonderful aroma!)

alum and carbons are ez to "make" but don't give me the satisfaction of starting from scratch and ending with a well made aero as do wooden aeros. (you might correctly surmise i prefer traditional archery, too ...)

cleanliness is essential to properly fletch a shaft. i use denatured alcohol to clean the shaft before dipping or fletching, alum, carbon or wood and use the same to clean the base of the feathers before fletching. (i don't shoot vanes. even from my cam bows)

in an 'end anyalsis' i enjoy making them all ...

:)

[tcoop]

Don in socal,

I wish you were Don in cenil (central IL) :rolleyes: I sure would love to spend a day or 2 in your shop. I bet I could learn a ton.

Thank you for the post.

tcoop