Welcome, Guest. Please Login
SLINGING.ORG
 
Home Help Search Login


Pages: 1 2 
Send Topic Print
spoon arrowheads. (Read 12104 times)
Galvanicfish
Senior Member
****
Offline


Just not right.

Posts: 291
Central Ohio
Gender: male
spoon arrowheads.
Aug 3rd, 2011 at 3:51pm
 
I forget what book I read about in, something post-apocalyptic. Anyway, the archers in it used spoons that had been hammered flat then sharpened as arrowheads.

As I have just ordered a longbow (linen backed red oak, 72 inches, 45-50 lb draw at 28 inches) and arrows seem to be rather expensive, I've decided to try making some.

I figured if I buy some dowels, and use the feathers that some geese were kind enough to molt in my yard, and make a few of those, I might could save a few dollars. So far my total investment is $6 for gorilla glue and spoons. Not sure how much the dowels are gonna run me.

I already flattened one spoon and shaped it as proof-of-concept. It's hideous, but I figure it's gonna me like pancakes and the first one's gonna be crap.

I'm not sure what I'm gonna use for a nock, so any advice there would be appreciated. Or any other advice for that matter, pointers are always nice.
Back to top
 

Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana&&&&
 
IP Logged
 
Masiakasaurus
Forum Moderation
*****
Offline


mah-SEE-a-kah-SOR-us

Posts: 6069
Alabama, USA
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #1 - Aug 3rd, 2011 at 4:01pm
 
THE ROAD IS AMAZING (which is the book you probably read this in, btw)! I think there are a couple other topics on here about scavenging for arrowhead materials.
Back to top
 

Pikåru wrote on Nov 19th, 2013 at 6:59pm:
Massi - WTF? It's called a sling. You use it to throw rocks farther and faster than you could otherwise. That's all. 
~Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily avialable, they will create their own problems.~
WWW elsabio04  
IP Logged
 
Morphy
Slinging.org Moderator
*****
Offline


Checkmate

Posts: 8098
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #2 - Aug 3rd, 2011 at 4:08pm
 
I did this as a kid but to make a spear point rather than an arrowhead. I'm sure it will work just as well for that. In a post apocalyptic setting or a survival setting ( where you just happen to have a spoon with you I guess?  Grin) this should be more than sufficient to take game. Might want to salvage a better steel though if you plan on regular old deer hunting. Then again...never know maybe it will work great. Let us know how it works.  Cheesy
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Galvanicfish
Senior Member
****
Offline


Just not right.

Posts: 291
Central Ohio
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #3 - Aug 3rd, 2011 at 7:13pm
 
My bad. Feel free to merge the threads.

I think I read about them in S.M Sterling's Change series. Though The Road was excellent, if very depressing.

Fletching is much  more difficult than I thought it would be. I'm thinking a glue other than superglue and an xacto knife would be the  way to go.

Spoons would be quite easy to scavenge post apocalypse, just about every house and sit-down restaurant would have  them. In a survival situation, my energies would be better spent on snares & fish traps, especially considering how much of a pain I found the fletching...
Back to top
 

Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana&&&&
 
IP Logged
 
Morphy
Slinging.org Moderator
*****
Offline


Checkmate

Posts: 8098
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #4 - Aug 3rd, 2011 at 7:15pm
 
GF, contact cement is the way to go. Of course it also can be difficult without a fletching jig but I would use it over super glue anyday.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Bikewer
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


I love Slinging.org!

Posts: 1627
St. Louis, Mo
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #5 - Aug 3rd, 2011 at 8:36pm
 
Archery suppliers have specially-formulated fletching glue available for both natural feather/wood shaft arrows and modern composite materials.

It works quite well.  On the arrows I've made without a jig, I use a combination of wrapping and glue.   After preparing the feather by grinding away the pulp with my Dremel, I position the front with a drop of glue and then apply a couple of turns of wrapping.  Do likewise for the other feathers, positioning them each a third of the way around.  When that's dry, you can then apply glue to the rest of the quill and hold down for the short time it takes to get set.
With each feather in place, you can then complete the wrapping to make a smooth transition from shaft to fletching.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Steven
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


RaptorIsAsRaptorDoes

Posts: 2101
Austin, Tx.
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #6 - Aug 3rd, 2011 at 8:54pm
 
Learn to knap and make bottle bottom arrowheads... broken toilet tank material for thunder chert/johnstone dart and lance points
http://www.cavemanchemistry.com/oldcave/projects/stone/bottle.html
Back to top
 

A Curmudgeon@Large Civilly Fomenting Anarchy one post at a time...I don't like it is not a valid reason and Everyone knows is not a valid rule...Hi Ho, Hi Ho Its Off To Work I Go; As Ci-vi-lly As I Can Be Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Hi Ho...
THIS ADVICE IS WORTH WHAT YOU PAID FOR IT.
 
IP Logged
 
Masiakasaurus
Forum Moderation
*****
Offline


mah-SEE-a-kah-SOR-us

Posts: 6069
Alabama, USA
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #7 - Aug 3rd, 2011 at 10:16pm
 
Galvanicfish wrote on Aug 3rd, 2011 at 7:13pm:
My bad. Feel free to merge the threads.

Nah, I just wanted to let you know they exist so you could get some more inspiration. Hammered spoon broadheads is a unique enough topic to merit its own thread.
Back to top
 

Pikåru wrote on Nov 19th, 2013 at 6:59pm:
Massi - WTF? It's called a sling. You use it to throw rocks farther and faster than you could otherwise. That's all. 
~Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily avialable, they will create their own problems.~
WWW elsabio04  
IP Logged
 
LukeWebb
Funditor
****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 801
New Brunswick Canada
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #8 - Aug 4th, 2011 at 12:10am
 
  If you are just doing target shooting or small game hunting use 38 special cartridges for blunts.  The goose feathers will be good if they are large wing feathers, the wingtip feathers are best, you can tell them as one side is very narrow and you only make fletchings from one of the wider side.  If you make them from dowels be sure to look down the end of each one before you buy it to see if it is straight, if you go through a 100 you might find 5-20 that are straight enough so check before you buy them.  As for nocks you should cut and sand or use a file to put a notch in the back of each arrow then put some serving below that.
Back to top
 

See my work and friend me on Facebook!&&https://www.facebook.com/luke.webb.56808
toonsbylaw@yahoo.ca  
IP Logged
 
Galvanicfish
Senior Member
****
Offline


Just not right.

Posts: 291
Central Ohio
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #9 - Aug 4th, 2011 at 12:22am
 
It's quite possible I'm some sort of moron. When I cut the nock into the arrow, I neglected make sure it lined up with the slot I cut for the head. I also wonder about the suitability of the dowels I got. They were awful easy to cut. I'm hoping the several layers of polyurethane will stiffen them a bit.


There may be a fletching jig down in the basement, now that I think about it. My father-in-law was big into archery before his shoulder stopped working right. I'll have to see if he'll let me use it.


@Steven: My knapping skills are less than great. I can flake glass into something approximating an arrowhead and that's about it. With flint, I just end up with broken bits of frustration.
Back to top
 

Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana&&&&
 
IP Logged
 
LukeWebb
Funditor
****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 801
New Brunswick Canada
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #10 - Aug 4th, 2011 at 12:26am
 
  Stone and glass points aren't very durable anyway, more good for hunting than target shooting.  You could try bone points though if you don't want to do any knapping. 
  Don't worry about lining up your point with the nock, it will be rotating anyway so I don't think that will matter.
Back to top
 

See my work and friend me on Facebook!&&https://www.facebook.com/luke.webb.56808
toonsbylaw@yahoo.ca  
IP Logged
 
Steven
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


RaptorIsAsRaptorDoes

Posts: 2101
Austin, Tx.
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #11 - Aug 4th, 2011 at 7:33am
 
Are your spoons stamped steel or silver?  You may want to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annealing_%28metallurgy%29 anneal your material. to make it easier to work. You may also want a short whipping next to the nock to help prevent the shaft from splitting further.
Back to top
 

A Curmudgeon@Large Civilly Fomenting Anarchy one post at a time...I don't like it is not a valid reason and Everyone knows is not a valid rule...Hi Ho, Hi Ho Its Off To Work I Go; As Ci-vi-lly As I Can Be Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Hi Ho...
THIS ADVICE IS WORTH WHAT YOU PAID FOR IT.
 
IP Logged
 
Dan
Interfector Viris Spurii
SlingingGuide Moderator
*****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 3974
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #12 - Aug 4th, 2011 at 9:04am
 
I was in your same spot about a year ago and I found these videos to be very helpfull.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndjGHlvzqzU&feature=channel_video_title

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eESHbd-z-nA&feature=relmfu

The only thing I would do differently is buy your shafts from Allegheny Mountain Arrow Woods. They sell a dozen (hardwood ash) shafts for $26 and about $4.50 or so for steel blunts and field points, ranging from 125gr, 145gr, and even 160gr. And duct tape fletching will wor pretty well.
Your nocks will break if you do not wrap them. I hand assemble my own arrows with the above parts and have a finshed product of a little less than $3 an arrow as opposed to $10-15 bucks you would normally pay.

When starting archery on a budget remeber the Rule of Nuff; If it shoots fast nuff and strong nuff, it's good nuff.  Smiley
Back to top
 

I was pretty good at slinging like 10 years ago.
 
IP Logged
 
Galvanicfish
Senior Member
****
Offline


Just not right.

Posts: 291
Central Ohio
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #13 - Aug 4th, 2011 at 12:52pm
 
Thanks for the links. I shall have to look at them when I get to town later.


I can't wait for my bow to get here...
Back to top
 

Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana&&&&
 
IP Logged
 
Samurismallz
Junior Member
**
Offline


Why am I wasting slinging
time on this forum?

Posts: 97
Gender: male
Re: spoon arrowheads.
Reply #14 - Aug 4th, 2011 at 10:44pm
 
DO NOT use a normal dowel rod from the hardware store.  They aren't designed to take the kind of stress shooting them from a bow will put on them.  You may get one or two shots, then the arrow will shatter from the strain.  All the energy from your shot goes into the arrow, putting a lot of stress on it.  If the arrow shatters, the stress goes to the limbs of the bow, maybe causing them to crack, much as if you had dry-fired the bow.  The limbs are supposed to supply the energy, not receive it.  You definitely don't want to use normal dowels for arrows, and you don't want to dry-fire your bow.
Back to top
 

Take life as it comes.  Run when you have to, fight when you must, rest when you can.&&&&There is one rule, above all others, for a man.  Whatever comes, face it on your feet.&&&&Death is lighter than a feather, Duty heavier than a mountain.
 
IP Logged
 
Pages: 1 2 
Send Topic Print
(Moderators: David Morningstar, Masiakasaurus, Curious Aardvark, Chris, Mauro Fiorentini, Bill Skinner, Rat Man)