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Atlatl construction: sourcing components in the UK (Read 3716 times)
The Cord Age
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Atlatl construction: sourcing components in the UK
May 24th, 2012 at 3:27pm
 
I'm an intermittent archer, but I've got some free time this Summer, and thought it might be a great opportunity to make a proper -- i.e. decent -- atlatl set. I've made quickie atlatls before, but they've usually consisted of 'stuff I've picked up in the woods and whittled'. They've worked after a fashion, but not in the way Paleoaleo's / Paleoarts / and Atlatl Bob's have.

I already know where I can source the flint and slate for the arrowheads, the wood for the foreshafts / tailshafts / atlatl itself (it's all around me), the pine pitch (ditto), the feathers for the fletching (ditto) and the sinew for reinforcement and binding.

Where I'm stuck for ideas is on the best place to source the dart shafts which, after all, are actually the most important bits. I could go into the forests and try and source some saplings / branches, then dry them, but that would a.) take too long and b.) still wouldn't necessarily guarantee the right kind of spine without a lot of rasping / sanding. I could also go around the builder's merchants / garden centres looking for the right kind of bamboo / cane staves, but I've been told this is very hit and miss.

Does anyone have good ideas where to source approximately correctly-spined shafts in the UK? I don't mind doing the 'straighten over a heat source' thing (in fact, it's quite therapeutic), but I don't want to spend days sanding to get a decent spine. I'm looking for shafts that probably bend in the 8-10 pound region. Any ideas?
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Dan
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #1 - May 24th, 2012 at 3:51pm
 
If you can't easily find the materials in your area to make a weapon, chances are, it wasn't used in your area.  Wink

If you have a large knife you can baton a 4-5in log into quaters and then take off the corners and round it untill you have a thin shaft that will be incredibly durable but it's a lot of work.
IME it's worth it, at least for arrows

Other people have a lot ore expierience with atlatls than I do so I'm sure you'll get some good answers.

Welcome to slinging.org btw.
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I was pretty good at slinging like 10 years ago.
 
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PingHansen
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #2 - May 24th, 2012 at 4:15pm
 
Hazel will do fine for the darts. Willow and elm from a stymied tree may do fine as well. If it's crooked, you just heat it over a fire and bend it straight.

You can use just about anything for the thrower.
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Fundibularius
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #3 - May 24th, 2012 at 11:49pm
 
I bought 2 -2, 20 m pine and hardwood dowels with a diameter of 10 - 12 mm in different DIY centers in Wales two years ago or so. They were cheap and made quite good dart shafts. The pine dowels were not very tough and tended to break easily, but the hardwood was ok.
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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The Cord Age
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #4 - May 25th, 2012 at 10:40am
 
Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Nope. As far as I know there is zero evidence for any kind of atlatl use where I live, although there's a lot for mesolithic archery. Curse us for being so ahead of the curve, I guess.  Tongue

Fundibularius wrote on May 24th, 2012 at 11:49pm:
I bought 2 -2, 20 m pine and hardwood dowels with a diameter of 10 - 12 mm in different DIY centers in Wales two years ago or so. They were cheap and made quite good dart shafts. The pine dowels were not very tough and tended to break easily, but the hardwood was ok.


Did you have to do any particular processing with them to get them to the right flex, or were they pretty good as they were?
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timann
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #5 - May 25th, 2012 at 11:30am
 
I have cut some hazel saplings for use as darts at once, and some I leave to dry out.  The at once darts is used after a couple of days, they are not very good until then.   I`ll try ash or rowan or whatewer saplings I find when I find them.  Guess UK is not all that different. 
Hope I`m able to leave the drying out darts until they are really dry Wink
timann
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Bill Skinner
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #6 - May 25th, 2012 at 10:24pm
 
If you can get some ash boards, rip saw into squares, then take a plane and round the corners until it is round.  I have done this with red oak and white oak, I started with 2X4's and made two thick thrusting spears and 1X4's and made four darts.  Paleoarts suggested using a large drill and a rasp to rough in the smaller shafts, I haven't tried it (no large drill) but it should save a lot of time if you have got one.  These boards were unfinished so the dimensions were actual size, 2X4 was actually 2 inches (5cm) by 4 inches (10cm).
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David Morningstar
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #7 - May 26th, 2012 at 7:04am
 
To get you chucking straight away with the right spine, try 12mm pine dowel 2 meters long. This can be tipped with a 1/2 inch war bodkin or a long cone of sheet steel from a can. Use fletchings twice the size of those on arrows. This is used a lot by the Prehistoric Archery and Atlatl Society in the UK and works very well.

After throwing a couple of those for a while you will find making natural shafts much easier.
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PingHansen
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #8 - May 26th, 2012 at 7:33am
 
Bill Skinner wrote on May 25th, 2012 at 10:24pm:
Paleoarts suggested using a large drill and a rasp to rough in the smaller shafts

You don't need a large drill. Just narrow one end of the piece to fit the drill/electric screw driver, and go easy with the rasp. Support the other end of the piece while you work - a hole in a cardboard box works just fine.
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Fundibularius
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #9 - May 26th, 2012 at 9:48am
 
The Cord Age wrote on May 25th, 2012 at 10:40am:
Did you have to do any particular processing with them to get them to the right flex, or were they pretty good as they were?


They were ok as they were. If my memory serves me well, I used a bit of linseed or rapeseed oil on the wood, but that was just for the looks.

Some very good advice on spine tuning you'll find here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68FnPc76BMs (and in the sequels, of course)
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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timann
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #10 - May 26th, 2012 at 12:46pm
 
With time I`ll use scientific methods like he does.  For now I simply throw away those saplings who break or don`t fly well.
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The Cord Age
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Re: Atlatl construction: sourcing components in th
Reply #11 - Jun 1st, 2012 at 9:15am
 
Thanks, all.

Sorry no reply for a few days, but I've been away.

Fundibularius wrote on May 26th, 2012 at 9:48am:
Some very good advice on spine tuning you'll find here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68FnPc76BMs (and in the sequels, of course)


Yeah. It was watching Paleoaleo's videos to begin with which sent me down this path. Wink

I've done a preliminary reccy of the local wood merchants and builders yards, and they've got some pretty good stuff (hardwood and soft, some straight-grained) in 12mm and 10mm. I'll start with those and see how I go.
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