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Arrow making toolset. What are you using? (Read 1983 times)
vetryan15
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Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Jan 15th, 2021 at 7:27am
 
I am curious about what the bowyers have as arrow making tool sets. What tools everyone uses, but being the bare minimum you would need. In both regards to using lumbar, and using shoots. With the trees i cut , i have a ton of shoots growing from the trunks. Pics, and explanations are welcome.so far i got a shaft sizer i made myself, will be picking up a thumb plan. What is everyone using?

I also plan on setting up a kit to go in my woods day bag
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AncientCraftwork
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #1 - Jan 15th, 2021 at 8:00am
 
A swiss army knife with a saw is an amazing tool for making arrows. I like the standard size ones because their saws are great for notches. But you can also just use the knife to cut out a notch if you are careful.
I also use a piece of sharp flint for scraping. It has a sort of C shaped notche in it that wraps on the arrow shaft. It works great for making the shaft thinner and does so at at a very quick pace.
I don't have all th other fancy stuff for making arrows
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vetryan15
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #2 - Jan 15th, 2021 at 8:16am
 
I have plenty of knives, and files. I also have a leatherman mutitool that has a saw on it.

My current tools i use for bowmaking is just a hatchet,  rasp, and drawknife. I am trying to keep everything to a minimum.  Cuz i want to be able to make bows and arrows with the least amount of tools.. i find it more rewarding then using my power tools. Plus some days i just dont feel like getting the generator running, so a bit of laziness as well.
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vetryan15
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #3 - Jan 15th, 2021 at 8:17am
 
I found this on a primitive archer forum.
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Morphy
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #4 - Jan 15th, 2021 at 9:24am
 
Full Set-

1. Thumb plane
2. Sand paper rolled up and tied with a rubber band
3. Rat tail file
4. Pencil sharpener tapering tool or angle guide for disc sander
5. Fletching tool
6. Band or coping saw
7. 1 long hack saw blade and 2 smaller ones all taped together with electrical tape.
8. Vise/clamps
9. Jig for grinding feather quills to size
10. Feather cutting jig
11. Head Glue or pitch glue with sinew
12. Exacto knife
13. Spine tester
14. Very accurate scale
15. Horn and hard woods for inserts
16. Field points or broadheads
17. Burnishing rod
18. Arrow sizers
19. Sealant
20. Paints/paint brushes
21. Popsicle sticks
22. Glue
23. Heat source
24. Paint dip tubes and racks for drying if you like that sort of thing
Not sure if that’s everything but its close.


Starting out set for primitive arrows-

Thumb plane
Hack saw blade
Knife
Sinew and feathers or feathers and fletching jig
Arrow heads
Glues
Tapering tool if using tapered heads and nocks.
Fat/oil or sealant
Popsicle sticks with sandpaper
And rolled up sand paper with a rubber band
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vetryan15
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #5 - Jan 15th, 2021 at 12:20pm
 
Morphy, thats a big list. Most of that i wont get it, i dont have alot of storage space unfortunately. What would you think would be a minimum. I plan on carrying around a kit in a BOB.plus use it every day when i start makimg arrows
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Morphy
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #6 - Jan 15th, 2021 at 1:26pm
 
Shoot arrows would probably be your best bet. Thumb plane, sinew, feathers, arrowheads, knife, sandpaper, the three hacksaw blade tool and  popsicle sticks. I use contact cement for attaching sand paper to popsicle stick to smooth out inside of nock so possibly that as well. It doesn't take much.

Hypothetically the answer to any of these questions of what is the most basic tool kit is a flint chip. That's it. But realistically I would go with the above and tweak as needed.
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vetryan15
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #7 - Jan 15th, 2021 at 5:45pm
 
As of right now, i know i am not good enough to use stone tools, i cant even make an arrowhead,  lol. Thanks for the info. I can  probably pack everything in asmall bag and ge good.
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Morphy
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #8 - Feb 2nd, 2021 at 2:12pm
 
...

...

...

Only unpacked one box. And that box was these tools. Yes they are 5 years in storage worse for wear but Daddy Morphy is going to make everything all better. The handle on that Hewer’s hatchet is probably older than my father. Lol... Think it’s time to replace that bad boy with a piece of Osage.  Cheesy
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Mersa
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #9 - Feb 2nd, 2021 at 4:40pm
 
Ok Morphy, I’m watching and waiting!!!
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vetryan15
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #10 - Feb 2nd, 2021 at 5:35pm
 
Can u start making arrows and documenting it?
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Morphy
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #11 - Feb 2nd, 2021 at 6:24pm
 
vetryan15 wrote on Feb 2nd, 2021 at 5:35pm:
Can u start making arrows and documenting it?


When you see what I have in mind it will blow yours just wait. That projects going to be awhile though. I will document simple arrows sooner if you wish.

Can't wait Mersa!!
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vetryan15
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #12 - Feb 2nd, 2021 at 8:06pm
 
Oh definitely
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Morphy
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #13 - Feb 3rd, 2021 at 8:59am
 
My favorite are shoot arrows. Beautiful, yet simple.

Anyways here's a little trip down memory lane.  Don't expect this to interest anyone but myself but I'm too excited not to post my last two pictures. Been waiting for this day for 5 years.

...

From left to right - Smokey the Bow

Smokey the Bow -  In 2012 I traded Dan from this forum some bow making materials as well as I think some money for two nice hickory staves. I was in Cali at the time and the "bow wood" we had available was barely fit to be burned.  One stave was made into Smokey (Yes I do name my bows, and will name the very fancy slings I make as well. I'm silly like that. The other stave is next to it. Beautiful wood but it did have some propeller twist in it. If you look closely at Smokey it might look like one limb is out of tiller with the other. That's propeller twist. You can see it clearly on the unfinished stave to the right of Smokey. Not an issue. Very common with staves.

https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1388777482/0

Chinaberry bow build along. Would you believe I never finished this??! Doesn't sound like me I know.  Grin
The reason is I was reluctant to use a sinew backing at this point as it is great for certain things but adds a lot of weakness such as more ambient humidity issues. But this particular piece might only be saved through a heavy sinew backing. This stave was deflexed by a huge amount. I took virtually all of it out but once strung and stressed at least 2-3 inches came back. Not a good wood for heat bending. So heavy sinew backing might be the only way to finish this thread as sinew will brute force it into reflex whether it wants to or not. Suck it Chinaberry!

https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1352230043/0


The next is an old Ben Pearson take down recurve. I was actually planning on giving this away to someone soon but I think my new Malaysian made parang is a better prize. Errr..."gift" whoops.  Wink

The next bow is the green solid fiberglass. I will be refinishing this bow into at the very least a bow fishing bow. It has a huuuuge amount of reflex for a typical bow. Not sure what brand it was but it needs TLC. Pure fiberglass bows as opposed to laminated fiberglass bows are not considered efficient but they are practically indestructible and 100% resistant to anything even resembling water. That's my apocalypse bow. Looking more and more likely I'll need it sooner or later. I nicknamed it "Max" after Mad Max, for obvious reasons.

A plains Indian quiver I made. More of a test. My real PI quiver was made from brain tanned deer hide. I didn't see it in my storage so not sure if someone jacked it or what. Had several people in and out of there over the years helping with stuff while I was half a country away. Really hope I find it though. I don't care for this one.

Tillering stick. Badly needs to be replaced judging by the woods color.

A bamboo backed Ipe bow with Lyptus and Osage riser sections. Deceptively simple this bow was made sort of as a quickie bow for my wife who wanted something "pretty".  It has a arrow shelf with soft Velcro for a soft send off. Not a great bow really but it's the thought that counts. I guess.   Wink

The last stave is white oak and can barely be seen behind the ipe bow. I cut it weeks before moving from Cali. It's now 5 years seasoned and ready to be made into a horse bow. Should be fun.

The last stave is white oak and can barely be seen behind the ipe bow. I cut it weeks before moving from Cali. It's now 5 years seasoned and ready to be made into a horse bow. Should be fun.

...

That one limb has a good amount of reflex. Really this should also be sinew backed but I'm trying to find an alternative for sinew. Don't judge it by how it looks right now. Come back to this post when I've finished it and you will see why.




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Morphy
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Re: Arrow making toolset. What are you using?
Reply #14 - Feb 3rd, 2021 at 9:13am
 
Shoot...I'm thinking that other hickory stave needs to be bowerized and sent to Walter. I keep telling you to try hickory since you are in AZ. If you are interested Walter, please feel free
to send me what you would like and I'll get it sent out to you once it's done. I have a whole list of projects but  once I start it I think it shouldn't take more than a week to finish depending on how intricate the design you might want if you decide to take me up on this offer. Just looking for reasons to pour my creativity into something.  Anyways just a thought. No charge of course.
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