First arrows!

[snag]

Well, here's my first attempt at making a spruce arrow. They sure aren't perfect...but neither am I!!! I have learned a few things that I will do different one the next batch. I seem to have a hunger to make more. I think I have it bad! It has been a little frustrating and for the most part fun. This is a hobby I can enjoy for a long time. Thanks to you guys that helped by answering my questions. I really have a much better appreciation for the arrows I see some of you guys make! Well I better get back to finishing the rest of them. Then bareshafting and putting some field tips on so I can really start SHOOTING them! It is going to be hard when the first one breaks. Thank again, David

[SCATTERSHOT]

Nice looking arrows. Making arrows, too, is a disease. You'll have buckets of them by spring!

[TexMex]

Nice work!

[Jack Denbow]

Very nice looking arrows and like Scattershot said you are hooked now.
Jack

[shootrmn]

far better than my first atempt. I still have not tried capping with dip and cresting.

[4runr]

Great looking arrows. Looks like a pro!!

[tpoof]

They look pretty perfect to me!
Good job!

[robslifts]

they look great much better than my first try
 

[snag]

Well the picture seems to cover up the imperfections. One thing I learned was, for me, it is very hard to straigthen an arrow. For the most part these spruce arrows were really pretty straight. There was a few out of the dozen that had some bend to them. The one that really had me going had a double bend in it. They are not as straight as I would like and there are cosmetics that aren't real good. The black cresting line by the stained and clear oil-based poly sealed wood bled into the wood area. The next batch I think I will go with a stain and water-based poly. Maybe that will stop this...? Thanks for the encouragement.

[Izzy]

Dont see any imperfections there, real nice man!Im working on a very similar batch right now only ill be using gold,black and yellow cresting over red.Same color stain even.Congrats on yours Ill be posting pics as soon as I fletch them.Probably this Thursday.How is the spruce compared to cedar?I havent seen any yet but Id like to try other woods.

[yleecoyote23]

Very nice snag!!!!

Welcome to the addiction Buddy!!!!!

[CJ5]

Really nice  

[Kingstaken]

I don't see anything wrong with-em.  

[snag]

Herk, this is a first for me with spruce. They say it is a little more durable than cedar. We'll see. If you are going for weight this isn't the wood for you though. These are around 330gr shafts.

Jim, thanks for the thoughtful offer! I just bareshafted these and at 160 gr. fieldtips and 29" my longbow put right where I was aiming. I think they are keepers.

[aromakr]

Snag:
To keep you cresting from bleeding you need a clear undercoat on the shaft, don't crest on bare wood. as far as straighting thats an aquired skill that takes time to perfect. On a double bend only straighten one at a time, and use some heat that will simplify things.
Bob

[Killdeer]

Fancier than anything I ever made! Nice work, Snag!

Killdeer  

[Roy from Pa]

Nice arrows. I have been making arrows from boards and sitka spruce is a light arrow wood. The boards I have, I can't get much more than 35 to 40 pounds at 11/32nds. Now the Hickory arrows I made from boards spined at 75 to 80 pounds at 11/32nds.. The poplar spined at about 45 pounds at 11/32nds. Have some Maple I want to try and some Dogulas Fir.  Your hooked Snag, LOL just have fun..  

If you are buying your raw shafts, and you need more spine weight, then buy 23/64th shafts if you can get them. Then taper and sand them down to what you need. I make the spruce shafts at 23/64th, then I taper the end 9 inches on both ends down to 11/32nds. The 23/64th in the center adds a little more spine weight.

[whitebuffalo]

Really nice arrows, whishin I had time to do arrows like that.