Wood arrows

[DRT]

Well I went down the rabbit hole last year for competition classes. Then started hunting with them. Now I like them better for hunting.
I'll always keep carbons for the competition side. But I kinda wish I hadn't bought up all those Centershot shafts.

[Bisch]

Wood arrows suck!!!!!!

Bisch

[Draco]

I much prefer wood myself. They are just a more forgiving shaft. I buy good quality straight shafts and taper the back 9" myself. After cutting to length, I put the front of the shafts in a Watco Oil finish quart can and leave them for a whole day and night. The Watco Oil will soak completely through the wood shaft for the first 5 to 6 inches, adding about 55 grains of weight and almost unbreakable strength to the front of the arrow. With the weight removed from the back of the shaft and the weight added to the front of the shaft, they are much easier to tune and fly like darts. They may be easy enough to tune that even Bisch could do it.

[DRT]

Thanx for the tip. Been purchasing built arrows and doing some prefinished shaft builds so far. I'm sure the rabbit hole will go deeper.

[Trumpkin]

I do love wood arrows. But I can't say I find them forgiving like Draco does! I would like to build up a set that's long enough to shoot broadheads with my 32"+ draw length and kill something.

[DRT]

I do love wood arrows. But I can't say I find them forgiving like Draco does! I would like to build up a set that's long enough to shoot broadheads with my 32"+ draw length and kill something.

Every animal I killed in Africa this last trip fell to a wood arrow. The big animals were by arrows I built from prefinished shafts. If I can do it right, even Bisch can.

[SJP51]

Slim chance I'll try wood arrows until I retire. I have no patience when working with wood. None.

[TXRebel]

I much prefer wood myself. They are just a more forgiving shaft. I buy good quality straight shafts and taper the back 9" myself. After cutting to length, I put the front of the shafts in a Watco Oil finish quart can and leave them for a whole day and night. The Watco Oil will soak completely through the wood shaft for the first 5 to 6 inches, adding about 55 grains of weight and almost unbreakable strength to the front of the arrow. With the weight removed from the back of the shaft and the weight added to the front of the shaft, they are much easier to tune and fly like darts. They may be easy enough to tune that even Bisch could do it.

Draco,
I've been researching the slippery slope of wood arrow crafting. How are you tapering your arrow shafts, with a jig? Which Watco are you using? After soaking the arrow shaft tip, do you wipe the rest of the arrow with Watco and do you put anything over the Watco?

[Draco]

I use an old Kustom King shaft to get the angle right and clamp a little piece of angle iron to the table of a belt sander. The shaft needs to be in a drill, spinning while you feed the shaft. Also, the shaft needs to have the nock taper already done before doing this. All the shafts I've done with this (hundreds) have all come out perfect.

I use the standard Watco Oil Finnish. After soaking the front (which I do on all my woods), I rub it on the rest of the shaft as well. I don't over coat the Watco but it will hold oil based paints well.

[DRT]

Wow! You're all in!!

[Draco]

If you are in any way "handy" at all then you should do it. It gives you the freedom to experiment and experimentation makes you that much wiser in how these things work. And, it's a lot of fun.

I feel certain you're the type of guy that would really enjoy it.

[DRT]

Space is my issue. When I actually retire I'll make a shop in the garage. Right now it's full of stuff for my business. But yes, I hate to pay for what I can do for myself and have the satisfaction of doing it.

[meangene1969]

Footed shafts for me. They have always been easier to tune than carbon for me.

[Trumpkin]

Draco, you have me scheming right now... I have a router table, and I need a new belt sander anyways. Might just need to build some woodies when I get some project time freed up.

[Draco]

To me, the main disadvantage of woods is the spine to weight ratio and how hard it is to get any weight up front and not over weight the whole arrow. That is the advantage of tubular arrows with carbon being the best. With out making your own then you are stuck with what's available.

The absolute best woodies you can build are Sitka Spruce as they are the lightest weight for the spine. Bamboo would be even better but I've never messed with it.

I'm a metal guy and not a wood worker so some of you wood workers ought to be able to make some cool woodies.