can I shoot my aluminum arrows with a traditional bow?

MayGoldworthy

New member
Hi all

I've been lucky enough to have just acquired a 30lb oak ridge bamboo sada bow, I made the arrows I have for my Hoyt Satori bow (pulling 37lb), they're eastern platinum shafts and because I shoot off the shelf I fetched them with feathers, I can't remember what the point weight was but a whole arrow weighs 17.25g and obviously a wooden arrow would be quite a bit heavier. Is this to light and would I be at risk of damaging the bow if I use these to give it a try?

any help is appreciated
 
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Deleted member 7654

Guest
I just googled the bow.. it's a glass back and belly over a bamboo core. You'll be fine, at that poundage there's not enough power to worry too much....
Caveat, I have no experience of Ali arrows, so don't know what the spine is like, so I can't speak for the arrows... the bow should be fine tho' :)
Del
PS. Did I ever tell you about the 350 grain 50# spine arrows shot successfully from a 100# warbow?.... :oops:
 

MayGoldworthy

New member
OK, Thank you both for the advice, I will be making some nice wooden arrows (if I can work out how - I've never tried to make a wooden arrow before :oops:) but in the mean time I guess it's safe to try out my new bow with the arrows I have

cool :cool:
 

LittleSkink

Active member
if you have successfully fletched aluminium arrows with feathers, thats the hard bit of making arrows sorted

All you need is some wooden shafts (5/16 at that draw weight?) , a taper tool, some taper nocks and some taper tips. I use fletching glue on my nocks and buy screw fit taper tips, so dont glue at all
 

Rabid Hamster

Well-known member
Ironman
remember to get danish oil to waterproof the shafts - also remember to "paint" them in a well aired room/garage/outside lest you want to spend the afternoon floating along on the ceiling ;)
(also extremely inflammable!!!!!0
 

MayGoldworthy

New member
Thank you all again for the advice :)

if you have successfully fletched aluminium arrows with feathers, thats the hard bit of making arrows sorted
there were a lot of failed attempts before I finally worked it out, how much slower it dries was what got me :D

All you need is some wooden shafts (5/16 at that draw weight?) , a taper tool, some taper nocks and some taper tips. I use fletching glue on my nocks and buy screw fit taper tips, so dont glue at all
I did wonder what size shaft to use

as for arrow tips, I kinda wanted to use these: TAS History Point because I like the look of them, is that a good idea or a terrible one?

remember to get danish oil to waterproof the shafts
do I paint them before or after fletching the arrows? because the coating is called "oil" so I would have thought that would stop the glue from sticking?

lest you want to spend the afternoon floating along on the ceiling ;)
Ha Ha, anyone else here ever solvent welded plastic pipe or PVC membrane roofing? - that's a whole new definition of floating along on the ceiling :p
 

LittleSkink

Active member
upto 40lb I think 5/16 shafts are fine, above that 11/32 is more common. I mostly use Spruce, but POC Cedar seems the be the gold standard. Generally I buy ready made matched arrows and refletch when they get shabby, but thats becuase I dont have a good local source of quality shafts

stuff like Danish oil polyerises in air and goes hard, after a few days its fine to use adhesive/wraps on

I prefer wraps on wooden arrows, makes repairs and refletching easier. Some folks use heat shrink battery wrap with good results, I buy Bearpaw ones, because they are pretty

Fletching tape is awesome, fletching glue takes an age to dry

I prefer threaded tips but plenty of folks seem to do fine with taper glue ons (like TAS history ones?). Low temperature hot glue is quite good for ease of removal in the future. Brass bullet is a pretty option you can get in threaded

Have made giant posit its for a workshop using coloured A4 paper and tonnes of spraymount - had a headache that day!
 

Rabid Hamster

Well-known member
Ironman
its more a varnish than anything else. I always did the oil last several days post fletching. using a big modelling paintbrush to put 2 light coats on. then rubbing the shafts when they were completely dry with kitchenroll just to smooth them down.
danish oil has been know, I'm told, to spontaneously combust if its left in the sun
 

MayGoldworthy

New member
stuff like Danish oil polyerises in air and goes hard, after a few days its fine to use adhesive/wraps on
its more a varnish than anything else. I always did the oil last several days post fletching. using a big modelling paintbrush to put 2 light coats on. then rubbing the shafts when they were completely dry with kitchenroll just to smooth them down.
now I'm confused :unsure:

I prefer wraps on wooden arrows, makes repairs and refletching easier. Some folks use heat shrink battery wrap with good results, I buy Bearpaw ones, because they are pretty

Fletching tape is awesome, fletching glue takes an age to dry
fletching tape are something I've never used, I might have to give it a try but I was hoping to get away without using wraps because I was going for a more traditional look

I prefer threaded tips but plenty of folks seem to do fine with taper glue ons (like TAS history ones?). Low temperature hot glue is quite good for ease of removal in the future. Brass bullet is a pretty option you can get in threaded
yep, the TAS history points are glue on ones, do you mean normal model making hot glue or the stuff that comes in bricks from an archery store?
 

4d4m

Active member
danish oil has been know, I'm told, to spontaneously combust if its left in the sun
Not on its own. The danger lies with oil-soaked rags, particularly with drying oils like linseed or turpentine etc, including Danish oil. As the oil dries out, it oxidises exothermically. The rags increase the surface area for oxygen to react with the oil. Especially if the rags are bunched together, the heat can't escape quick enough so the temperature can keep rising until the combustion point.
 

LittleSkink

Active member
the oil hardens over a couple of days. I do it before fletching, looks like others do it after - should be fine either way

Hot melt glue somes in two types - hot hot melt is the commonest, melts about 190C and is what most DIY store sell. Low or cool melt "hot melt" is nearer 130C, its used for heart sensiitve substrates (like expanded polystyrene) (and often in schools where it doesnt cause nasty burns quite so easily) its more of a craft shop item. I use low melt becuase its easier to remove

I dont know if archery glue is low melt, all I know is its much cheaper to buy the craft stuff and I have the correect gun for it already, sorry
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
A lot of overthink and over complication!...
For your first arrows don't paint or varnish them, glue the flights on, UHU glue from poundland will do just fine, you don't need any fancy "fletching" glue. Wipe 'em with some beeswax polish when they are finished if you want.
Personally I carefully apply nothing at all, and sometimes even apply a second coat of it ;)
You can write your name on with a ball point before applying anything.
Del
 

English Bowman

Well-known member
A lot of overthink and over complication!...
For your first arrows don't paint or varnish them, glue the flights on, UHU glue from poundland will do just fine, you don't need any fancy "fletching" glue. Wipe 'em with some beeswax polish when they are finished if you want.
Personally I carefully apply nothing at all, and sometimes even apply a second coat of it ;)
You can write your name on with a ball point before applying anything.
Del
I personally find that UHU or similar glue works better than the specialist fletching glues.
 
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