Arrow Build

[JoyRyd]

Archery season is over in Colorado. Now it’s time to build arrows for spring hog hunting down south. I enjoy putting a unique touch on each set I build. This set will have a swirl base. Came out awesome. I’ll crest next weekend and fletch the following week.

I thought some of you might enjoy this type of thing.
Crest base swirl drying.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JoyRyd]

Here are my elk arrows from this year.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JoyRyd]

Mule deer arrows this year.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JoyRyd]

Whitetail arrows.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JoyRyd]

Oops wrong picture. Here are my whitetail arrows.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tmattson]

Sweet. Wood arrows? And assumed you spliced together the fletches?

 

[JoyRyd]

No, I shoot GT Trad. (carbon). I used to shoot wood, but I’ve gotten soft! . And, I bounce too many off rocks and trees! Carbon arrows are the way to go.

Yes, I do all the splicing. Thank you for the kind word.

 

[tmattson]

GT's pretty durable for you?

 

[JoyRyd]

GT's pretty durable for you?

Yes sir. I have no complaints with the GT arrows. That said, I haven’t experimented much with other brands.

 

[JoyRyd]

Next step......remove the masking to review our base crest with our new “swirl”.

Looks good so far. Next we will breakout the ol’e spin cresting machine and paint brushes to add our “pin stripes”. More photos to come.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tmattson]

Ok explain the process oh how you did the swirl. I have to try this, and the feather splicing. Have some test arrows to screw up and toss if I have to, and probably well over a thousand feathers in various cuts and lengths and colors I bough at a auction.

 

[JoyRyd]

I’ll insert links rather than rewrite the process:

Here is where I learned to marble dip my caps. I use a large jar, like a pickle jar, to swirl. Be sure to slowly spin your arrows as you go. Oh, get oil based paint (Testors model paint at Hobby Lobby-$1.50/color) so it floats on the water!!! I only use 3 color dips. To many colors can get tricky.

Marble Dip

 

[JoyRyd]

Here is where I learned to splice feathers. I use Bohning fletch tape rather than glue. I’ve used Kool-Aid to color feathers if I can’t find a specific color. Example: I made some North Carolina colored fletching for a friend. I couldn’t find the “Carolina Baby Blue” feathers anywhere........so, I used blue raspberry Kool-Aid to dye.....worked perfect.

 

[swampsnyper]

That’s talent!

 

[Kurt]

No, I shoot GT Trad. (carbon). I used to shoot wood, but I’ve gotten soft! . And, I bounce too many off rocks and trees! Carbon arrows are the way to go.

Yes, I do all the splicing. Thank you for the kind word.

Masterful work, good lookin arrows.

 

[JoyRyd]

Ok, I’m ready to continue and start the cresting portion of the project. I have everything ready to roll. At this point in the process, I like to start laying pieces out to get an idea of what the final product will look like. It’s never too late to change course! I’ll send some final cresting photos soon.

On a side note: I got lazy and bought some pre cut, two tone feathers to by-pass the splicing process. These are 4” parabolic feathers and will match our swirl perfectly.....as you can see.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JoyRyd]

Cresting completed. They are now ready for fletching after drying overnight.

Now for the business end!! I use 100 gr brass GT inserts with a 50 gr GT FACT insert weight on the back. I front everything with 150 gr heads. My arrows are 30” (nock groove to insert) and weigh in at 625 gr total. I pull 29 inches @ 48 lbs. I’ve used this setup for over 10 years and it has never let me down. I, on the other hand, have let it down before. Oh, the preferred engine is a 62” Black Widow PSAX.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[woodsdog2]

Wow beautiful work!!!

 

[Blacksmith]

Wow. Thats amazing. Good Job.

 

[woodsdog2]

Your work reminds me of one of my bowhunting mentors. He was my middle school science teacher and wrestling coach. He was from the Clarion PA area and was a longtime bowhunter. He made his own port-orford cedar arrows, aligned the grain to spine the shafts (similar to what we have to do with carbons), heated them to straighten if needed, crested them, young feather burner, poly them up. Absolute works of art. He used glue on Bod-Kin three blades. Beautiful arrows. For years he shot Trad then when my buddy and I got into bowhunting he would invite us up to his place to help us figure out equipment and taught us the basics of shooting. Great guy. Anyway, he was shooting those absolute works of art out of his Browning Drake Flightmaster Compound for you old timers. Got a buck every year too and hardly ever gun hunted.