We have a lot of discussion about spine.

Just curious as to how many of you actually know what the static deflection of their arrows is?

Either you've put them on a spine tester or had someone else do it.

I use wood arrows and I use a homemade spine tester to measure every shaft on receipt, again before making arrows, and several times during the process, as I taper my shafts and adjust spine to +/- 1/2 lb. I mark each shaft's spine using resistor color code and retest periodically during the arrow's life to catch any changes (happens sometimes due to humidity changes or stress). Yes, I know my arrow's spine, both by deflection and standard bow poundage.

I occasionally make carbon arrows. I always test them too, but have found their labeled spine to be pretty accurate and consistent.

Yes, but the spine of my aluminum arrows is probably higher than my bows draw weight. And is not the same spine as my wood or fiberglass arrows.

Mine never change, 1916 and 2016 arrows...static spine at 29" is .620 and 525 respectively on those. It can vary very slightly depending on the temper of the shaft though, but not enough to require a change in dynamics components. For wood arrows I normally order pre-spined arrows and adjust my bows to work with them.

I do. I taper my hickories, matching their spine in the process, and when they're finished, I write the spine and weight right on em by the cresting.

I check all my wood and bamboo shafts

I check mine all the time. Raw shafts and finished never changes.

I check my woods and carbons. Carbons because we discovered years back they have a high and low side which varied between manufacturers. Admittedly they have gotten better but it's an old habit.

I guess I trust Easton to tell me the static spine of my shafts. Their QA/QC is better than anything I could do.

I know all mine.

With my homemade spine tester, Recently discovered some measurable differences of carbon arrow spine when rotating the arrow 360 degrees. Not sure it will make a difference, but I am marking the carbon shafts, with a black felt tip pen. The intention is to put the cock feather on the mark, same deflection measurement for all 12 arrows. GT 600 blems. My dial indicator, I removed the heavy spring, so there is no spring weight influence. It made a huge difference. My set up can be zeroed for any diameter arrow. Can also measure 26 or 28 on center. I enjoy the science behind all of this.

Same here.

Never checked 'em. Where can you find such a device, and how much do they cost JusPassin'?

I shoot wood arrows and I know the spine on all my arrows. I have two spine testers. A home made one using a digital depth gauge, and a Don Adams spine tester.

I use the Ace brand, it's a bit pricey, but there are others as well.

My dad made a spine tester back in the 1950's. I have had it available and I've had it myself since the 1970's. I check arrow spine all the time.

Check the spine on all my shafts. It's just a confidence thing knowing they're all matched in spine.

I do.

I do. I check every shaft and mark its exact spine on the end.

Of course, I hand spine my shafts and always have. Even ones I buy from others already spiked I recheck.

That said, many times my back quiver will contain wood arrows with spines varying by as much as 20# because they all are capable of better flight than this bow hunter shooting them. Really this archery game is not rocket science.

Kelly X10.

I sometimes miss the target frame on field targets, send some surveillance arrows downtown. I check everything when I make arrows I even put the fletching on the scale. Was thinking different colors was scaling different? ;)

You guys really cant see or feel a 20# spine variance in a wood arrow from the same bow? Hmmmmm........

I know.

I always check them, regardless of material type.

The current carbons I am shooting range from .242 to .245 AMO deflection / 106# to 107# static spine

Rick

Through nock tuning, I know the stiff side of the carbon shaft.

Through bare shaft tuning, I know that my arrows are spine correctly for my setup. Whatever the actual measurement is, is of no concern to me.

I've never known any arrows deflection and dont care too. I use spine weight just like everyone did in the old days. Deflection sounds cool and impressive but is useless to the average person who doesn't shoot carbons.

Yes, I bought a spine tester years ago and since I make my shafts by hand planing I know the spines. Jawge

I know my spine weights and match my arrow closely, but not deflection is what i was saying. Its not important to me.

I've been using a spine tester for about 40 years. That's how I know you don't always get what you ask for when you purchase shafts. For that matter, the weight can be off as well. To build really well matched arrows, one also needs a grain scale.

Spine weight=deflection, both mean the same. You can't get spine weight in pounds without measuring the deflection.

Lol, my spine tester has both on it, I read weight, not deflection. As far as I am concerned it doesn't even need to be on the spine tester. Go back 40 years and you'll find spine testers, but won't hear a single person talking deflection. As long as I know the shaft is spined for 45, 56, 65... etc I don't need to know anything else concerning spine. Its just another way to say 46lb spine, etc... Before carbons no one could tell you deflection, or at least very few could.

Go back even farther and all they talked about was deflection because that is how it was measured. Only later did they make equipment specifically for measuring spine of wooden shafts and then the corresponding spine in pounds was used.

Yes it is easier to understand/relate to pounds instead of deflection.

Musta been before my time. I'm a yungin at 63,lol. When I started at 13 it was all lbs. Not that any of it matters, the spines the same whether you relate in deflection or weight.

I test the woodies but carbon and aluminum I don't since the spine is known.

reddogge: I've found the spine of aluminums to be very consistent, not so with carbons.

My spine tester reads in both deflection and pounds. I spine everything with 13" centers and supported at 26"s. It is amazing how a .500 spine carbon stiffens when you do it that way instead of 28" and 14" centers. I believe that is why many carbon shooters shoot spines way to stiff. Shawn

I made a spine tester with a dial gauge. I use it for my wood arrows and check its accuracy by measuring aluminum shafts.

Spineing your wood shafts may not mean anything unless you rotate your shafts . When you spine your arrows with the edge grain you get one spine, rotate your arrows 180 degrees and spine it with the other edge grain you may find a difference of any wheres up to 7 lbs. so you may be getting the spine wrong, 50-50 chance, when you put the nock on you maybe putting it on the wrong side of the shaft . Rotate your shafts while on the spine tester till you get the spine you want mark that side with a small dot and put your nock on with the index opposite to the mark so the spine you want is next to the sight window. Matched in spine may not be matched at all.

[[[ Catsailor said: "I made a spine tester with a dial gauge. I use it for my wood arrows and check its accuracy by measuring aluminum shafts." ]]]

Same here.

I used several different size/spine aluminum shafts to calibrate the tester, and it is spot on for everything. I love it.

Rick

Every wood shaft and mark which side is the'stifest'

What Jeff Durnell said.

Interesting amount of return spring tension on some dial indicators. This one I measured almost 1/3 of a lb, at .605 . I ended up removing the main spring and the dial shaft rest on the arrow with no added return spring weight.

I seem to remember that Aromaker said he was in the process of checking various carbon shafts for rated spine and consistency. Looking forward to seeing his results.

I make my own and adjust them to within about .010 defection.

I make all my own shafting and I really don't know how you would ever match arrows without one. I spine all mine along the stiff side of the grain and have no problem duplicating arrows that shoot well from a given bow. I've never felt the need to rotate woods and check spine other than how they will be shot. My spine tester is home made and has ben tested with known arrows so I know its close but I'm at the point that being able to replicate a set of arrows is what is most important to me.

"My spine tester reads in both deflection and pounds. I spine everything with 13" centers and supported at 26"s. It is amazing how a .500 spine carbon stiffens when you do it that way instead of 28" and 14" centers. I believe that is why many carbon shooters shoot spines way to stiff. Shawn"

I've known for years, carbons are best left long. Or shoot a size lighter than you 'think' you need. 600's will shoot well from a 50 pound bow at 27 inch draw. And you can even shorten them a bit ;-)

I have a couple SPINELESS arrows with horrible DEFLECTION. Every time I shoot them at a critter they chicken out and deflect away! Sorry, couldn't resist! :)

All you have to do with carbons is either measure them on your spine tester, or convert the deflection the manufacturer provides. It's imple, and been posted on here before. A manufacturer listed .600 deflection carbon is actually .510 AMO. ( in convert everything to AMO because I can) All you do is multiply the .600 x.85 = .510.=(51 lbs.) Pretty simple. You don't have to have a spine tester that measure pounds and deflection both because all it is is a mathematical equation to convert 1 to the other. Spine isn't complicated but it sure gets fouled up on here.

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