Getting close to retirement,and thinking ahead of some stuff to try. Anyone foot their wood arrow? I know nothing about it ,other than you need a jig. Any info is appreciated

There are some guys on here who are very experienced. They will be along shortly.

Watching this.

I do both two and four dart footing. No jig is needed for two dart footings. You merely use a block plane to make a 5" wedge from the front end of your shaft. Then you cut a STRAIGHT slot, 5" long, into your footing blank. A 3/8" square of a hard, dark wood is the standard. I prefer to use a 3/8" dowel. Probably because I'm not a very good woodworker. Then put a clamp on the footing so it won't split, cover the wedge end if your arrow and the inside of the slot with Titebond or hide glue and cram them together. Wrap with a strip of bicycle inner tube and wait a day. Then use your block plane to make the footing match the shaft. A file or sanding block may be helpful. I have a 2" square, 35" long board with a groove and a stop on one end to hold the shaft as I plane it. I have the jig from 3 Rivers for 4 dart footings. I use it on a router table to flute the end of the shaft and then the rest is the same. I find it easier to get 4 dart footing glued on straight. Recently I made some arrows with hickory footings, which doesn't give much color contrast, but planes well and is really hard to break. I had the hardware store tint some clear hideglue black and it looks pretty good. If you can get Gary Renfro's video, you'll have the best instructions imaginable.

I’d love to learn how myself.

They are impressive to see. But man it’s gotta Be though to lose one or break one after all that labor. I have some footed arrows from Glen StCharles shop I think they were a female size though. Possibly a female target shooter from the 40s or 50s

Labor of love

Put a little twist on this one.

Put a little twist on this one.

I’m VERY confused as to how you add the twist...

More years ago than I care to remember I think it was in the Longbow Digest there were blue prints or plans on a footing jig. I took the mag. into Kodak where I worked in the KRL and had a friend of mine make the jig for me. A very experienced model maker I might add. Anyways it came out perfect and did do a few footed arrows with it and worked exactly like it should.

However it was such a time consuming endevour I just thought with a young family and all it wasn't worth my time. I also was learning to make knives too which I did in our basement and I liked making knives better. I quit that too due to family time etc. keepem sharp

PS I know I have the jig still I just don't where it is. More than likely buried in the garage under some bike parts I've accumulated over the years.

I have a whole bag of 8 inch padauk 3/8" blanks. I'll sell you a dozen if you want to give it a try.

My jig and blanks. You also need a router and router table.

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There are 2 links in my site about footings. Herenisone of them.

http://traditionalarchery101.com/morefootings.html

Jawge

I footed some arrows back in the '90s to repair them. Thought it was better than tossing a broken arrow. But it was so much work it made me dream of a faster way to repair them.

This was the result:

3Rivers footing

Jon, I tried making that jig but my Brian couldn’t figure out how to route both sides. The plans are here somewhere besides on another site I visit. Time is something I have. Being retired, living in town and it’s summer here gives one time for for such things.

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