Arrows Boys, Arrows. How often do you guys have to straighten wood arrows? My god, I can straighten them at night, and they are bend again in the morning. Hunting opens here this weekend and I know one thing for sure, I am bringing my arrow spinner. I straightened them prior to sealing. Just seems odd.

Next time your finished wood arrows seem bent shoot them and see how they fly. They may surprise you they don't have to be perfect unless they are really out of wack.

I go through checking and straightening 3 times. Then I seal them. JF

All different days. JF

I rarely ever have to straighten arrows, especially POC and Douglas Fir. Even ash and hickory, but sometimes ash and hickory will get a bit out of line if I haven't shot them in a while. I really don't mind straightening arrows much. It's kind of a ritual you adopt if you shoot wood. Just quickly sighting down the shaft and tweaking them where needed. As stated above, a bit of bend is usually no problem but it's a judgement call. I keep my wood arrows in a hard case that keeps them supported and keeps them straight. Some guys don't mind tending to their wood arrows, some guys hate it. That's why we have aluminum and carbon shafts.

Poor quality shafts is the culprit. If the ring quality is high and grain run out is minimal or non-existent they will stay straight. I rarely straighten mine, I mean very rarely. Trying to force wood of any sort to stay in shape it didn't grow in naturally is a constant battle. That applies to arrow shafts or self bow staves.

I have made quite a few dozen arrows up from Surewood Shafts Douglas Fir. I have never gotten a single bad shaft and if they needed straightening after being made up it was very, very little.

2 X bodymanbowyer

I straighten prior to sealing and then again after if necessary. I strive for perfection but that is really not achievable. I shoot them at few different sessions to see where they are hitting. Usually there isn’t a big problem and rarely to I need to straighten arrows

I will say that if after becoming frustrated with a particular arrow I will roll it across a flat surface but only supported at a point behind the head and in front of the fletching. I watch the nock and point for wobble. If they roll with very little to no wobble, I find that they tend to fly right where I want them.

I shoot wood arrows only with self bows, and if they are shooting good I leave well enough alone. If not I straighten them. Bamboo is grass, but is my favorite shaft material for all around performance.

Most fly ok with a slight bend, a couple get pretty wonky. Really do not want a wonky shot at a deer, kind of nervous. I took the best for broadheads.

ill echo some others.

surewood shafts are crazy straight.

ive only had to slightly straighten a few out of multiple dozen.

I have not used anything but hand straightening on the shafts as the seller said they do not recommend using a straightening tool. Does using a roller of any kind tend to keep them straight when done? Some of mine have a bend that happens toward the fletched end and those actually hit the shelf/riser if shot without straightening. I'm starting to rethink this journey I started with wood arrows. They are fun to make, look great when done, but I hate it when one breaks which seems to happen frequently, having to keep straightening them is the biggest issue. As I said, my primary reason for shooting a bow is hunting and hunting only. It seems you can straighten them in the morning and by afternoon you take your shot and the thing will curve on you from being bent.

X3 JF .

I’ve got some POC I made in 2011, still spin true.

I’ve got bunches of poc I’ve made over the years and they fly great. The ones I can’t get straight prior to finish are firewood.

I am obsessed with straightening them before I seal them. Like Whittler said, it amazes me how well arrows with a bend or wow in them still fly. But I won’t put a big game arrow in the quiver that isn’t “straight as an arrow.”

Are you using heat when straightening them?

If not you should, heat only the area needing it, when straight DO NOT LAY THEM DOWN ON A COLD SURFACE. Stand them up until cool, laying them down will pull the heat from one side faster and cause them to get crooked again.

And part of your problem could be how you finish them. Dip them to get complete coverage and seal the shaft. A wipe on finish does not seal the shaft. And use an oil base finish, I prefer a tung oil base.

Bob

"And part of your problem could be how you finish them. Dip them to get complete coverage and seal the shaft. A wipe on finish does not seal the shaft." This may be the issue and it makes sense also. I did the wipe on because I did not want to go full out with dip tubes yet as I was not sure if I would keep shooting wood. I had read others using wipe on, or spray on finnish without issues. I did not use heat to straighten as I was told to hand straighten only from the provider.

I'm still shooting Chundoo (lodgepole pine) arrows I made in 2004, and POC aprox in 2006 & 07. I always made them straight as possible before sealing, and they're still straight except several that have been shot 000's time, and with judos. I've always sealed with Polyurethane 2-3 coats, 2 I believe, can't remember it's been so long. The Chundoo are more resistant to bending than aluminum, and I give POC a better grade than most people I love them. All my POC where bought at 3Rivers, and I've had good service from them. When I'm out of Chundoo, I'm going to Surewood Shafts Doug fir probably, since Kelly Petersen no longer in business.

Live2hunt: Your still hand straighting, but heat the shaft where needed first. Warming the wood fibers allows the wood cells to move without harming them.

Bob

Second those Chundoos! I have some arrows from 25 years ago that have never needed to be straightened.

I shoot the crooked ones at squirrels. After the arrow misses the squirrel, I never have to worry about it after that because I have no idea where it landed.

Thanks aromakr (Bob). I still have 7 raw shafts I will do that to. Not sure much can be done with the finished shafts unless I strip and refinish.

I straighten my shafts by hand then stain them. I then straighten again before dipping with oil based poly. I check and straighten between each coat of finish. I also look to see if there’s a bend close to one end and if so that end is the point. Always make sure the fletching area is straight. When I’m done I very rarely ever straighten again before that arrow is lost or broken.

Not often. Step 1 is hand straightening.

Step 2 is friction straightening but rubbing the opposite with a smooth screwdriver, etc. I flex it the other way and hit it with the screwdriver.

Step 3 is heat straightening.. Here's some info.

http://traditionalarchery101.com/simplearrow.html

Jawge

You’ll get lucky to have two keepers per dozen and yes that’s why we have Aluminum and Carbon shafts for precision shooting!

Since I've used wood, it might might be 2 Culloden dozen, and they can be made plenty straight for target points. Don't have to be perfect for arrows going avg 175fps. If nock tapers are perfect, then usually broadheads are no problem to straighten, little straighten before sealing, perfect flight. I've been comparing my woods with aluminum just lately for which I'm gonna hunt with. The woods haven't been straightened since I made them 15-18 years ago. They won out for hunting this year over aluminum!

Maybe some of that Midwest humidity is fooling with you. Here in Montana it generally dry as a bone. I have arrows and raw shafts from as far back as 93 - cedar, pine and ash - and most are as straight as my old Baptist mother. The ash need straightening most often but surprisingly straight after I work em. All my shafts are old and I have hundreds. They pry are about as dry as they can be.

I liked making the arrows from building a cresting machine, staining, painting, finishing, fletching, and shooting but, as with a lot of things there is a learning curve and I'm learning. I appreciate all the help and suggestions to the wood guru's. Sounds like I need to #1 heat treat these shafts and properly straighten. #2 probably get some dip tubes. #3 make sure the fletch end is the straightest end of the shaft, those (of coarse) are the problem ones.

I picked up a heat gun at the hock shop for $20 years ago for straightening shafts. My issue was making arrows in San Diego and shooting them in AZ. I had same issues as you. The worst was some Popular shafts I bought. Those took heat and the roller gizmo to straighten and keep straight. Woods are fun like you said but do require more effort to keep up.

I have a glass topped kitchen stove, and I rotate the area that needs straightening above the eye. After straightening, I stand them up in a block of wood I have drilled holes in until they're cool. Almost never have to work on them again.

Murray

Idk brother, I used to shoot Kustom King tapered cedar (no longer made) , now i shoot Wapiti tapered cedar. I honestly have/had zero issues.

Bob, I'm curious, why do you feel wiping on a finish doesn't seal a shaft?

I'd be curious as well?...I've used both methods and never noticed a difference.

Use a sponge brush and good polyurethane and rub it in well. Dont use gasket lacquer if you really want to seal them.

Yeah Jeff I wonder about that wipe on comment? I apply three brushed on coats with no issue. Even one brushed on coat is enough to keep off morning dew.

As for straightness, some stay straight, and some don't, it generally depends on the straightness of grain. Heat would be the best way to get the arrow to stay straight if it wants to move. The rare one that really doesn't want to stay straight gets tossed.

Bob & Jeff:

There is a difference between brushing on three coats and wiping on a coat! Dipping the shaft ensures that the shaft is fully covered and all the pores are filled. I would agree that brushing on multiple coats would work, but would take longer to accomplish than dipping. I always used two coats with sanding between coats to get rid of the whiskers, then wipe the shaft down with a damp rag before the second coat.

Using dip tubes is really not a problem, I believe you should return the material to the can when done dipping and make sure the lid is sealed, then invert the can.

This is how I finished wood shafts, and I never had problems with straightness once finished.

Bob

Thanks for the response Bob, I've always valued your opinions on arrow crafting. I was just curious because I thought mine were sealed pretty well. I don't have issues with them warping either. I agree, just one wiped on coat probably isn't enough. Done right, wiping it on lays down a very thin coat, and that first one often looks like it barely did anything.

I wipe on regular fast drying Minwax gloss polyurethane with a piece of cotton cloth. It actually looks satin when it's done, which I like. I apply at least 4 thin coats, more if it looks like it needs it, using steel wool or fine sandpaper in between as needed. Applied this way, there's no dripping mess, each coat dries very quickly and I can have a batch of arrows done in short order. Best of all... no dip tubes as I don't care for them myself.

I make my own shafts. I start with good dry straight grained spruce, rip in the direction of the ring orientation and straighten right out of my doweling setup--if needed, and it seldom is.

It's very rare for one of these shafts to ever show any bend later on.

Brushing on three coats of oil, polycrylic, polyurethane etc. effectively waterproofs the shafts. When newly finished, no atmospheric water, or dew, gets to the wood. Field and range use abrades the finish and degrades the water repellency. Also, I have found many lost arrows that were from weeks to months to years later. Ma nature takes out every wood finish as she breaks down and recycles everything back into dirt.

If was selling arrows, no doubt I'd double dip them in lacquer.

Bob:

Lacquer use to be the go to finish, however it will melt from friction when shot into targets of different materials. I have found by far the best finish I've ever used is a Tung oil base. Not sure if its made any longer but my choice is "Daly's Profin" Made in Seattle, Wa. They do still make "Sea Fin" which is basically the same thing with a UV inhibitor added. Two coats of that makes an outstanding finish on wood shafts.

Bob

Thanks Bob.

I have used the wipe on method with tung oil for over 30 years with nothing but great results. It does take more time applying multiple coats but as stated, good wood seems to stay straight.

I just hand straighten twice and then if I use stain I do it again after they dry and again after sealing. But mostly I use stain and polyurithane combo then straighten once dry and fletch. I never have to restraighten but then I'm very particular about shafts. If they runout I toss then and never use that shop again. Good shafts stay straight but are very hard to find. Being a nice person to deal with doesn't mean you get good shafts from him.

Pretty much like bodymanbowyer here. Straighten, seal once. Check again next day, and seal one coat (wipe on Tung oil, no dipping). Check and straighten again before second coat. Same routine if I do a third.

They only bend after that (cedar, doug fir, or spruce - premiums) if I pull them wrong or whack 'em stumping. By the way, two or three coats of wiped on Tung oil seals very well, I've lost arrows and found the shafts in good shape after months an the ground. May just need a little tweak.

Don't hand straighten much; spin tester and Ace roller works for me.

As far as dampness ruining a finish, I never hunt in the rain. Might see more deer in the rain, but blood trails can get washed out fast.

Most softwood arrows will retain straightness very well if sealed. I haven't found that fir is any better than cedar, and in fact prefer good P.O. Cedar to any other wood. I don't use hardwood shafts.

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