New arrows...

The date on the tube he mailed them to me in is marked November 2010...

Ten bare arrow shafts my good friend Cap couldn't use himself,

(I forget why...)

so he mailed them to me...

New arrows  to build for my new bow!

......

Fast forward to the present, over two years from when I got them and Im long due to make up these new arrows!

These bare shafts however are just part of the puzzle that needs to be assembled.

  Arrows need feathers, nocks and other hardware too... 

Before I can proceed some calculations have to be made...

Any arrow cant be shot from any bow...

The stiffness of the arrow shafts (spine)  needs to relate to the draw weight of the bow, the draw length that the arrow will be drawn to and the weight of the arrow head that the shaft will deliver to the target 

Because these shafts are not exactly suited to the bow I will shoot them with, adjustments have to be made...

The shafts have to have weight added to both ends and a nock adaptor needs to be added to each shaft to change my nocks to a size larger than would normally be used so they can accommodate my traditional Flemish twist string...

Emails to friends for advice on some finer points of arrow construction fly across the internet...

Supplies are gathered and ...

Ready to begin...

First nock adaptors and nocks are applied and weight tube inserts are hot glued with a bunsen burner...

Next feathers are attached...

My fletching jig will  hold feathers to arrow shaft with a magnetic clamp while glue dries...

A clamped feather with glue sets up on the arrow shaft...

Three feathers are applied to each shaft in sequence...

And when dry...

A completed arrow!

(note the helical curve the clamp has formed on each feather vane

This will help feathers spin during flight for increased stability and improved accuracy)

Arrows in quiver attached to bow...

A full quiver waiting for the hunt!

9 weeks and counting to the moose hunt!

-Martin