Yes that's right. Filming with Terry was great fun. He is a real character, full of enthusiasm and genuine interest in what we were doing. We had a few laughs that day!
Nick, thank you so much for this tip, works like a charm at the fraction of the cost for a tapering jig. Now I´ll be eagerly waiting for the arrow bag video
Hey Nick, thanks for the video, with this as a guide I've cranked out my first 1/2" tapered poplar shafts with horn inserts. I'm now just putting nocks in them and doing some final hand sanding before I begin fletching them, cheers :)
Glad you enjoyed the video and I am really pleased to hear that the tip proved useful. Getting feedback like that makes all the hard work of putting the video together worthwhile! The arrowbag is now almost finished and the next step is to turn the mountain of photos and video clips into a 2-part TH-cam video, starting with how to make the spacer disk. I can't wait to make a start on it and hopefully may even get it published later on this week. No promises though! :)
Thanks for the comment Halrin. It's great to hear that my video has been of use to you. That's exactly why I make them and I love getting feedback like this. Thanks very much mate and I hope your arrows fly true. :)
Brilliant tutorial, one one the best arrow-crafting related videos on youtube. If I could add one thing, I might be worth mentioning that you can buy rolls of sticky-back sandpaper, and use that instead of a sanding belt. if you apply such sandpaper to both the pieces of corner-bar, the sanding goes almost twice as fast. (albeit its a bit harder to keep the shaft in the groove, but you can use a piece of scrap wood to force the arrow to stay inside)
Glad you enjoyed it Ben. I wish I could take credit for inventing this concept but I first heard about it from other archers, although I have made a few of my own modifications such as the clamps and the holes for the sawdust. :)
This is why Britain is so brilliant! It's no wonder the Spitfire did what it did with minds like this, so simple, so effective so spot-on! T'riffic Ben :-)
It's coming along really nicely mate. The leather spacer is finished and I have sewn about half the bag so far. I am working on it most evenings so I am hoping to have it done in a week or so. Editing the footage together will take a bit longer though. I may release the video in two parts, the spacer then the bag.
I taper as the few medieval and Tudor Mary Rose arrows we have were that way. Yes tapering does reduce weight and also increases aerodynamics as the larger head creates a hole in the air. It also aids penetration as the weight is up front and the larger head creates a hole in the target for the narrow shaft to slip through.
THIS IS SOO AWESOME AND SIMPLE!!! THank you very much for posting this vid, even though I had to watch it over again like two times cuz I was distracted ;)
yea, he seems like a great guy! maybe i'll take a trip over to the UK some day when I finish studying in Japan, and get my new warbow;) I'll have too meet up with some of you at an archery event or something
Thanks! This will be the first time I have made such a bag so I will be kind of designing it as I go but hope to make it as medieval-looking as I can. Shame we don't have any surviving examples of an actual fabric bag to copy.
Mike Loades on the Weapon's that Built Britain series does display a 'replica' arrow bag which was of a white canvas material. The one I got from Hillary is linnen but I waterproofed it with this spray from an outdoors shop. Inside the bottom I stuffed some lambswood so the arrows don't poke through :)
Hello Ben. Tapering provides strength and mass where needed (at the head) for maximum hitting power and penetration while reducing weight over the remainder of the arrow.
If you don't mind me asking, when can we expect the next video on the medieval arrow bag? That's something I've been wanting to learn how to make for a long time.
Hello Mister Nick Birmingham... I have a question for you and would be very glad If you find a time to answer it. I want to built barrelled ottoman war arrows. my plan was to use a 31inche 11/32 cedar shaft. barrel the front 1/3 to 5/16 and back 2/3 to to 5/16. I will be shooting with an AF archery Turkish bow that has 40lbs at 31 inches. Which spine should I but the 11/32 shaft? 45-50lbs spine? do you know hoe the spine from shafts change after tapering in both ends? Thanks you so much in advance.
Hello Enrique. It sounds like you have a very interesting project there, and I'm sure your new arrows will fly well if you barrel them the way you have explained. I always use a spine at least 5lbs heavier than my bow, so if I were making target arrows only 27" long I would use 40-45lbs. As yours will be longer at 31" the extra 10lbs (45-50lbs) is probably a good idea, especially as you will then be shaving some of the wood off them. Whenever you remove wood you reduce the spine, however barrelled arrows retain most of their mass in the centre, so you shouldn't have any problems. I never used a spine tester to see how much difference barrelling or tapering had on the spine, but as you are starting out with a spine stiffer than your bow this should be OK. Good luck and happy shooting.
Yes in effect they do both taper. The straight one is only straight in relation to the plank it is fixed to but it is at an angle to the other aluminium corner. The gap still reduces evenly from 13mm to 10mm. It's just easier to fix one straight and one at an angle but they are both at an angle in relation to one another, if that makes sense :)
This video really makes me want to repair some of my old arrows and build some new ones :) And I'm pretty sure that I'm going to try this thing as well. Only got one question on my mind: What grit of sandpaper did you use? ...couldn't quite read it in the video ;)
i use a similar method but without the jigg. i just install a little piece of heavy grit sand paper into the chuck around the arrow, then tighten the chuck and hold very heavy grit emery cloth in my other hand wrapping it around the shaft then spinning the shaft fast as possible. and slowly slide your hand up the shaft. very fast and accurate
Yes I prefer to insert the horn before tapering the shaft for 2 reasons. 1. The shaft is thicker and easier to work with before tapering. 2. The tapering process sands the horn perfectly smooth and flush with the shaft. It also removes any marks left by the vice when holding the shaft as the horn slot is cut. The horn does sand fairly easily but you have to make sure you don't let the shaft get too hot or else the glue securing the horn sometimes melts and the horn comes loose.
Tapering allows you to use a thick, heavy shaft at the front of the arrow for strength and hitting power, while reducing the overall weight and improving aerodynamics by reducing the thickness towards the back end where a light, small shaft is optimum. In essence you get the best of both worlds in one shaft.
hey this is a great video! iv made my own jig just like this but i seem to have a problem with my shafts slipping in the drill chuck... any suggestions or ideas? because i seem to be stuck, even masking tape doesnt help im trying to taper ash shafts, is the wood too hard? or do you have a special drill chuck to grip them better?
Hi. I used the standard chuck that came with the drill, and with the tape I rarely had the wood slip. I did tighten the chuck hard enough to make indentations in the wood, which helped it grip, so perhaps Ash is too hard to allow that to happen. Try not to push too hard into the jig. Let the sandpaper do its work before pushing further, but other than that I can only suggest more tape and a tighter chuck, as I am pretty sure others have used this jig design with Ash shafts. Good luck and let me know if you manage to solve the problem.
I tried this method with cedar shafts for some ottoman arrows. After the 4th arrow the taper was visibly different, so to my surprise it seemed that the beltsander strip was worn down. I had to adjust by the same method that Pluck Yew suggested. My conclusion is that the method with the jig works fine, but you'll have to take care if you want a more extreme taper over less length. E.g. taking the shaft down to 6mm over 23cm
Great video Nick and a much easier and quicker method to taper shafts, then the way i have done on a lathe in the past. As to the base and to take the dust away from the holes. This could be made into a box section with one end blanked off and a hoover connected to the other, just a thought.
Hello Scott. 140 - 160lbs?! You monster! :) I will send you a message mate with a list of all the suppliers I use, but in brief the best places to buy arrow materials for heavy bows like yours are Fairbow or BareBow Archery.
I doubt a square shaft would rotate within the confines of the channel as the resistance against the flat sides and bottom of the jig would stop the shaft from spinning. At the very least you would probably need to plane the corners off so that the shaft had 8 sides and then try. If you have a go I would be interested to hear how you get on.
Hi I have built this jig but 90% of the time I try to taper an arrow it simply jams solid about halfway and snaps the arrow. I have slowed down the drill, eased the arrow in and out to reduce friction, pushed much softer and slower etc and it still does it...any ideas would be gratefully received....thx
Hello Derek. Sorry to hear you have had trouble with your shafts. When I first built the jig I experienced these problems too, but in my case it was due to the jig filling up with sawdust, which grabbed and jammed the shaft. That's why I drilled the holes in the base of the jig to allow the sawdust to escape. After I did this it never happened again, or very rarely anyway. Others have e-mailed me over the years with the same problem, and in all cases it was because they had forgotten to drill the holes.
@@bigbowbrum Hi...Thx for your kind reply......sadly I have drilled the base and stuck down the sanding paper and it is still happening....the only other thing I can think of is that the paper I am using 120 grit is too fine?...Too say that it is frustrating is saying the least :D
@@bigbowbrum Hi...Just wanted to let you know that I have now got the system working....It helped me to use 60 grit paper and put a piece on either side....now it is perfect.....Thank you very much for your help :D
I don't have a video as I buy my shafts already made. Historically they would either be made from coppiced wood (just peel the bark off and you have a shaft ready to be shaped) or more usually they would be cut from a plank, trimmed down with an axe then a drawknife or plane.
No they are solid pieces of wood, in this case Poplar. I buy my shafts from archery retailers as I need shafts with enough strength to be shot from high draw weight bows. Dowelling can be used if it is good quality but I have never used it and I would guess it is more suitable for low poundage bows.
Do you commonly fit your horn into the shaft before putting it down this jig and if so does the horn sand easily enough? or do you taper your shafts first and then insert the horn and trim to size?
Hi Nick, thanks for this. I'd like your advice if you don't mind. I'm a keen medievalist and archery and music are my two big interests. I'm at the other end of the draw weight to yourself. 44lbs, 28" shooting a 5/16 arrow. I've been making my own arrows for a while and want to have a go at tapering but two questions pop to mind. 1. Is there any advantage when shooting low poundage light arrows? (Other than it would just be neat to do.) 2. What diameter should I taper to? You look like you know what your talking about so I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thanks, Paula
Hello Paula. Tapering arrows does get very fiddly when you get down to 5/16 size and in my opinion you would see very little benefit. If you had 5/16 at the head and tapered down to the nock the shaft would be very thin and more liable to break on the loose. Tapering any smaller would make it harder to find plastic nocks that fit, or if you wished to remain historically accurate then self-nocking would be nigh on impossible as you would have very little wood to work with. Tapering provides a good weight reduction benefit when using heavy 1/2" shafts but yours will already be light enough not to need reducing any further.
Hello Nick, Thanks for your advice. I think what you're saying makes total sense. It would just be neat to try, but cutting a self nock in a toothpick might be tricky. :)
Not sure really. I have most of the materials and am eager to get started but also have 5 arrows that need heads, fletching and binding first. I would guess at least a month. I really need the bag ready for the start of the display season so I will do it as soon as I can. :)
Yes I need to make myself a new string soon so I will make a video of how I do it. Thanks for the suggestion. I am always happy to hear what people want to see next.
I haven't read all the comments yet but have you considered putting the sand paper on both sides? By the way your skills are appreciated. Please visit us at PVC Archery and Crafting on Google +.
The shafts are never perfectly straight but when you see them spinning in the chuck it exaggerates any slight bend. I never get a shaft that is so bad it needs straightening but if I did I would hold it over the steam from a boiling kettle and then bend it gently in the opposite direction to any bend and hold it for a few seconds to let it cool. This usually works fairly well I have heard.
The problem we have is that apart from the Westminster arrow no medieval arrows survive for us to measure. I wouldn't call the Westminster shaft truly barrelled as it was 11mm at the head, 11.2mm about 1/3rd of the distance back then an even taper to 7.5mm at the nock. Given the tolerances of medieval tools I would guess this was meant to be an even taper. The only other surviving shafts come from the Mary Rose, the majority of which were bobtailled but other profiles were observed.
ok thanks, i shoot a 60 lb long bow and they 11/32 shafts hold up well i find, but you never knows could shatter :P im going to try to make a jig like yours
The paper was a medium 80 grit paper and so far I have tapered about 30 shafts in the jig and haven't yet had to change the paper. Sorry for the late reply!
Brilliant, thanks, just made one of these today. Wish I'd seen this sooner, it really confused me how people shape them using a drill. (It didn't help that every site about livery arrows uses the word "bobtail" instead of "taper". What the hell is a bobtail anyway? Not a carpentry or engineering term anyone i know- or Google- has ever heard of!)
![[Part 1] ทารกน้อยถูกทิ้ง👶 หญิงชราเก็บขวดขายเลี้ยงดูเขาจนโต #โลกการละคร](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nPTDvFCExks/mqdefault.jpg)
![[FINALE] มีคนคิดแค้นลักพาตัวเด็กไป🔪หญิงชราใช้ชีวิตตัวเองเข้าแลก👩🦳 #โลกการละคร](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C_BPHPoZFOg/mqdefault.jpg)
Yes that's right. Filming with Terry was great fun. He is a real character, full of enthusiasm and genuine interest in what we were doing. We had a few laughs that day!
i noticed every bowyer is pretty much DIY!! nice jig ty for that sir!
This video and method are so straightforward and informative I was compelled to subscribe.
Thank you Randy. I'm glad you found my video useful, and I hope you enjoy watching the others. Thanks for subscribing.
Glad you enjoyed it! The shirt sleeve idea sounds cool. I will make a start on the bag this weekend hopefully.
BRILLIANT! This video couldn't have come at a better time. Thank you.
Nick, thank you so much for this tip, works like a charm at the fraction of the cost for a tapering jig. Now I´ll be eagerly waiting for the arrow bag video
Hey Nick, thanks for the video, with this as a guide I've cranked out my first 1/2" tapered poplar shafts with horn inserts. I'm now just putting nocks in them and doing some final hand sanding before I begin fletching them, cheers :)
Glad you enjoyed the video and I am really pleased to hear that the tip proved useful. Getting feedback like that makes all the hard work of putting the video together worthwhile! The arrowbag is now almost finished and the next step is to turn the mountain of photos and video clips into a 2-part TH-cam video, starting with how to make the spacer disk. I can't wait to make a start on it and hopefully may even get it published later on this week. No promises though! :)
Wow! What a clever idea. And I'm looking forward to the arrow bag video!
Thanks for the comment Halrin. It's great to hear that my video has been of use to you. That's exactly why I make them and I love getting feedback like this. Thanks very much mate and I hope your arrows fly true. :)
Brilliant tutorial, one one the best arrow-crafting related videos on youtube.
If I could add one thing, I might be worth mentioning that you can buy rolls of sticky-back sandpaper, and use that instead of a sanding belt. if you apply such sandpaper to both the pieces of corner-bar, the sanding goes almost twice as fast. (albeit its a bit harder to keep the shaft in the groove, but you can use a piece of scrap wood to force the arrow to stay inside)
Glad you enjoyed it Ben. I wish I could take credit for inventing this concept but I first heard about it from other archers, although I have made a few of my own modifications such as the clamps and the holes for the sawdust. :)
Have been enjoying your channel for some time now. Thanks for sharing these with us.
Thank you very much. Looking forward to any other projects you have planned!
This is why Britain is so brilliant! It's no wonder the Spitfire did what it did with minds like this, so simple, so effective so spot-on! T'riffic Ben :-)
It's coming along really nicely mate. The leather spacer is finished and I have sewn about half the bag so far. I am working on it most evenings so I am hoping to have it done in a week or so. Editing the footage together will take a bit longer though. I may release the video in two parts, the spacer then the bag.
You are an amazing talent man. Thank you for sharing this video.
These videos are awesome!! Can't wait for the arrow bag, I made one using the the sleeve off an old shirt, works kinda good....
Once again Nick, simple and effective. thanks heaps
englishman living in france here
LOVE the T-shirt :p
thanks for the tutorial :)
What an elegantly simple jig! Tapered shafts, here I come.
I taper as the few medieval and Tudor Mary Rose arrows we have were that way. Yes tapering does reduce weight and also increases aerodynamics as the larger head creates a hole in the air. It also aids penetration as the weight is up front and the larger head creates a hole in the target for the narrow shaft to slip through.
Tried to make it at home. Works fine and save a lot of time! thanks for making this build-along! :)
Wow man this is really cool. Thanks for the info, I'll definitely put this to good use.
I wasn't aware that you could buy sticky-back sandpaper. Good idea. Thanks for posting! :)
Genius idea. Thanks for the awesome uploads. Subscribed!
THIS IS SOO AWESOME AND SIMPLE!!! THank you very much for posting this vid, even though I had to watch it over again like two times cuz I was distracted ;)
yea, he seems like a great guy! maybe i'll take a trip over to the UK some day when I finish studying in Japan, and get my new warbow;) I'll have too meet up with some of you at an archery event or something
nicely done mate! keep up the good work!
Good thinking! Could you do a tutorial on a bowstring? Thanks.
english medieval arrows: I'm tapered and easy to make!
turkish tapered arrows: hold my fletching...
Thanks! This will be the first time I have made such a bag so I will be kind of designing it as I go but hope to make it as medieval-looking as I can. Shame we don't have any surviving examples of an actual fabric bag to copy.
Seems to be easy, good and practicable...!! Must have.. ;-)
Thx for showing...
Greetings from Germany
etb
Mike Loades on the Weapon's that Built Britain series does display a 'replica' arrow bag which was of a white canvas material. The one I got from Hillary is linnen but I waterproofed it with this spray from an outdoors shop.
Inside the bottom I stuffed some lambswood so the arrows don't poke through :)
Hello Ben. Tapering provides strength and mass where needed (at the head) for maximum hitting power and penetration while reducing weight over the remainder of the arrow.
If you don't mind me asking, when can we expect the next video on the medieval arrow bag? That's something I've been wanting to learn how to make for a long time.
Nice, i'm working my body up for a 100lbs bow for the summer. and... well a little for the summer season tooXD good luck witht the 130lbs!
I've seen a video of what you just described on YT.
They made it octagonal like you say then just got sandpaper and rounded it off by hand...
Quality video Nick! Hope your well mate.
Thanks mate. Yes I have been hitting the weights a bit recently. Want to make a bow with a draw weight over 130lbs next so I need to get stronger! :)
Hello Mister Nick Birmingham... I have a question for you and would be very glad If you find a time to answer it. I want to built barrelled ottoman war arrows. my plan was to use a 31inche 11/32 cedar shaft. barrel the front 1/3 to 5/16 and back 2/3 to to 5/16. I will be shooting with an AF archery Turkish bow that has 40lbs at 31 inches. Which spine should I but the 11/32 shaft? 45-50lbs spine? do you know hoe the spine from shafts change after tapering in both ends? Thanks you so much in advance.
Hello Enrique. It sounds like you have a very interesting project there, and I'm sure your new arrows will fly well if you barrel them the way you have explained. I always use a spine at least 5lbs heavier than my bow, so if I were making target arrows only 27" long I would use 40-45lbs. As yours will be longer at 31" the extra 10lbs (45-50lbs) is probably a good idea, especially as you will then be shaving some of the wood off them. Whenever you remove wood you reduce the spine, however barrelled arrows retain most of their mass in the centre, so you shouldn't have any problems. I never used a spine tester to see how much difference barrelling or tapering had on the spine, but as you are starting out with a spine stiffer than your bow this should be OK. Good luck and happy shooting.
@@bigbowbrum thank you so much Nick! Now I really feel more confident and I will use the spine you suggested.
Thank you. Glad you enjoy them.
Awesome. Keep the videos coming.
Excellent tutorials!
Nice video. What grit sandpaper are you using? How many shafts can you get before replacing the sandpaper strip?
Yes in effect they do both taper. The straight one is only straight in relation to the plank it is fixed to but it is at an angle to the other aluminium corner. The gap still reduces evenly from 13mm to 10mm. It's just easier to fix one straight and one at an angle but they are both at an angle in relation to one another, if that makes sense :)
Glad it proved useful to you, and I'm not sure where the term Bobtail comes from either!
This video really makes me want to repair some of my old arrows and build some new ones :)
And I'm pretty sure that I'm going to try this thing as well. Only got one question on my mind: What grit of sandpaper did you use? ...couldn't quite read it in the video ;)
Looking ripped there mate!
Great video, already got an arrow bag from Hillary, but am interesting in what yours will look like :)
i use a similar method but without the jigg.
i just install a little piece of heavy grit sand paper into the chuck around the arrow, then tighten the chuck and hold very heavy grit emery cloth in my other hand wrapping it around the shaft then spinning the shaft fast as possible.
and slowly slide your hand up the shaft. very fast and accurate
I have one more question: Is it historically proven that the arrows back then were tapered from 13mm from the nock to 10mm up to the arrowhead?
Yes, we have the Westminster arrow and those recovered from the wreck of the Mary Rose.
Yes I prefer to insert the horn before tapering the shaft for 2 reasons. 1. The shaft is thicker and easier to work with before tapering. 2. The tapering process sands the horn perfectly smooth and flush with the shaft. It also removes any marks left by the vice when holding the shaft as the horn slot is cut. The horn does sand fairly easily but you have to make sure you don't let the shaft get too hot or else the glue securing the horn sometimes melts and the horn comes loose.
Tapering allows you to use a thick, heavy shaft at the front of the arrow for strength and hitting power, while reducing the overall weight and improving aerodynamics by reducing the thickness towards the back end where a light, small shaft is optimum. In essence you get the best of both worlds in one shaft.
Great vid man, but I am just wondering, What does tapering do for the arrow?
hey this is a great video!
iv made my own jig just like this but i seem to have a problem with my shafts slipping in the drill chuck...
any suggestions or ideas? because i seem to be stuck, even masking tape doesnt help
im trying to taper ash shafts, is the wood too hard? or do you have a special drill chuck to grip them better?
Hi. I used the standard chuck that came with the drill, and with the tape I rarely had the wood slip. I did tighten the chuck hard enough to make indentations in the wood, which helped it grip, so perhaps Ash is too hard to allow that to happen. Try not to push too hard into the jig. Let the sandpaper do its work before pushing further, but other than that I can only suggest more tape and a tighter chuck, as I am pretty sure others have used this jig design with Ash shafts. Good luck and let me know if you manage to solve the problem.
I tried this method with cedar shafts for some ottoman arrows. After the 4th arrow the taper was visibly different, so to my surprise it seemed that the beltsander strip was worn down. I had to adjust by the same method that Pluck Yew suggested. My conclusion is that the method with the jig works fine, but you'll have to take care if you want a more extreme taper over less length. E.g. taking the shaft down to 6mm over 23cm
Yeah that sounds like a very good idea. Thanks for sharing! :)
Thank Nick... That is very helpful tip..
Very helpful! Thanks a lot 👏🏼👍🏼
By the way, I do live in the same city (Southampton) that built the Spitfire during the war so perhaps that helped, ha, ha! Best wishes.
Great video Nick and a much easier and quicker method to taper shafts, then the way i have done on a lathe in the past.
As to the base and to take the dust away from the holes. This could be made into a box section with one end blanked off and a hoover connected to the other, just a thought.
Hello Scott. 140 - 160lbs?! You monster! :) I will send you a message mate with a list of all the suppliers I use, but in brief the best places to buy arrow materials for heavy bows like yours are Fairbow or BareBow Archery.
I doubt a square shaft would rotate within the confines of the channel as the resistance against the flat sides and bottom of the jig would stop the shaft from spinning. At the very least you would probably need to plane the corners off so that the shaft had 8 sides and then try. If you have a go I would be interested to hear how you get on.
Hi
I have built this jig but 90% of the time I try to taper an arrow it simply jams solid about halfway and snaps the arrow. I have slowed down the drill, eased the arrow in and out to reduce friction, pushed much softer and slower etc and it still does it...any ideas would be gratefully received....thx
Hello Derek. Sorry to hear you have had trouble with your shafts. When I first built the jig I experienced these problems too, but in my case it was due to the jig filling up with sawdust, which grabbed and jammed the shaft. That's why I drilled the holes in the base of the jig to allow the sawdust to escape. After I did this it never happened again, or very rarely anyway. Others have e-mailed me over the years with the same problem, and in all cases it was because they had forgotten to drill the holes.
@@bigbowbrum Hi...Thx for your kind reply......sadly I have drilled the base and stuck down the sanding paper and it is still happening....the only other thing I can think of is that the paper I am using 120 grit is too fine?...Too say that it is frustrating is saying the least :D
Morning Derek. I use an 80 grit paper on mine. What wood are you using for your shafts?
@@bigbowbrum Spruce.....I will try with the heavier grit....Once again Ty for your reply :)
@@bigbowbrum Hi...Just wanted to let you know that I have now got the system working....It helped me to use 60 grit paper and put a piece on either side....now it is perfect.....Thank you very much for your help :D
How do you make shafts? is there a video about this?
I don't have a video as I buy my shafts already made. Historically they would either be made from coppiced wood (just peel the bark off and you have a shaft ready to be shaped) or more usually they would be cut from a plank, trimmed down with an axe then a drawknife or plane.
No they are solid pieces of wood, in this case Poplar. I buy my shafts from archery retailers as I need shafts with enough strength to be shot from high draw weight bows. Dowelling can be used if it is good quality but I have never used it and I would guess it is more suitable for low poundage bows.
Do you commonly fit your horn into the shaft before putting it down this jig and if so does the horn sand easily enough? or do you taper your shafts first and then insert the horn and trim to size?
Hey Nick, I was looking at warriors with terry schappert. In the episode where he covers english longbows, i though i saw you. Didn't expect thatXD
Hi Nick, thanks for this. I'd like your advice if you don't mind. I'm a keen medievalist and archery and music are my two big interests. I'm at the other end of the draw weight to yourself. 44lbs, 28" shooting a 5/16 arrow. I've been making my own arrows for a while and want to have a go at tapering but two questions pop to mind. 1. Is there any advantage when shooting low poundage light arrows? (Other than it would just be neat to do.) 2. What diameter should I taper to? You look like you know what your talking about so I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thanks, Paula
Hello Paula. Tapering arrows does get very fiddly when you get down to 5/16 size and in my opinion you would see very little benefit. If you had 5/16 at the head and tapered down to the nock the shaft would be very thin and more liable to break on the loose. Tapering any smaller would make it harder to find plastic nocks that fit, or if you wished to remain historically accurate then self-nocking would be nigh on impossible as you would have very little wood to work with. Tapering provides a good weight reduction benefit when using heavy 1/2" shafts but yours will already be light enough not to need reducing any further.
Hello Nick, Thanks for your advice. I think what you're saying makes total sense. It would just be neat to try, but cutting a self nock in a toothpick might be tricky. :)
Not sure really. I have most of the materials and am eager to get started but also have 5 arrows that need heads, fletching and binding first. I would guess at least a month. I really need the bag ready for the start of the display season so I will do it as soon as I can. :)
Yes I need to make myself a new string soon so I will make a video of how I do it. Thanks for the suggestion. I am always happy to hear what people want to see next.
Awsome! Wish I had the arms to take up archery :)
I'm glad I had that effect! :)
I haven't read all the comments yet but have you considered putting the sand paper on both sides? By the way your skills are appreciated. Please visit us at PVC Archery and Crafting on Google +.
Supper Gute idee Danke Mach weiter so.
Nice ;) I must build it!
Brilliant vid!
Hello, I know this is a while ago and its totally out of topic but, where can i find a shirt like that? i love it. thanks.
I don't think they sell them any more. I was lucky to find this one.
The shafts are never perfectly straight but when you see them spinning in the chuck it exaggerates any slight bend. I never get a shaft that is so bad it needs straightening but if I did I would hold it over the steam from a boiling kettle and then bend it gently in the opposite direction to any bend and hold it for a few seconds to let it cool. This usually works fairly well I have heard.
bloody brilliant.
The problem we have is that apart from the Westminster arrow no medieval arrows survive for us to measure. I wouldn't call the Westminster shaft truly barrelled as it was 11mm at the head, 11.2mm about 1/3rd of the distance back then an even taper to 7.5mm at the nock. Given the tolerances of medieval tools I would guess this was meant to be an even taper. The only other surviving shafts come from the Mary Rose, the majority of which were bobtailled but other profiles were observed.
at 3:40 i saw the shaft being a little bent what way do u prefer to straighten arrows? or is that just the masking tape when placed into the chuck?
ok thanks, i shoot a 60 lb long bow and they 11/32 shafts hold up well i find, but you never knows could shatter :P im going to try to make a jig like yours
Hi. The paper was a medium grade 80 grit.
Thanks for the advice.
That's so cool!
hi, why does it only need one side of the aluminum corner to be tapered? Shouldn't both of the aluminum corner be tapering in?
Yes I use 2 coats of Danish Oil. Others use Linseed Oil or even Yacht varnish.
bigbowbrum
I get them from James at Fairbow UK.
What shafts are you tapering? is it just a hardwood dowel??
The paper was a medium 80 grit paper and so far I have tapered about 30 shafts in the jig and haven't yet had to change the paper. Sorry for the late reply!
Awesome!
Brilliant, thanks, just made one of these today. Wish I'd seen this sooner, it really confused me how people shape them using a drill.
(It didn't help that every site about livery arrows uses the word "bobtail" instead of "taper". What the hell is a bobtail anyway? Not a carpentry or engineering term anyone i know- or Google- has ever heard of!)
where do you nuy your shafts?
Hey, may sound a little stupid, but can you please tell me what was the diameter of the shaft to begin with? Thanks!
it is basically a large pencilsharpener but without the sharpening (diagonal blades) lol
thank you
I cut them about 0.25 of an inch.
The shafts were 12mm diameter.
what kind of wood is that shaft?
I use Poplar most of the time, but sometimes Birch or Ash if I am looking for a heavier arrow for armour piercing etc.