Home Made Arrows 2
So my cheap and expedient arrows seemed to do the trick and everyone was surprised at how easy and effective the duct tape fletchings were. Made 6 arrows in the morning before class, even managed to put a coat of tung oil on them, and even managed to put one together while I was at class. Probably didn't even take 10 minutes even with explanation of all the steps. Better to be shooting than slaving over target arrows.
The video that showed me how to do the fletchings is HERE. To make the arrow I used 5/16" poplar dowel found at most lumber stores (the dowel has to match the nocks and points you are using). Before cutting the shaft I put a point on one end with a pencil sharpener to fit the plastic nock and then glued the nock in place. I used 4.5" for my fletchings, 3/8" for the space between the fletchings and the plastic nock. Once the fletchings are cut to shape, I cut the shaft length to about 33" from the end of the nock. I mark 3/4" from the end and score around the diameter. I use my pencil sharpener to take some wood off the end. Then, with a sharp knife, I shave away some material from the score line to the end enough to reduce the diameter to fit the point. Once the point fits I glue it down and it's ready to shoot. A finish coat should protect the shaft from moisture. The local source for nocks and target points is HERE.
Found a scrap piece of ABS pipe just before I was about to leave for class this afternoon and I decided at the last minute to assemble a floor quiver. I found and cut a scrap piece of mdf to make a suitable base, then hot glued the pieces together and in no time I had something to hold my arrows. This archery thing is a pretty cheap hobby to get started in, all things considered.