I'll get over it. :lol:

Now, once I get the crests on I apply a coat of polyurethane, water based, to protect the crest when give the final dips of gasket lacquer.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...alingcrest.jpg

I apply the polyurethane with one of the blue shop rags you can get at Wal Mart or a parts store such as Auto Zone. Basically a beefed up paper towel.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...papertowel.jpg

After the poly has time to set good, for this batch I waited about 6 hours, I do two more dips in gasket lacquer. I sand with 0000 steel wool after each dip to remove any foriegn material and smooth the shaft.

The finished shaft awaiting measuring and cutting to size.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rows/Voila.jpg

Next step is to measure.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...asureShaft.jpg

These are a stiffer spine than I've been using so I will cut them to be 31" back of point from the throat of the nock. This will give me room to stiffen them up to fit my form and bow strength.

After measuring your shaft you whack it off to where ya want it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...uttolength.jpg

Then taper the point end. (Nock end was already tapered)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...erpointend.jpg

I have the same problem losthawg! My kids are way too cute to come from me! I gotta go talk to my wife again!! :x

Great looking arrows you got there Tracy and better looking kids! A couple of future archers there fo sho! Keeps the pics coming Tracy it may get me in the mood to build some arra's myself.

Well, I've found myself up against a wall... Temporarily. My 5/16 nocks I thought I had turned out to be 11/32. I do have a bunch of 5/16 nirk nocks, but, I've had bad luck with them and won't use them on a full dozen. I will use them on my 2117s though, they seem to work good on aluminums, but, I've had them split on cedar.

I'm gonna try a bare shaft tuning on this batch. Never did the bare shaft thang before. This could be interesting.

Good family project going there LH. Train them well and you will never run out of arrows. :wink:

Thanks for the pics. Now lets see the tuning process on the bare shafts.

I haven't tried that process on a trad bow so I need to know how to do that and keep the arrows in the yard. :)

I hain't done it a'fore neither. But, I'm willin to giver a go. I imagine if I start with close to the right spine, I should be able to stay somewhere in the vacinity of my back yard. I'll give ya updates as I get there.

Like I said, bare shaft tuning is a new one for me. I usually just tune after I get it all fletched. Done purdy good so far. This is just one of those "aspects of archery I haven't done, so I gotsta do it" type thang.

Only thing I found with bare shaft tuning is you will know immediatly if the spine is wrong!! Make sure to notify the neighbors!!

Good luck with the tuning. I haven't tried it with a stickbow yet. I'll be watching to see how this turns out! :shock:

I did try it once with aluminum arrows. Of course it was the wrong spine shaft for my bow, I think a 2219, and :shock: ya should saw the flight. :lol:

Still gotta get some nocks, so, I'm at a stopping point right now.

We'll start with installing nocks.
Have your tools and glue ready to hand. I use Duco cement:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ktaperprep.jpg

For prepping the nock taper I use, depending on the needs, a leatherman rasp blade, a wiffen taper tool, a rasp, and duco cement. I have my trutaper tool at hand in case I need to cut away more wood and sealant than normal. I did today.

You clean up your nock taper using the appropriate tool. I test the fit of the nock as I go. I try to get the nock as flush and alligned as possible. Then I install the nocks. My pictures didn't turn out all that well. Make sure you allign the nock properly to the grain. You want the nock alligned so the grain will be horizontal. You may mark the shaft to show the grain allignment by using a sharpee if you'd like. I just allign with the grain on the taper.

Here are the nocks installed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ows/nocks1.jpg

prep the tapers and install the points.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...oholburner.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...leatherman.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../feraltite.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...yferaltite.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../heatpoint.jpg

Now for bareshaft tuning. A new one for me. Didn't go so well. I used a 30" back of point shaft with 125 and 145 grain field points.

Here's the results of using a 145 grain point and poor form:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...nbareshaft.jpg

And here's the results of using a 125 grain point and good form (2 angles - one shot):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...bareshaft2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...bareshaft1.jpg

Here's the kind of grouping I'm trying to improve on. Bareshaft tuning was done at 15 and 20 yards with both points. The 145s were slightly weak. I had a choice of going to the 125 or shortening the shafts. I chose the 125s.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...6-60group2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...6-60group1.jpg

I've probably left something out trying to load too much in one sitting. Any questions so far?

Will shoot with feathers tomorrow. The completed arrows weigh about 525 - 530 grains.