How to Make Arrows From Lumber

Making you own wooden arrows from lumber is easier than you might think. Store-bought arrows are expensive, so making your own can save you a lot of money. With the addition of appropriate feathers, nocks, and heads, your homemade arrows should perform very nicely. All the basic supplies can be procured at your local hardware store. Specialist parts may be ordered from archery suppliers or found at some sporting goods stores.

Things You'll Need

  • 2-by-4 plank, 30 inches long minimum
  • Table saw
  • Hand planer
  • Sandpaper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut down the 2-by-4 plank on your table saw into strips that are 1/2 inch wide, then cut these down again creating square dowels that are 1/2 inch in diameter.

    • 2

      Plane the four edges down using a hand planer to roughly round the edges of the square dowels.

    • 3

      Sand the arrows smooth and round by pulling the arrow through sandpaper held in your other hand.

    • 4

      Roll the dowels on a table to check for straightness. If they are straight they should roll smoothly; otherwise, they will wobble when rolled.

    • 5

      Sharpen the tip if being used for target practice; otherwise, add the desired arrowhead.

    • 6

      Attach three fletching feathers to the other end using store-bought fletches and glue.

    • 7

      Carve a nock in the opposite end as the tip, noting the location of the cock feather and orienting the nock so that the cock feather will face in the appropriate direction for your specific bow.