Building Cedar Arrows

For the serious hunter or archer, building arrows at home is not only a great way to save five to ten dollars per dozen, but the ideal way to figure out the perfect arrow design for your personal hunting or archery style. The arrow builder is free to tweak such specifications as fletching style or shaft size exactly to his liking without a large investment in arrows. Port Orford cedar wood is the traditional choice for functional arrow shafts due to its strength, straight grain and elasticity.

Things You'll Need

  • Cedar arrow shafts
  • Tapering tool (optional)
  • Arrow saw (optional)
  • Nocks (glue-on or pressure-fit)
  • Fletching jig with clamp
  • Feathers or plastic vanes
  • Pure denatured alcohol
  • Latex gloves (optional)
  • Fletching adhesive
  • Grease-cutting dish soap (optional)
  • Hot melt glue
  • Propane torch, alcohol burner or candle
  • Arrow points
  • Thin rod, such as a small wooden dowel, pipe cleaner or piece of stiff wire
  • 0000 steel wool
  • Insulated pliers
  • Scrap of wood or leather
  • Wide, heavy bowl of cold water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine the length you would like your arrow to be, if different than the shaft length. Make sure to consider the lengths of arrowhead and fletching. Using the arrow saw, cut it to length.

    • 2

      If your arrow shafts did not come pre-tapered, taper both ends with a tapering tool. Taper the nock (back) end at 11 degrees and the front (point) end at 5 degrees.

    • 3
      The nock is the object at the end of the arrow that presses against the bow string.

      To install turnable pressure-fit nocks, press the shaft into the nock valley. Apply pressure only to the base -- pressing on the tabs may cause the nock to break.

    • 4

      To install glue-on nocks, press the arrow shaft into the nock valley so that it holds. Do not glue the nock on yet.

    • 5
      Fletching is the feathers or plastic vanes at the end of an arrow. Their position aids with flight and spin.

      Clean the end of the shaft to be fletched (the same end as the nock) with pure denatured alcohol. Try not to touch the wood with your bare hands after cleaning. Wearing latex gloves may help with this.

    • 6

      Using the reference marks on your fletching jig, measure how far from the nock you want to set your fletching. Index the jig to the starting point.

    • 7

      Apply adhesive to the first piece of fletching. Immediately position it on the arrow shaft at the angle you would like to install it.

    • 8

      Clamp the fletching to the arrow shaft. Let sit for five to 10 minutes.

    • 9

      When dry, unclamp and repeat Steps 6 and 7 for each feather or vane. Optionally, add a small dollop of glue to each end of the line of contact between each feather or vane and the shaft after the last one is attached. This helps keep the fletching from coming undone when the arrow is shot.

    • 10

      If you used glue-on nocks, glue them down now using the same adhesive you used for the fletching. Be sure they are at the proper angle to your fletching -- this will depend on the individual shooting style and fletching density.

    • 11

      Clean your arrow points with pure denatured alcohol or soak them in a bowl of boiling water with grease-cutting dish soap for an hour. Rinse with more boiling water and drain well.

    • 12

      Wrap the steel wool around the end of the thin rod, cotton swab style. Stick it into the arrow point valley and rub the sides to roughen them.

    • 13

      Melt a small amount of glue onto the narrow end of the shaft's taper. Repeat for each shaft, up to eight or 10 before setting them aside.

    • 14

      Press an arrow point onto one of the shafts, as far on as it will go, with your fingers. The glue will have cooled slightly, but will remain tacky.

    • 15

      Heat the arrow point over the flame until you see glue bubbling out of the point.

    • 16

      Press the point onto the scrap of wood or leather and spin it while jamming the shaft into it as far as it will go. When extra glue squeezes out of the point, wipe it away with a rag or piece of scrap paper.

    • 17

      When the glue appears to be cooling, wipe the excess away and then flash-cool the point by dipping it into the bowl of cold water. Keep it there until the head is cold.

    • 18

      Check to make sure the head is on straight. If it is, the arrow is finished. If it is not, repeat steps 15 through 17.

    • 19

      If you are making more than eight to 10 arrows, return to Step 13 and assemble the rest of your arrows in batches of eight to 10.