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How to Make Bamboo Arrows

by Tool Using Animal on August 9, 2010

Table of Contents

How to Make Bamboo Arrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: How to Make Bamboo Arrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Shafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 2: Straighten the shafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 3: Prep the shafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 4: Making nocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 5: Feathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 6: Fletching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 7: The Business End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 8: Enjoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/
 Author:Tool Using Animal
I'm a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, I am currently working on my Master's. Otherwise, I enjoy
building things, designing the things I'm going to build, and fishing.

Intro: How to Make Bamboo Arrows

This is a companion to my How to Make a Red Oak Pyramid Bow. After all, you don't want to be shooting carbon fiber or aluminum from a traditional style bow.

Step 1: Shafts
The first thing you'll need are some bamboo shafts. These are available at Lowe's (or other big box stores) as garden stakes. I prefer Lowe's simply because they sell
them individually and I can pick through and get the best.

When selecting them, look for reasonabley straight 4 foot stakes about 3/8ths inches in diameter. They should still have a shiny yellow appearance, if they are faded and
grey, pass them up.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/
Step 2: Straighten the shafts
The shafts, naturally bend in two different ways. They tend to bend gently in an arc between the nodes and acutely at the nodes. These need to be dealt with in turn.

The bends can be removed by heating the bamboo until pliable and bending in the opposite direction. The shaft can then be locked by blowing on the bamboo to cool it.

The inter-nodes should be straightened first, followed by the nodes.

Image Notes
1. Nodes Unstraightened Internodes straightened.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/
 Image Notes
1. Everything nice and straight

Step 3: Prep the shafts

Cut an inch or so off the fat end of the shaft, then measure your draw length plus 2 inches and cut the shaft to length.

Afterwords, use a belt sander or disk sander to smooth down the nodes.

The open pith of the fat end of the shaft needs to be filled, a bamboo skewer dipped in wood glue can be inserted and left to dry.

Finally, lightly sand the entire shaft.

Now's a good time to straighten the shafts again. Practice makes perfect.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/
 Image Notes
1. Tsk Tsk, that ain't good

Step 4: Making nocks

The nocks go in the skinny end of the shaft. When it comes to making nocks there are "There are nine and sixty ways of constructing tribal lays, And ever single one of
them is right!"

So this is the way I came up with.

Take a heavy sharp knife and starting about 3/4th inch from the end act like you're sharpening a pencil. Except we aren't sharpening to a point. We want to apply a twist
to the knife so the majority of the cut is parallel to the shaft. We want to go in just far enough to meet the pith cavity.

Make the same cut on the opposite side of the shaft.

Once the cuts are made, clean up the nock with a needle file.

Finally I used the heat gun to harden the nock and burn off any stray fibers.

BE CAREFUL! The exposed core burns very easily.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/
Step 5: Feathers
Just go buy them!

Seriously, I currently buy mine from "bowhunterssupplystore"

Why?
Here's Why

Go to the craft store and buy some dyed turkey feathers.

Use you knife to split them down the rachis.
Pinch the split feather between two paint stirrers and grind flat with a dremel sander.
Trim feather to length.
Suffer terrible allergies from all the feather dust while enduring the smell of burning feathers while sanding.
Cost $0.28 each

Order premade fletching online

Cost $0.32

Just buy pre-cut fletching

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/
Step 6: Fletching
Fletching comes either "right wing" or "left wing", one spins the arrow clockwise, one counterclockwise. If you made your own, you need to sort them, don't mix and
match.

Fletching can be applied straight, offset or helical, with increasing flight stability. Because my homemade fletching is so large it will be applied straight.

The fletching is spaced 120 degrees apart and a simple template can be made with a compass and a piece of cardboard.

The fletching should be applied far enough forward to leave plenty of clearance at the nock. The fletching is tacked in place with superglue.

To secure the fletching a whipping of unwaxed dental floss is used to lash down the leading edge of the feathers, it is imperative that this be done, otherwise you can
embed a feather in you hand.The whipping is continued up as a open spiral along the feather, and then another tight whipping is done at the nock. Finish off with a
clovehitch and a spot of glue to keep it snug.

Step 7: The Business End

These arrows have broadheads attached. For blunts you can just find a 1/4 inch bolt tht weighs 8 grams, drill a hole and screw it in.

For the broadheads a slit needs to be cut. I made a jig using a scrap of 2x4 with a V cut into it and a scrap plywood to stabilize it. The bamboo shaft sits in the bottom of
the V, which, coincidentally is aligned with the table saw blade, a quick pass and the slit is cut.
The bamboo should be backed with a piece of masking tape to prevent tear out.

The shaft is them pointed by twirling it against a belt sander.

The broadhead is superglued into the slit and secured with a whipping of dental floss.

The last picture is a test, I took an old arrow, which had already split, fastened in an unsharpened broadhead, secured it with twine and shot it into 3/4 inch ply.

The point just penetrated the plywood, the shaft split but everything is still soundly attached.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/
Step 8: Enjoy
Homemade Bow
Homemade Arrows.
Can fair chase be any fairer?

BTW, disclaimer time

Bow, arrows, broadheads, these are dangerous, they are intended to kill. This is for informational purposes only and should not be attempted by anyone.

Related Instructables

Red Oak Arrow - flecha

Building a Fletching a Pyramid Bow by Bow and Arrow de madera -
Wooden Arrow
Primitive Arrow Medieval Arrow Tool Using for Dummies by
6" Bow and by ricardoruizo
by dejapong by WSayin Animal NapoleanDynamite
needle-tipped
arrows
(Perversely
inspired by
Cupid) by
ryzellon

Comments
18 comments Add Comment

spenfisher12 says: Aug 28, 2010. 9:53 PM REPLY

you should wrap just above the knock with string to make it stronger just a thing

Tool Using Animal says: Aug 29, 2010. 8:36 AM REPLY

That's always good advice, which is covered in the fletching step. ;-)

tigerbomb8 says: Aug 12, 2010. 2:05 AM

(removed by author or community request)

Tool Using Animal says: Aug 12, 2010. 1:36 PM REPLY

ALLCAPS?

If a modicum of intelligence is used there is little danger. It certainly wouldn't hurt for people to spine their arrows, but I prefer to just shoot and cull the
bad ones.

You do realize that people have been shooting bamboo arrows for thousands of years? And that many people still do.

Since you have such little faith in my instructable, I suggest you spend some time at Paleoplanet, where I originally learned to make them.

BTW, I went out and shot the red white and blue arrow from this instructable into my standard cardboard box full of cardboard boxes I use as a back
stop.

On shot fifteen the head worked loose,

On shot twenty the shank for the broadhead bent.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/
 Since my string was fraying and needs replacing I stopped there.
The arrow was fine.

tigerbomb8 says: Aug 13, 2010. 12:33 AM REPLY

what bow do you use

Tool Using Animal says: Aug 13, 2010. 7:19 AM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/Red-Oak-Pyramid-Bow/

Tool Using Animal says: Aug 12, 2010. 1:37 PM REPLY

Oh yes, one more thing. "SHOOT AT YOUR OWN RISK" Always, I'm not responsible for anything you, or anyone else does.

tim_n says: Aug 12, 2010. 6:47 AM REPLY

You spent three years trying bamboo arrows before coming to the conclusion they were a poor subsitute for modern arrows? Good going, I'd have given
up after 10 minutes... Meantime I've used them plenty on low tensioned bows, you get the occasional one split, but they'll only snap if you sit on them.

tigerbomb8 says: Aug 13, 2010. 12:33 AM REPLY

i have been doing archery for 3 years my bow is 60 pound they snap very quickly

oldanvilyoungsmith says: Aug 11, 2010. 4:02 PM REPLY

does that sticker say "Obamo O's?" Any way, nice ible, your bow ible as well as this one has been giving me ideas. (my mom hates it when this happens)

Tool Using Animal says: Aug 11, 2010. 4:04 PM REPLY

top "Fairchild Tropical Garden middle Obama 08, bottom Instructables.

SinAmos says: Aug 11, 2010. 2:56 PM REPLY

Let the killing begin. Haha. Love it.

firefletcher says: Aug 10, 2010. 12:50 PM REPLY

Awesome, I need feathers though.... Maybe i'll go look for some tomorrow!

seolfor says: Aug 10, 2010. 10:14 AM REPLY

Well done, sir! I have seen your ible on the pyramid bow, too, and these are both fantastic.

(YOUR N says: Aug 10, 2010. 9:14 AM REPLY

cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nanosec12 says: Aug 10, 2010. 8:20 AM REPLY

your 'whipping' looks really good. do you know of an instrucible on how to do it, or could you perhaps 'whip' one up to go along with this 5 of 5 'ible?

kingalexl says: Aug 10, 2010. 5:28 AM REPLY

I'll have to go get some bamboo stakes....

Ninzerbean says: Aug 10, 2010. 4:31 AM REPLY

This is so well documented, your instructions are great.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bamboo-Arrows/