Who builds arrows?

[Supranatural]

I'm pretty new and originally I had Lancaster build my arrows but I knew I'd want to do my own and experiment around. Gradually got a fletching jig, arrow saw and tons of vanes, wraps, etc and I find it relaxing and fun to build arrows...kind of like tying flies (I'm a hardcore saltwater fly fisherman). Very easy to do and fun to experiment around with setups/arrows.

 

[Shadowcaster]

I agree with everyone here. Learn to build your own arrows. I'm in the same boat, literally one shop nearby, and I cant consider it a pro shop. I have a great relationship with the owner, but his nephew largely handles the archery aspect. Brought a dozen arrows and he charged $12 to cut them. The owner charged me $5 a month prior. And, the bastard didnt cut one, and I didnt count, went to assemble the next day and I was one short. So I had to drive another hour and a half there and back to retrieve one damn arrow. Sorry, rant over. Anyways, I got anal with this build and all dozen were within a grain of eachother. I dont think I'd get that consistency from 90% of pro shops.

 

[Archerichards]

Agreed with this. I had a dozen shafts cut yesterday, from which I will build maybe my eighth or tenth dozen arrows. I just dont think you can really understand this sport fully until you are designing and building your own arrows. It expands your personal accountability for the outcome of every shot, and heightens your personal satisfaction with the entire process. Not sure its a money saver, though I am sure you can build much higher quality (ie, more consistent flight) arrows than you can buy on the open market.

 

[Cmor_15]

If you like tinkering with thing this is one of the best to tinker with! There are lots of combinations that a person can try and shrink groups.

If you just want to simply put some arrows together it doesn't get any easier than the Arizona easy fletch.
https://www.ezfletch.com/

Then there is the bitzenburger jig it is a little more money but more precise.

Home - Bitzenburger

Manufacturers of Precision Fletching Equipment Designed by experienced archers so you can make your own perfect arrows. EXPLORE! Check Out Our Jigs Unparalleled quality, simplicity, and precision sets this fletching tool in a class by itself. Our products are used by professional archers...

www.bitzenburger.com

And then the third option would be the last chance archery vane master pro. This to me is the ultimate jig because you can do 4 or 5 different degrees of offset and left or right helical. Basically it will do anything you could need in fetching arrows!

Vane Master PRO — Last Chance Archery, LLC

The Vane Master PRO is an innovative tool made to give you perfection in fletching arrow to arrow and designed to accommodate every arrow size with little to no adjustment. Fletch your arrows at a 0-5º helical, left or right, with the ability to hold vanes up to 4" in length. This jig can fletc

lastchancearchery.com

 

[Newtosavage]

couple of conversations going in in parallel here - 1) building arrows and 2) selecting arrows.

These are very different things.

Building arrows is so easy that I've trained a BUNCH of kids to do it over the years. I started building my own when I was 15 and still use the Bizenberger jig that I bought back then with my 1st paycheck from K-Mart. LOL

Selecting arrows on the other hand, is a bit of an art combined with a working knowledge of physics.

There are good resources out there to help in both areas, but selecting the right arrow spine for a given model and a given bow and a given archer can be tricky even for the most experienced techs because we all shoot the bow differently.

 

[Cmor_15]

couple of conversations going in in parallel here - 1) building arrows and 2) selecting arrows.

These are very different things.

Building arrows is so easy that I've trained a BUNCH of kids to do it over the years. I started building my own when I was 15 and still use the Bizenberger jig that I bought back then with my 1st paycheck from K-Mart. LOL

Selecting arrows on the other hand, is a bit of an art combined with a working knowledge of physics.

There are good resources out there to help in both areas, but selecting the right arrow spine for a given model and a given bow and a given archer can be tricky even for the most experienced techs because we all shoot the bow differently.

I agree! It can be difficult to choose the perfect arrow. I believe alot of the perfect arrow is a combination of personal preference tho. Choosing the right diameter for you. It could be 4mm or 5mm or 6mm shaft choosing the proper spine and length. Price is also a big consideration.

 

[Newtosavage]

I agree! It can be difficult to choose the perfect arrow. I believe alot of the perfect arrow is a combination of personal preference tho. Choosing the right diameter for you. It could be 4mm or 5mm or 6mm shaft choosing the proper spine and length. Price is also a big consideration.

Those are the easy decisions. What takes experience is choosing the right spine and components once those decisions are made. Spine selection is usually where people struggle.

 

[nwcomechanic]

Do you already have shafts and components? If you do, we can build them at my shop in Denver. No Limits Archery. We can spin them, cut from both ends to ensure straightness and weight match all components. We will also square the ends and can fletch in pretty much any configuration. If you don't have arrows yet we can build some and send them out.

No Limjts is top notch as I’m sure you’re well aware! Live in the mountains and made the 4 hour drive to ensure I had someone experienced before I dropped the money on a new bow and glad I did! You guys rock.


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[nwcomechanic]

I would encourage you to build your own. I watched John Dudley on his youtube series Nock On and learned how to do it. It took me about 3-4 arrows and I have it down on a bitzen berger.

A really easy way to fletch an arrow that requires nearly no skill is the Arizona easy fletch, you tube it up. If you are going to shoot a bow might as well fletch an arrow.

Corey Miller at XXX archery in Rainier, OR can build your arrows and tune your bow to shoot bullet holes.

I second this. It’s very rewarding and just leads you to learn more about archery and be more in tune with your gear!


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[nwcomechanic]

Yep, bought a bitzenburger last week.

Question, do you guys just use plain old hot glue gun for nock and insert installation?

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Nice decision!!! Depends on the shaft material and the vanes themselves


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[nwcomechanic]

Don't glue your nocks. You want to be able to rotate them / replace if needed.

I use Easton HIT for my inserts, and they come with a a slow-set epoxy. Just make sure if you use a slow-set / slow-cure, that you leave your arrows lying down for 24 hours so the insert doesn't move if stood on end...

Fletching glue I personally use Firenock AGO600 Glue, he sells some pretty slick stainless applicator tips that make it super easy.

Doesn’t this lead all of the glue to settle to one side of the radius of the arrow? Gotta use relatively slow cure with carbon shafts due to the heat anyways. Just curious I’ve never used the HIT epoxy personally


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[nwcomechanic]

no brainer for me. South Shore Archery for me. tell them what you want, and you'll get what your asking for. i recently ordered a dozen arrows, nocks, inserts, fletching the whole 9 to my door cut to the length i shoot and ready for me to build. what allows my arrows to be so consistent is the spine of the arrows are marked and the starting point for my fletchings. G5 squaring tool on top of that allows me to build the perfect arrow for my set up. the bitzenberger fletching tool finishes these arrows off.

they will also build them any way you want them. and do a top notch build.


Sunday, Monday and today were shoot broadhead days grading the arrow flight. not only are my RazorTricks flying like darts out of both bows, the SlickTrick Magnums are flying like darts, with a package of ST Standards on the way, im excited about this batch of arrows! especially with elk season just about upon us.

Do they do the spine testing and mark the spine for you or is this something you do after receiving the cut shafts?


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[nwcomechanic]

no brainer for me. South Shore Archery for me. tell them what you want, and you'll get what your asking for. i recently ordered a dozen arrows, nocks, inserts, fletching the whole 9 to my door cut to the length i shoot and ready for me to build. what allows my arrows to be so consistent is the spine of the arrows are marked and the starting point for my fletchings. G5 squaring tool on top of that allows me to build the perfect arrow for my set up. the bitzenberger fletching tool finishes these arrows off.

they will also build them any way you want them. and do a top notch build.


Sunday, Monday and today were shoot broadhead days grading the arrow flight. not only are my RazorTricks flying like darts out of both bows, the SlickTrick Magnums are flying like darts, with a package of ST Standards on the way, im excited about this batch of arrows! especially with elk season just about upon us.

Do they do the spine testing and mark the spine for you or is this something you do after receiving the cut shafts?


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[Billy Goat]

Doesn’t this lead all of the glue to settle to one side of the radius of the arrow? Gotta use relatively slow cure with carbon shafts due to the heat anyways. Just curious I’ve never used the HIT epoxy personally


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No, you aren't putting much epoxy on the hit insert and the clearances are tight enough that it just fills void, but the medium of the epoxy will keep it from running.


If you set the shaft up or down the insert can drift while it's setting up.

 

[trophyhill]

Do they do the spine testing and mark the spine for you or is this something you do after receiving the cut shafts?


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Spine is marked on the arrows.

 

[nwcomechanic]

Just a word to the wise on this: If you stay in this game long enough there’s a good chance you will want to build your own arrows, and its not all that hard and a lot of fun. UNTIL THEN, and especially if your are relatively new to the sport, working with an arrow builder (like Mendoza, who I know only by his good reputation) to get exactly the right arrow/spine/length/component setup is worth the money. My guess is that at least half of the general population of archers out there are shooting arrows that are badly matched to their bow, and thus give lower accuracy and poor-er results on game than they should get. And the archer doesn’t even know it. So, spring for some extra bucks up front and get it exactly right. It’s worth every dime.

I have taken the deep dive over the last year on Arrows, bend tuning/testing for spine indexing, paper tuning, broad head paper tuning, and just shooting shooting shooting. Shot a bow for the first time 4 years ago and it’s amazing the accuracy improvements just by having the right arrows and having them and the bow tuned properly.

It is fun and honestly relaxing, and until we move back into my renovation I’m working on, it’s couch work while I watch tv and wind down in the late spring. Anyway just another way to delve into Archery and what makes it work/accurate.


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[JackCrank]

+1 for the fun/relaxing/rewarding aspects of building your own. Also with the amount of times I’ve dinged up arrows and need to refletch the thought of paying for someone else to keep doing it boggles the mind