How to Paint the Arrow of Light for Webelos

Weblos Arrow of Honor/Light

If you or your Webelo is about to paint the Arrow of Light (a.k.a. Arrow of Honor) award, the tips and suggestions below will hopefully make it a little easier, reduce the frustration of a tedious paint job, and improve the end result. I used them to paint the five we gave to our den's Webelos so I hope this little bit of advice helps you.

Things You'll Need

• Arrow of Light kit
• Acrylic paints
• Paint brush
• Painters tape
• White spray-on primer
• Spray-on lacquer (optional)
• 220 grit sandpaper
• Sharp knife or single edged razor blade
• 1/4 inch black art tape
• Scrap wood and 4 to 8 screws (optional)

Instructions

1. 

   Step 1. Gather Materials
   You should gather the following materials in prep for assembling your Arrow of Light:
   a. Arrow of Light kit. This assumes you get the shaft, arrow head, sinew, thread, and feathers in a kit for assembly. One per Webelos.
   b. 220 grit sand paper
   c. 2-inch wide painters tape or masking tape.
   d. A good quality paint brush. Don't skimp here and use the cheap little ones kids use for plastic models. The bristles on cheap brushes stick out at all angles and you will be frustrated trying to use them. Get a high quality #4 flat painters brush for use with acrylic paints. e. Acrylic Paint. Two options:
   i. Get a kit with all the colors you'll need. They are sold by the people who have the kits. Be sure to enquire if they have all the needed colors. (See paint table below in the painting instructions). Depending on the awards given to the scout, you may need more or fewer colors.
   ii. Get individual acrylic paints at the hobby/craft store. This could be a little more expensive but, the paint quality will likely be better and go on smother and, you won't get colors you don't need in the kit.
   iii. Either way, you'll have lots of leftover paint.
   f. White primer paint in a spray can. This is optional. It adds a step but, it will make putting on the pencil marks easier as they standout better and the paint stripes will stand out better.
   g. 1/4 -inch graphic art tape. This may be included in your arrow or painting kit so check before buying extra.
   h. An sharp knife, single edged razor blade.
   i. A computer with MS Excel. This is optional too. I recommend making a color template of what to paint to avoid making a mistake when painting. I provide a complete spreadsheet with the ranks and awards. All you need to do is customize it to each individual scout.
   j. Scrap wood and 4 to 8 screws. Another optional item. I used the scrap wood and some wood screws to make a rest for the arrows. I did five at a time. Making the rest allows you to work faster and is a nice place to let the arrows sit as the paint dries.
   Get wood that is ½ to 1 inch thick. Get two pieces about 16 inches long and 2-4 inches wide. Get a third piece about 12 inches long (or longer) and 3-4 inches wide. Read through Step 3 on making the rest and you'll get the idea about what you'll need.
   k. One can clear lacquer (Optional). Most acrylic paints will dry a flat color. If you want to add a glossy protective coating, get the lacquer.

2. Step 2. Attach the Arrowheads
   The instructions with the kits we got said to attach the arrowheads, then the feathers, then paint. Because the feathers are so delicate, I left putting them on until last.

   Follow the instructions on your kit to attach the arrowhead to the shaft using the sinew provided. I found there was plenty of sinew so wrap multiple turns around the arrowhead to keep it on securely.

3. 

   Step 3. (Optional) Assemble the arrow rest.
   To make the arrow rest, take the one piece of scrap wood that is about 12" by 4" and drill 3/8 inch or ½ inch holes down the middle about two inches apart (at center) starting about 1 inch from the end of the board. See the figure. This will give you a rest for six arrows. If you have fewer arrows to paint, drill fewer holes. More to do then you can make this longer to accommodate more arrows but, be careful it doesn't get so big it won't fit on the table. You can always paint the arrows in two or more batches. I recommend you make one more hole than you have arrows. That will let you have an empty hole to place a newly painted arrow in before you have to reach for the next arrow.

   Next, use a jig saw or small saw to cut down the middle of the length of the board as shown by the dotted line in the figure. This will give you two pieces of wood with half circles to rest the arrows in.

   Now lay the boards you just cut on the table on edge with the half circles up keeping the ends oriented as the board was cut to ensure the holes line up. Lay the other two boards flat on the table between the first two to make a rectangle. Drill pilot holes and add screws as shown. Put at least one in each corner but, two for good measure. Take care not to split the wood.

4. Step 4. (Optional) Make a template on a spreadsheet.
   I did this because I was doing several arrows. Make a workbook workbook with customized tabs by naming it after one of the scouts. Then add or delete columns on each tab until you exactly match the awards of each scout. Size the columns to the correct widths which are:

   • Rank (Tiger, Bobcat, etc.) ½ inch or a column width of 6.
   • World Conservation and Religious awards, ½ inch or column width of 6.
   • Arrow points and Activity Pins, ¼ inch or column with of 2.57
   • Arrow of Light, 1 inch or column width of 13.

   All the ranks and colors are listed below. The "# of Bands" depends on what the scout earned at that level. Could be one silver arrow point, could be five. The Den leader will have a record of these in the scouting awards database.

   Arrow of Light Color Bands

   Rank # of Bands Band Width Rank / Award Color
   Tiger ½ " Tiger Badge Orange
   Bobcat ½ " Bobcat Badge Black
   Wolf ½ " Wolf Badge Red
   ¼ " Gold Arrow Pt Gold
   ¼ " Silver Arrow Pts Silver
   Bear ½ " Bear Badge Green
   ¼ " Gold Arrow Pt Gold
   ¼ " Silver Arrow Pts Silver
   Webelos ½ " Webelos Badge Blue
   ¼ " Ea Activity Pin White
   ½ " World Conservation Purple
   ½ " Religious Award Tan
   1 " Arrow of Light Yellow

   You will need 14-inch or legal sized paper to print this out.

5. Step 5. Prep the Arrows for Painting

   At this point, each arrow is identical to the others. This step begins the process of individualizing the arrows. I recommend you put a small sticker on the arrowhead with each scout's initials on it or otherwise somehow ID each arrow to a scout so you don't get them confused later.

   Take a template and lay it beneath the first arrow laying in the rest so that you can see the template. Using a pencil, mark the beginning of the awards/rings which will be about ½ inch from the end to the sinew holding the arrowhead on. Next, mark the end after the Arrow of Light award ring. You'll want to sand between these two marks.

   The arrows come with some rough spots along the shaft. What you'll want to do is smooth the shaft to get better paint adhesion. Take a piece of sand paper and cut it with scissors down to about 4 inches square. Wrap the piece of sandpaper around the shaft and pass the arrow up and down occasionally spinning the arrow in the sandpaper. Get all the rough spots out but, don't sand so much that the shaft is noticeably narrower in the middle as compared to the ends. ATTENTION! If your kit supplied arrows with little slots or glued areas for the feathers or "fletches", don't sand them. Just do the area in the middle between your pencil marks.

   Priming the arrows with white primer paint is optional too but, I recommend it as painting the colors will come out better and it's easier to see some pencil marks you're going to add in the next step. If you want to prime the arrows, take the painters tape and tape/cover all the arrow parts outside your pencil marks (the arrowhead and where the feathers will go) so that only the area between the pencil marks is showing. If you inadvertently sanded off your pencil marks, use the correct template to put them back on the shaft.

   With the arrows properly taped, you can prime them by laying the arrows in the rest and spay painting the primer on. Do this outside or in a well ventilated area. Do a little at a time, rotating the arrows until the complete circumference of the shaft is primed. Make light passes and don't put too much that you get runs or droplets forming. If you get too much on an arrow, wipe the excess off with a rag and then reapply a lighter coat of primer. Set the arrows aside to dry. The directions on the can of primer will tell you how long to wait before painting.

6. 

   Step 6. Mark the Awards on the Arrows

   Remove the painters tape and place the arrows back in the rest. You may want to put some newspaper under the rest to catch any paint spills.

   I'm right handed so, I put the arrows with the arrowheads to the left so that I can mark and paint with my right hand. If you're left handed, put the arrows in the rest with the arrowheads to the right.

   Match the template to the first arrow in the rest placing the template on the table below the arrow. Using a pencil, look down over the arrow and mark each ring on the shaft. Continue each ring around the shaft until you meet up with the other end of the pencil mark.

   Sometimes, you'll stray as you go around the shaft. No big deal. That is why you are using a pencil. Just erase the errant line and try again. After some practice, you'll get pretty good at this.

   TIP: Don't bother marking five or six lines in the gray or up to twenty lines in the white for activity pins. Just the start and end of each color. You are going to paint the entire area later so, no sense in putting in a bunch of pencil marks now.

   When you've finished marking all the arrows in pencil, you're ready to paint.

7. 

   Step 7. Painting the Arrows

   Here is where all your previous prep work pays off. Get the first color of paint out; Orange for Tiger, and just like you were painting with a big brush, load up your brush and take off the excess. Place your brush on the shaft and with your other hand, grasp the arrow head and rotate the arrow keeping the brush steady (see the figure). Add paint to the brush and repeat until the entire band is painted. If you are using a #4 brush, it is about ½ an inch across and will paint the area nicely. Don't worry if you can see a little of the primer through the paint at this time. You'll put on a second coat of paint later.
   When finished putting on the first band of color on the first arrow, move that arrow to the back of the arrow rest and put the next arrow in the nearest notch on the arrow rest. Paint the Orange on it. Finish all the arrows that require Orange (some won't need it if the scout didn't complete Tiger).

   When you're all done with Orange, rinse out the brush in a cup of warm water and swish it around to get all the paint out. Dry with a paper towel. Then move on to the next color; Black for Bobcat. Continue this procedure until all the arrows have a complete coat of paint for each ring on the arrow. Remember to switch templates as you finish each arrow to ensure you are putting the correct bands on each scout's arrow.

   When there are multiple rings of the same color next to each other, just color them all in. For example, if the scout earned twenty Webelos Activity Pins, you'll paint a single band five inches long (20 * ¼ inch = 5 inches). Later, when you apply the graphic art tape, you'll have the 20 bands.

   Let the paint dry a day and then go back and repeat the procedure with a second coat. This time, you won't need the template. Just paint over each band in its own color.

8. Step 8. Apply a Coat of Lacquer. (Optional)

   The paint you applied is flat. If you'd like to add a glossy, protective finish, perform this step.

   Using the painters tape or masking tape, tape off and cover all the parts of the arrows except the painted portions just like you did when you got ready to prime the arrows.

   Lay the arrows in the rest and, outside or in a well ventilated area, spay the lacquer onto the arrows with light passes. Turn the arrows a quarter turn and repeat until the entire arrow is done. Read the instructions for you brand of lacquer and repeat at the recommended time adding a second coat. This can sometimes be in twenty minutes or you may have to wait a day. Read the instructions to be sure.

9. 

   Step 9. Apply the Graphic Art Tape

   Remove the painters or masking tape. Wrap the tape around the edge of the first color and cut with a single edged razor blade or sharp knife. Continue to do this between colors. Place the template (as shown in Figure 6) under the arrow to help see where the larger areas in gray and white are divided by the tape in quarter-inch segments.

10. 

    Step 10. Apply the Fletch Feathers

    Set the arrows in the rest. Apply the "fletches" or feathers that go on the shaft. Remove the cover to the tape embedded in the shaft. The place the front edge on the front of the tape and continue down the arrow sticking it on the tape as shown in the figure. Be sure to start at the front and work your way back to the end of the shaft. Then, using your fingernail, firmly push the fletch onto the tape.

11. Step 11. Assemble the Coup

    The kit will include a concho or small metal eagle. Place the end of the large quill feather along the back-center of the concho. Using the sinew, tie the quill onto the concho with a square knot on one end of the sinew leaving about an inch on the short end. Then wrap the other end of the sinew around and around the concho and shaft until there is an inch or inch and a half is left. Tie that to the previous short end in another square knot.

    Tie a knot in the end of one of the small leather laces and string on three beads in a yellow-blue-yellow pattern. String the lace through the concho and back out, string the other three beads on the lace and knot the remaining end. Take the second lace and string through the concho tying the ends in a square knot. After this step, your concho.

    Next, add the decorative fluff feathers. Match up the ends of two of the fluff feathers and apply a very small dab of glue on the quill ends. Insert both feathers into the bottom of the three beads on one end of the lace as shown in Figure 12. Push the fluff feathers up under all three beads but not to stick out of the top. Let the glue dry according to the instructions for the glue you used.

12. Recommended Schedule
    We're all busy so, here is a recommended schedule to get the arrows done in a timely manner but, spread out over ten days or less so you don't have to do it all at once. If you are doing six arrows or less, each day's activity will take no more than an hour with the possible exception of Step 9. Step 6, marking the awards on the arrows and Step 9, applying the graphic art tape are the most tedious and time consuming steps.

    Day Step Activity
    1 1 Gather and purchase materials
    2 2 Attach the arrowheads
    2 3 (optional) Assemble the arrow rest
    3 4 (optional) Make a template on a spreadsheet
    4 5 Sand and prime the arrows for painting
    5 6 Mark the Awards on the Arrows
    6 7 Apply first coat of paint
    7 7 Apply second coat of paint
    8 8 (optional) Apply first and second coats of lacquer
    9 9 Apply the Graphic Art Tape
    10 10 Apply the fletches and Coup feathers

    Congratulations on completing the arrows. They represent a lot of hard work by the scouts and the parents too!

Tips & Warnings

• For reference, I used a kit from Acorn Awards ( http://www.AcornAwards.com ). I'm not recommending one kit over another but, merely saying these instructions match that kit. If you get a kit from another source, be sure to follow the instructions in your kit and adapt the ideas in these instructions to your needs.

• Apply primer and spray lacquer outside or in a well ventilated area.