How to Make Self Nocks
Arrows have a notch at the end, or nock, which archers use to insert the bowstring. When making your own arrows, you can order pre-made nocks to attach to the end of your arrow, or make a more traditional arrow by carving a v-shaped groove into the end of the arrow. These traditional style arrows are known as "self-nock" arrows. If you are interested in traditional or primitive archery, making your own self-nock arrows is a way to get in touch with the sport's origins.
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Things You'll Need
- Arrow shaft
- 3 hacksaw blades
- Masking tape
- Pencil
- Sandpaper
- Emory cloth
- Clamp
- Small file
- Sinew or thread
- Glue
Instructions
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1
Determine the alignment of the wood grain on your arrow. You will want to cut the nock perpendicular to the grain to keep the wood from splitting and to improve the arrow's alignment.
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2
Mark the nock location on the shaft in pencil. Mark both the nock placement as well as how deep you want to cut the nock. A recommended depth is 3/8 inch, but you may choose to make a deeper or more shallow nock depending on your preference.
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3
Tape the hacksaw blades together using masking tape.
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4
Clamp the shaft to a table or other sturdy surface.
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5
Cut the nock along the pencil marking using the taped-together hacksaw blades. These will make a nock approximately 3/32 inch wide.
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6
Cut a piece of emory cloth to a length of 6 inches and width of 1/2 inch. Twist the cloth to make a string. Insert the emory cloth string into the nock and tug it backwards and forwards until the bottom of the nock is rounded. You may want to round the edges of the nock as well to give it a finished appearance.
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7
Smooth the edges of the nock with sandpaper or a small file.
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8
Wrap a piece of artificial sinew or thread around the bottom of the nock where it meets the rest of the arrow. Apply glue or epoxy to the thread to hold it to the arrow. This reinforces the nock to keep it from splitting with use.
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References
- Photo Credit young boy shooting an arrow image by Piter Pkruger from Fotolia.com
