How to Make Heavy Carbon Arrows
Carbon arrows are strong and light and are capable of absorbing vibrations from impact, which prevents them from bending. They are called "carbon arrows" because the shafts are made of a spiral fiber, wrapped around a piece of cross-woven carbon. The other parts of the arrow, namely the nock, fletching, insert and arrowhead are basically the same as those used in aluminum arrows. Determining the length of your arrow is an important step for which you should consider the draw length of your bow, as well as the draw length of your arm-span.
Things You'll Need
- Copper water pipe
- Resin
- Silicone spray
- Plastic sheet
- Scotch tape
- Epoxy
- Carbon fiber
- Sandpaper
- Pliers
- Nock
- Fletching - feather or vane
- Fletching tool
- Fletching clamps
- Insert
- Arrowhead
- Arrowhead prep
- Bohning Fletch-Tite cement
Instructions
-
-
1
Measure the draw length of your arm-span. Do this by spreading your arms out with palms facing forward, and measuring the inches from the tip of one middle finger to the other. Divide by 2.5 to get your approximate draw length (see Reference 1). This should be the length of your arrow. The standard method of measuring an arrow is to find the distance between the bottom of the groove in the nock and the end of the shaft, not including the arrowhead. Purchase a piece of copper water pipe to be the mold for the shaft, 3/4-inch in diameter, with a length equal to your draw length.
-
2
Apply three coats of resin, allowing it to dry between each coat. Hang it up vertically while drying to maintain the straightness of the shaft. Lubricate the copper mold by spraying silicone spray, and cover it with a layer of thin plastic wrapping, ensuring that the plastic fits smoothly without any creases. Use scotch tape to hold the plastic in place. Slip in the cross-woven carbon fiber over the mold and tighten it by twisting, and then sand it.
-
-
3
Apply a layer of epoxy and allow it to dry. Smooth out any unevenness by sanding, and apply a second coat of epoxy if necessary. Once it is dry, remove the shell from the mold by twisting, using a pair of pliers.
-
4
Use rubber-based epoxy to install the nock. If you use regular glue-on nocks, then install them only after you attach the fletching (Reference 2). Cut three vertical notches for the fletching, using a fletching tool. The notches should be 3/4-inch ahead of the nock bushing and at an angle of ninety degrees. Set the fletching, whether feathers or vanes, into the notches using a traditional cement like Bohning Fletch-Tite. Use fletching clamps to hold the fletching in place while the cement dries.
-
5
Twist the insert into the other end of the shaft by twisting it with an arrow prep tool. Apply epoxy to the end of the arrowhead and set it into the insert.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
