Well it's time, I'm getting some wood

[Nutgrass]

Well after the cape, I said I would get some wood sorted for the Mighty Gringa, because apparently I am cheating when I use carbon

So onto the Trad Bits web site last night & a quick phone call with SCRUB BULL today & 3 dozen Sitka spruce shafts, some different nocks so I can see which ones I like, some 145 grain steel field tips & some 145 grain rib teks (this will be an experiment, every thing I have shot so far has been 125 grain), umm some grain scales, a taper tool, a dip tube thinga majiggy. Ahh I can't remember what else, but I do remember thinking it was going to be cheaper to have Blu-Dog make me 3 dozen arrow than to make some myself It's for the satisfaction they tell me

Anyway, it will all be here when it gets here & then I guess it is time to do some reading on how to make them, or maybe just get Blu-Dog over, get him to show me how then let him have the bottle of rum ..... It doesn't work if he gets the bottle of rum 1st

I ain't going for anything fancy, I like simple & practical (K.I.S.S.) Besides, I will cry if I spend to much time making them & then go loosing them or breaking them SO if they are just plain Jane, then I will be ok with a loss or 3
I think I am going to try a red stain on the shafts, not sure why, just something I want to try

Anyway, I will let you all know how it turns out.But hopefully in a few weeks the Gringa Red Belly Black Stick will be flinging some wood rather than high tech carbon down the range

[blu-dog]

Woo Hoo RUM!!!

...c'mon mate - it's more fun when I have the rum first!!!

[Nutgrass]

Woo Hoo RUM!!!

...c'mon mate - it's more fun when I have the rum first!!!

Yep it's heaps of fun trying to get things that are supper glued to table clothes off That was a funny night, watching the goody two-shoes teacher bloke get belted on a bottle of rum with me, whilst he tried to glue some inserts into some of those high tech carbon things you blokes don't like trying to help me

[Stickbow Hunter]

Wood arras; now ya talkin'!!! All the best with making and shooting real arras.

Jeff

[UPTHETOP]

Gidg sounds like the Trad journey is on its way, best of luck with the shafts mate.

Cheers Wayno

[Nutgrass]

Well all the bits turned up today, so I guess I will be having a crack at some stage over the weekend
I may have just quickly stained a couple to see what the difference in the 2 colours I chose are.
Both are Wattyl interior stains, Trad Cedar & English Mahogany. But I think I am leaning towards the cedar stain
Although a set of woods done in the mahogany may be on the cards come state of origin time, it comes up close to maroon I reckon

I Will get a clear coat tomorrow & see what the weekend brings. Will get a couple of pics up tomorrow

[Gringa Bows]

Good one Gidget,they sound good.

[Nutgrass]

Well you lot, I been busy this arvo. I got 1 dozen arrows cut, tapered, stained & 4 coats of lacquer (just done the last coat).
They aren't up to the high quality that others are producing around the place, but they are wood & hopefully with all this hard work they will fly somewhere near ok when I am done with them.
The 1st dozen I stained half with Traditional Cedar & the other 6 with English Mahogany, at 1st I liked the cedar stain, but once I got a few coats of clear on them the mahogany have really come out.
So that is what I stained the 2nd dozen with.


Anyway, the boss took a couple of pics while I was mucking about.
This is what I had to get started



The 2 test shafts I did last night to see which stain I liked.



Just a few random pics as I went about trying to make them look pretty.






















So hopefully tomorrow I will have some wood to fling from the Red Belly Black Stick & all you carbon haters can relax a little. It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but if a hunt comes along in a hurry & I got to find time to make arrows, I can see it becoming tedious. But time will tell.
I Will get some close up pics tomorrow once I get some tips & knocks on them.

[Stickbow Hunter]

Lookin' good so far.

Jeff

[Gringa Bows]

Bring them with you tomorrow,and we'll see how they fly

[blu-dog]

Arrows were made - but I didn't get to drink any rum... something doesn't seem right witht he universe!!!

[Nutgrass]

Arrows were made - but I didn't get to drink any rum... something doesn't seem right witht he universe!!!

I did .............. with the way my head feels.... maybe a couple to many

[Nutgrass]

Well I rushed to finish my 1st dozen this morning. But I got them done (although still a bit tacky as we drove off) SO I picked up Bg's & Rod before heading out to Keith's to shoot a few down his 3d range.
I am happy to report, they fly well & I am happy with my 1st dozen wood arrows. They are far from Blu-Dog's standard & I made plenty of boo-boo's on them, but they flew well & I am now flinging wood from the Gringa Red Belly Black Stick

[Hilly]

they look good & good to see they fly good as well

[Stickbow Hunter]

Glad to hear the real arras shot well from your bow.

A suggestion; I would use 5" flights when using only three fletch, especially for hunting (it looks like you used four inch in the photos).

Jeff

[Nutgrass]

Yer mate, I used 4" feathers, I did 7 arrows with 3 feathers, then I did 5 arrows with with 4 feathers I like the 4 feathers for some reason. Not sure if it was just me, but the arrows I shot today with 4 feathers were my favourite, so I think I am going to do my next dozen (for hunting) with a 4 feather set up.

[Gringa Bows]

yep they did fly well,and you shoot them pretty good too........it made me very happy that your using wood

[Nutgrass]

.......it made me very happy that your using wood

Yer mate, me as well. I wanted to shoot wood up north, but time just didn't allow me to sort out the spine issue's before we left.
But now that is all done & dusted, it is just a matter of some fine tuning & getting back out there now