Hoop Pine and Peacock Feathers
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:46 pm
So a fair few blokes over in the UK have been raving over using very long peacock feathers (8-9") on sets of war arrows for heavy bows. Sure I agree that the brown of a peacock primary feather is quite striking on the end of a tapered shaft, im not so convinced with the excessive length.
Anyway, I decided that if I could get a hold of some primaries I would make up at least one for a flight arrow for my warbows. Here is the end result.
Its a culmination of 2 peoples work, my own and Mickaluger's. Mick was kind enough to make up a few bodkins and send them up to me to play around with and he also scrounged up some hoop pine from his work classes and ripped me some 14mm arrow blanks.
I decided to go with a 3/8 to 1/2" taper for this arrow as its a proven design and would suit the heads. I got a hold of a bunch of peacock feathers from another friend down in Vic but only 5 were proper primaries and 3 from the same wing so just enough for one arrow.
Hand tapered the shaft with hand plane and then hand fitted the horn insert. Nock all done with hobby files and then the shaft sanded butter smooth.
Feathers had to be split and then sanded down to be useable (first time doing it on pretty hard to get feathers was somewhat intimidating but I got there... Just), trimmed to 7.5" long and cut to 5/8" high with a natural trailing edge. Bound on with some red silk and the arrow is nearly done.
Total weight is 55g and it is 30" from nock throat to socket.
Let me know what you all recon of the arrow lads!
Col
Anyway, I decided that if I could get a hold of some primaries I would make up at least one for a flight arrow for my warbows. Here is the end result.
Its a culmination of 2 peoples work, my own and Mickaluger's. Mick was kind enough to make up a few bodkins and send them up to me to play around with and he also scrounged up some hoop pine from his work classes and ripped me some 14mm arrow blanks.
I decided to go with a 3/8 to 1/2" taper for this arrow as its a proven design and would suit the heads. I got a hold of a bunch of peacock feathers from another friend down in Vic but only 5 were proper primaries and 3 from the same wing so just enough for one arrow.
Hand tapered the shaft with hand plane and then hand fitted the horn insert. Nock all done with hobby files and then the shaft sanded butter smooth.
Feathers had to be split and then sanded down to be useable (first time doing it on pretty hard to get feathers was somewhat intimidating but I got there... Just), trimmed to 7.5" long and cut to 5/8" high with a natural trailing edge. Bound on with some red silk and the arrow is nearly done.
Total weight is 55g and it is 30" from nock throat to socket.
Let me know what you all recon of the arrow lads!
Col