I started building my own arrows when I discovered that I just couldn't find what I wanted at a price I could afford. I needed traditional "primitive" arrows to shoot at the local blackpowder rendezvous events that also have archery. Wood bows and wood arrows only... no compounds and no recurves. Plastic nocks are allowed except at the "primitive only" shoots.... the same with modern steel field tips.
It wasn't long before I was making up pretty much what I had in mind... those first few arrows couldn't have cost me much more than $20 each considering the investment in the necessary arrow making tools.
I ran across a tool called a "Nifty Nocker", basically an aluminum jig that is placed over the nock end of the wood shaft. It was supposed to tighten in place using a brass collet, but often it was never really tight and allowed some movement. There are 2 slots running parallel to the arrow shaft... a longer one for the hardwood insert and a shorter one for cutting the actual nock. Once the jig was in place and aligned with the grain of the arrow shaft a hacksaw with one of those round blades was used to cut a slot in the same direction as the grain of the arrow shaft. A piece of hardwood was then glued in place and sanded down to the match the arrow shaft after the glue had dried. The jig was then reapplied and a nock cut at a right angle to the hardwood insert.
Makes a pretty acceptable nock, but lately I've quit using that "Nifty Nocker" and have instead made up a jig to do the same thing on a small bandsaw. It works out so much better.... now the cuts are always centered and they are always straight !!!
I've also taken to adding a wrap of artificial sinew at the leading edge of the hand cut feathers.... it helps protect a hand from the pointed end of the fletching.
A lot of people at the local rendezvous events have been asking me to make arrows for them also, so I guess I must be doing something right.... also it helps pay for my toys.
