a step-by-step guide to building the medieval arrow

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1 a step-by-step guide to building the medieval arrow

Longbows, Recurves, Arrows, Quivers and Bow Building Supplies.

2 Traditional Archery Academy is brought to by Crows Head Archery. Crows Head Archery specializes in Traditional Bows and Arrows. Longbows, Recurves, Arrows, Quivers and Bow Building Supplies. Click here to visit Crows Head Archery The Traditional Archery Academy is dedicated to bringing you the best and Traditional Archery guides, courses and ebooks. Our resources are FREE! Click here to visit Traditional Archery Academy CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 2 CROWSHEAD.COM

Building the medieval arrow By Jankees Braam In this build along we will be making a medieval arrow made from a spruce shaft with a hand forged head and swan feathers for fletching, which will be

Wood Selection Medieval arrow shafts were made from all kinds of wood: ash, asp, willow, poplar, birch, hazel, and oak to name a few. For this build I will be using spruce because it is light.

3 Building the medieval arrow By Jankees Braam In this build along we will be making a medieval arrow made from a spruce shaft with a hand forged head and swan feathers for fletching, which will be bound on with linen. I will show you how to make it in an traditional way and give you some options to make them even easier using modern materials should you choose to do so. Wood Selection Medieval arrow shafts were made from all kinds of wood: ash, asp, willow, poplar, birch, hazel, and oak to name a few. For this build I will be using spruce because it is light. When you want an arrow for a heavy bow, it will retain a thick diameter, which helps when making the shaft. Since we will be making this from a lumber yard board we ll have more flesh on the shaft to work with. I made some shafts from beech, but that is a heavy wood and the shaft ended up pretty thin. It ended up okay, but took a lot of work to make it shootable. I prefer fine grained wood, as you can see from the photo above. CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 3 CROWSHEAD.COM

This will give you a bit more mass and a lot more strength. The lower piece only has a few growth rings and the upper has many more, providing a higher spine for heavy arrows.

Begin by cutting the board into 13mm thick (almost square) pieces some 100cm long, or slightly more than half an inch thick and 39 long.

4 This will give you a bit more mass and a lot more strength. The lower piece only has a few growth rings and the upper has many more, providing a higher spine for heavy arrows. If you need a low spine, use the piece on the bottom. It will be light weight and will give you a weaker spine value. Begin by cutting the board into 13mm thick (almost square) pieces some 100cm long, or slightly more than half an inch thick and 39 long. You can use any saw you like, or you can skip the next bit and buy some ready-made shafts or dowels from the shop. Look for straight-grained wood. You don t want any grain running out of the shaft. Avoid knots and blemishes if possible. You can get away with some small knots as long as you put them under fletching, because a knot is a weak spot, and by binding the fletching you strengthen the shaft at that point and therefore compensate for its weakness. Plus, most of the stress is in the middle of the arrow. I could have used Ash or Birch, but I didn t have any available at the time of writing. Anyway, enough theory, let s get to work. Making Dowels Using a board with a groove in it (a plane -ing board or a shooting board) and a plane or drawknife, I take of the square edges of the shaft. I use a plane I made myself, but use any plane you feel the most comfortable with. Take the edges off the shaft so its no longer square, but octagonal (has eight sides rather than four), then begin to round the shaft. I turn it with my left hand and plane it with the right to get a nice round shape. CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 4 CROWSHEAD.COM

Using this measure allows you to taper the shaft to a narrower diameter at the nock.

5 Measure the shaft regularly. You can do this with a metal plate with some holes in or even a wooden one. Since I do a lot of Medieval reenactments, I use a wooden one. Using this measure allows you to taper the shaft to a narrower diameter at the nock. Using a plane and a cabinet scraper, get a nice, smooth, round shaft by sanding it down with paper or a sandstone. A scraper will even work if you don t have either. Keep the shavings as they are great kindle for fire making! CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 5 CROWSHEAD.COM

Building the Nock When this is finished, I begin working on the nock.

I have built a couple myself, but most of the time use an alternative nock.

However, I ll show you how to make one nonetheless.

6 Building the Nock When this is finished, I begin working on the nock. You see a lot of medieval arrows with horn nock inserts. I have built a couple myself, but most of the time use an alternative nock. I shoot bows up to 100lbs and have never broken an alternative nock, so horn isn t necessary. However, I ll show you how to make one nonetheless. The nock will go perpendicular to the grain and the horn insert, the horn insert will therefore go with the grain. Cut a groove in the nock end of the arrow, making sure you align it with the grain of the arrow and not perpendicular. You can prepare the horn inserts yourself from a cow horn or buy them ready made, depending on how much of a challenge you would like. Cut the slot and insert the horn for test fitting. It should be a nice, tight fit, but not so tight as CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 6 CROWSHEAD.COM

horn insert a bit to make it malleable then

After drying, shape the horn with a file and

7 to split the shaft. You are no ready to glue it in with modern or medieval glue. If you have a tight fit, you can also warm the horn insert a bit to make it malleable then place it in the groove and hold it there. It should stay without glue. Either way, give it ample time to dry. After drying, shape the horn with a file and insert so it follows the shape of the arrow. Smooth the end when finished. You can cut the nock groove with a tile saw CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 7 CROWSHEAD.COM

(3mm width blade), or any other type of saw and make the cut wider with a file later.

You don t want the arrow to damage the string. An Alternative to Horn So what is the alternative?

Simply cut the nock, but lay a small piece of leather within and then bind the two with linen.

8 (3mm width blade), or any other type of saw and make the cut wider with a file later. Regardless of the saw, make it nice and round and smooth and even. Remove any burred edges with a file or piece of rope. You don t want the arrow to damage the string. An Alternative to Horn So what is the alternative? This is: don t cut the insert. Simply cut the nock, but lay a small piece of leather within and then bind the two with linen. The leather works as a shock absorber and disperses the energy of the string better across the shaft. The linen will reinforce the nock and prevent it from splitting. These are faster to make and are just as strong for bows up to 80/90lbs in my experience. CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 8 CROWSHEAD.COM

Fletching Now on to the fletching. There are a couple of things to think about. For one, never mix left and right wing fletching on one arrow. Use on or the other.

9 Fletching Now on to the fletching. There are a couple of things to think about. For one, never mix left and right wing fletching on one arrow. Use on or the other. You can however, mix left-fletched and right-fletched arrows. Its never done me harm at least. I will be using swan feathers for this build because it contrasts the binding well. Swan may not be as good as goose, but will still make a great arrow. Turkey feathers are another alternative if you prefer to buy fletching. Make sure you have long feathers, at least 7, with strong oil lines. That is the stronger and stiffer part of the feather, as indicated by the red line in the picture. It will do most of the work when shooting heavy arrows. On the backside of my shooting board, I have some measurements that allow me to quickly CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 9 CROWSHEAD.COM

see if the feathers are long enough for the different arrows.

whole feather. Work slowly, it may take a bit of practice.

free to use what you are comfortable with.

10 see if the feathers are long enough for the different arrows. Cut the feather right through the center by following the groove with a sharp blade. Be careful when you get to the end, as we want to use the whole feather. Work slowly, it may take a bit of practice. I have even seen people use a pair of sharp scissors, so feel free to use what you are comfortable with. Tear off the wrong end of the feather after splitting the quill. Repeat with the other feathers. CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 10 CROWSHEAD.COM

I clamp the fletching between the pieces of wood and, using a knife, scrape the quill to clean it.

11 Clean the Quill To clean the quill, I use a simple handheld gismo that a medieval MacGuyver made for me from two pieces of wood, leather, and some rope. If you already own a fletching jig, feel free to use it. I clamp the fletching between the pieces of wood and, using a knife, scrape the quill to clean it. Make sure you draw the knife (or file) towards the front of the feather (the part where quill is left). If the feather accidentally pops out between the pieces of wood, it will CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 11 CROWSHEAD.COM

be in the direction of the feather and not against it. This will keep it from being damaged.

Applying the Fletching At this point you should have three clean fletches, or you can use

You can apply the feathers in a number of ways: using a modern fletching-jig and synthetic

We will make it easy and use a synthetic this time around.

12 be in the direction of the feather and not against it. This will keep it from being damaged. Touch up the remainder with a file to make a nice flat surface. Applying the Fletching At this point you should have three clean fletches, or you can use your own shop-bought fletching (pictured). You can apply the feathers in a number of ways: using a modern fletching-jig and synthetic glue, or by putting them on by hand and using hide- or fish-glue. We will make it easy and use a synthetic this time around. I use a modified fletching jig to accommodate long feathers. I modified it with an extension kit a friend built which stretched it to 11. The arrows I shoot are designed to conform to the CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 12 CROWSHEAD.COM

specifications of the English War Bow Society and require fletchings up to 7 1/8.

Run a bead of glue along each quill and, using a modern fletching tool, glue them on.

the process. After each feather is complete, it is time to wrap the binding.

However, there are many modern materials that will work. Personally, I prefer a thin Irish linen.

13 specifications of the English War Bow Society and require fletchings up to 7 1/8. Therefore, I have marked my clamp accordingly. Run a bead of glue along each quill and, using a modern fletching tool, glue them on. I do not cut the feathers into shape until after the gluing and binding is done, for they may change a bit during the process. After each feather is complete, it is time to wrap the binding. There are several options available but silk and linen are what was used in the past. However, there are many modern materials that will work. Personally, I prefer a thin Irish linen. Start with the binding close to the front of the quill. I secure the thread to the shaft by using a bit of glue or a constrictor knot (look the latter up on YouTube if you would like to know how to tie the latter). Slowly turning the shaft with my left hand, I wind the thread onto the shaft and up and over CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 13 CROWSHEAD.COM

the beginning of the quill with my right, so the

14 the beginning of the quill with my right, so the quill is secure and hidden. Then using a knife, a bodkin or a needle, I open up the feathers a bit and pull the thread through and close to the shaft. Turn the shaft 1/3 and continue to the next feather once it is through. CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 14 CROWSHEAD.COM

When the binding is long enough, I cut the thread, pull it through the loop, and pull the other end of the loop (both ends of the thread).

15 Continue in this manner until you reach the end of the shaft. At the end of the arrow I take an extra piece of linen and form a loop onto the shaft. I continue winding the linen over the loop. When the binding is long enough, I cut the thread, pull it through the loop, and pull the other end of the loop (both ends of the thread). Thus pulling the binding thread underneath itself and securing the wrap. Remove the loop, trim the excess, and the binding will be finished. Finally, trim the feathers with a feather burner or a pair of sharp scissors. The sharper the scissors, the cleaner the cut. CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 15 CROWSHEAD.COM

I want it shouldered and therefore have to account for any irregularities in the socket of the head caused by the forging.

16 Attaching the Head Once the fletching is complete, it is time to address the business end of the arrow the medieval head. This one is hand-forged with a 10mm or 3/8 diameter. To attach it, you must first taper the shaft. There are no standard tools for making the taper. I want it shouldered and therefore have to account for any irregularities in the socket of the head caused by the forging. You can attach different types of heads at this point, but since I will be using this arrow for outdoor target shooting, chose a bodkin-type. It allows for easier target removal. CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 16 CROWSHEAD.COM

Where I live, hunting with a bow and arrow is forbidden by law, otherwise I would have opted for one of the

Add an additional inch and shorten the shaft to that length (33 in this case).

Using a knife, create a line where the shoulder will be the 32 mark.

17 Where I live, hunting with a bow and arrow is forbidden by law, otherwise I would have opted for one of the broadheads above. First I measure 32 from the bottom of the nock to the head, and draw a line on the shaft. Add an additional inch and shorten the shaft to that length (33 in this case). Draw a dot on the center of the shaft to help you keep the cone (or tape) centered. Using a knife, create a line where the shoulder will be the 32 mark. I ve seen people use pipe-cutters to do this and it works, but I prefer to use a knife given my reenactment background. Use the knife to make a groove around the shaft approximately equal to the thickness of the arrow socket. Now make a cone (or taper) for the arrow head, by removing little bits of wood at a time and repeatedly testing until you have a good fit and the head is centered. CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 17 CROWSHEAD.COM

To make sure you put the cone into the socket of the head the same way every time, mark a

Note: Tapering With an Open Flame In medieval times where you would ve had an open fire,

You would ve just heated the arrowhead until reasonably hot (not white hot) then, with a

The shaft would scorch away the wood, creating a perfect fit.

18 To make sure you put the cone into the socket of the head the same way every time, mark a little line on the shaft where the overlap of the head will go. Note: Tapering With an Open Flame In medieval times where you would ve had an open fire, a perfect fit wouldn t be necessary. You would ve just heated the arrowhead until reasonably hot (not white hot) then, with a pair of pliers, remove and hold it onto the shaft for a moment. The shaft would scorch away the wood, creating a perfect fit. If you have the means and are comfortable enough to do this over open flame, you can do the same, but don t scorch the shaft too long or you ll end up with an arrow that is too short. CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 18 CROWSHEAD.COM

Gluing on the Head Now that the taper is complete and the head is centered with a snug fit, make the bonding between the shaft and the arrow head permanent with a bit of glue.

19 Gluing on the Head Now that the taper is complete and the head is centered with a snug fit, make the bonding between the shaft and the arrow head permanent with a bit of glue. You can use different kind of glue, but I prefer hide glue for reenactment. When I want to use the arrows for serious shooting, I use a dual-component polyurethane glue. To secure the head even further you can drill a very small hole through the socket and pin it with a copper pin cut to the proper size and glued in place. And there you have it medieval arrows! CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 19 CROWSHEAD.COM

20 CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 20 CROWSHEAD.COM

21 Traditional Archery Academy The Traditional Archery Academy was born out of a need for high quality resources for those interested in learning more about Traditional Bow building, arrow building, archery leather work and Instinctive shooting. Our goal is to provide courses and guides to help the traditional archery community learn and have fun. Crows Head Archery My wife Marlana and I started Crow s Head Archery in 2006 to offer unique bows and well known brands to the world, but my passion for Traditional Archery started years before. When I watched the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring in 2002 I was completely obsessed over the bows and arrows that were used in the film. All I wanted to do was make and shoot one of those bows. But I needed to learn the basics of building a bow first. A so the adventure began... My Father Perry Miller and I took a simple board bow building class and this lit a fire in me to continue building and designing my own bows. The learning process took time, blood, sweat and tears. I worked out of my one car garage on a make shift work bench until I was able to design and build my first bow - the Heritage Longbow. This bow continues to be one of our best selling bows. During this time, Marlana and I had 3beautiful children, moved into a new house and built a life together. While I was working on building and designing bows, Crow s Head Archery was also selling some of the best brands we could find to go along with our own product mix. As our business grew I asked my Father to join me in building bows and he agreed to become part of the team. One problem...we never gave the bows a proper Brand Name and in 2015 that would all change. In the Fall of 2015 Marlana and I decided to give the bows a name that incorporated the names of our 3 children and GRAYVN TRADITIONAL BOWS was born. OUR TEAM Marlana Miller Owner Ned Miller Owner Perry Papa Miller Craftsman OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS Crow s Head Archery has built original designs for use on TV, Film and Web Series. Projects for which we have built bows and arrows: AMC: Turn The Hunt for Gollum Born of Hope Rangers Web Series Once Upon a Time The Ren Series Thank you for being part of the Traditional Archery Academy Ned Miller crowshead@gmail.com Eventually we were able to build a full range of Traditional Bows and started building bows for dealers. CROWS HEAD ARCHERY 21 CROWSHEAD.COM

Bows and Arrows, Homemade

Bows and Arrows, Homemade A pictorial guide Copyright 2011 Paul Carpenter Learn how to make a long Bow a flat bow Plus the all important arrows and bow string Published by Lulu.com ISBN number 978-1-4709-4008-9