Here are the 20 steps in order for your convenience. I hope this helps! - Josh 00:00 Intro 1- 00:15 Check for straightness 2- 01:48 Remove nocks 3- 03:00 Make first cut on wobbly end 4- 04:10 Replace nocks 5- 05:23 Cut other end of the shaft 6- 06:39 Square ends of arrow 7- 07:25 Remove labels 8- 08:35 Clean arrow shafts 9- 09:13 Double check straightness and move nocks 10 -09:55 Number each shaft 11- 10:50 Least amount of standard deviation by sorting inserts 12- 12:36 Least amount of standard deviation by sorting points 13- 12:52 Installing inserts with Easton epoxy 14- 15:17 Installing inserts with hotmelt 15- 18:21 Determining which way your arrows are clocking 16- 21:46 Check bareshaft tune 17- 23:27 Install arrow wraps 18- 23:50 Weigh and sort fletchings 19- 29:58 Fletching process 20- 33:24 Arrow nock tuning process
@@BowOnlyOutdoors you should put the arrows back on the spinner before the second cut. Also, you should really weigh the arrows before starting to use copper wool or steel wool. You can tighten the weight variance, to the tenth of a grain.
At the end of, Vid,.. The FLETCHED Arrow,.. "Nock Tuning" IS,.. so Important, IF you want, really Accurate Arrows ( Matched to Spine WELL ) and GOOD, Broadhead Flight ! I'd Stick with 3 Fletch, and 3 Degrees of Helical with, 2.5 inch Minimum to 3 inch Long, X .400 to .500 Tall, Vanes for good, FIXED, B - H Flight for, the 45 to 60 Lb., Bows. I've Tested,. 2.88 VaneTec Swift's, 3" V-Maxes, 2.5" Heats and 2.7 inch AAE Stealth Maxes and ALL, Fly "well' with 3 Deg of, Helical and MOST Fixed B- H's using, 40 to 50 grains of FACT weight, up front for GOOD,.. FOC ( Great, Penetration on Deer / Elk ). Medium Weight arrows, descent FOC, Fly Well, minimize Drops and Penetrate, Meat / Bone ! My son uses Heavier Arrows ( 485 gr's total wt., with 75 grain FACT and Stiffer Shafts ) with his 73 Pound Bow and 5 to 6 Degrees of, Helical, to control a Fixed B-H.
This is a bachelor's degree in building arrows! Congratulations you have an incredible precision, if you want to come and shoot in Italy you are welcome !!
Great video! The only disappointing element is the trolls in the comments who obviously didn’t need to watch the video but did only to sharpshoot you and your process. Keep up the great work!
Step 11 can be improved by filing inserts, to remove weight, so that they exactly offset differences in arrow weight; then all finished arrows will weigh the EXACTLY the same.
@@Alan_Edwards thank you, Alan, I appreciate the acknowledgement. I have also found that 1/8” threaded rod from my local hardware store is the same thread as very expensive arrow weights from Easton and others. Cut a bit of rod and screw it into the back end of inserts with a bit of epoxy, then file down to exact weight required for a perfect FOC weight matched arrow. Shoot true!
One of the first videos in a while that I watched all the way through without skipping ahead. Excellent video! Very informative, thank you for the guide
Learned a few things here for sure. Like removing the labels and using the lightest insert/heaviest arrow and vice versa to get the lowest variance. Mine typically come out with
Great video! A couple of things to note: Make sure that no glue covers the venting hole at the end of the insert to prevent air resistance when pushing the insert in. Also, although you did it, it’s important to mention that the shaft needs to remain flat for the duration of the drying period and not standing upwards. Another good thing to do but not crucial would be to chamfered the ends with the nippled end of a stone wheel then clean.This insures easy entrance with the insert. - Most arrows will spin counter clockwise due to strings being twisted that way. ALL IN ALL, GREAT VIDEO
I have a question maybe someone can answer. Which are more consistent in weight, true flight feathers or good quality vanes? I used to always shoot feathers for indoor 300’s but now that I am older, I am wondering if vanes are closer in weight to each other than feathers. I am about to set up a new light poundage bow and before I fletch some arrows this winter, I am hoping someone has an answer for me. Thanks.
I don’t have an answer on what will be more consistent weight wise. With that said, indoor archery (20 yards and/or meters) the name of the game is stabilizing the bigger diameter arrows as quickly as possible. Weight variance becomes less of a factor as the closer distance does not allow it to vary the impact as much as it would at longer distance. Feathers will always grab more resistance and steer the arrow quicker at short range, but there is nothing wrong with plastic fletchings either. It’s all your own personal preference. At the end of the day, it’s best to test each for yourself to determine which you like best.
@@SirVivalDotKom it doesn’t, it’s just removing the label so it isn’t on the point side if you determine the nock needs to go on that end because it’s straighter.
0:17 Straightness check on spinner and cutting wobbly side 6:38 Squaring the ends 7:25 Removing labels 8:35 Wiping the shafts 9:13 Double check straightness and put nock in straightest end of shaft 10:03 Number arrows with sharpie 10:54 Start insert installation 11:16 Weigh arrows & inserts, then combine heaviest arrow & lightest inserts 12:38 Weigh fieldpoints 14:00 Gluing-in inserts 14:57 Matching fp and inserts by weight 15:18 Alternative for epoxy if in a hurry 18:20 Arrow clocking (spin orientation) 21:45 Compare bare shaft tune to fletched arrows 23:30 Arrow wraps 26:04 Weight match vanes 29:58 Fletching 33:24 Arrow tuning
Great tip for showing how to remove the label! I shoot field crossbow and the arrows are about 18" long so they come factory made 2 arrows from 1 shaft. Meaning 1 arrow with and 1 arrow without label. the straw tends to stick to the label making them unreliable most of the time.
I have mixed feelings on this one. I kind of like the arrow name/type being on the shaft....maybe it's just an ego thing? Honestly tough this will be the first time I cut my own arrows so I might feel differently when I see how they look when they do not line up.
After commenting on this video a few days ago, I decide to redo my hunting and 3D arrows. I finished my hunting arrows, and I got them to be within 1.7 grains of each other. I have one arrow that reads 456.6 whereas the rest read between 454.9 and 455.6. If that one arrow didn’t add on the extra weight somehow, I’d be under one grain. I’m curious as to how close I’ll be able to get my 3D arrows. I plan on doing them tomorrow once I pick up some bright green Max Stealths after work.
Hey man I really like your videos and I think you know what you are doing. I am wondering if you have ever looked into Firenock stuff. I have heard their building tools are the best in the industry. Their arrow fletcher apparently is the only thing that has actually updated how arrows are fletched since the bitzen using science. I also heard their arrows And components like their arrow concept makes your arrows fly unbelievably flat at super long distances. Have you ever checked their stuff out?
This is the most thorough arrow build ever ever. Wow let me tell you what buddy you have a great teaching ability the way you talk your voice everything is smooth and cool, and I would take this to the bank, no joke, and to the target with confidence of your arrow, building Waze and techniques, you’re just so thorough with it and there’s no BS in this video at all. My pro shop doesn’t even do this and I thought they were great.!! More than a thumbs up on this one and subscribed lol
So you check for which side is most 'wobbly' and then cut 3" off the wobbly side and 2 1/4" off the less-wobbly side. I find it hard to believe that 3/4" makes any difference which side it's on.
Correct, what you cut off on each side doesn’t have to be an exact science as long as the total arrow length is exactly what you want. The goal is to cut the arrow to make it as straight as possible by removing variation at the ends of the full length shaft.
Also..... if you got a right twist string it will always send the arrow rotation left. Regardless of what dominant hand the shooter is Right or left helical is not dependant on arrow natural rotation. It literally doesn't matter
Very consistent build process. All great common sense theories. Perhaps a future show build the arrows as is and show actual shooting results with 2 to 3 grain different arrows at 60 yards. Not sure this will be a huge impact as you’re suggesting. Have also seen evidence that helical has minimal impact. Look forward to seeing the actual results.
Hey Jeff, thank you so much for the comment! I’m not suggesting this will be a huge difference at 60 yards with a 3 grain difference. This is simply the steps to follow to build some of the most consistent and accurate arrows possible. The weight variance does come into play at further distances and absolutely will have an effect on how your arrows land. If you were to do these steps opposite, you could have arrows with over 6 grains of variance which absolutely will have an effect. To know if it’s noticeable or not is dependent upon the shooter, and the vast majority will not be able to tell the difference because of this. Yes, slightly different weight arrows along with different direction of fletching helical will group together, but more consistent arrows will absolutely fly with less standard deviation than those that do have variation. If you are able, why not give yourself every advantage possible? Most archers need to spend their time on shooting form and reps to make themselves better rather than by following this arrow building process, but for those that want the absolute best out of their setup, this is a great way to take the extra step and gain even more confidence. With that said, I do have a video planned in the works to demonstrate actual arrow drop with various arrow weights to show just how much arrow weight can throw an arrow off.
Yes when you do the Deep six hidden inserts you need to take the nock out, otherwise you may create a suction when you pull your green tool out and make the inserts slide out a bit.
Bending the shaft in a bow press or a pipe clamp with field points at each end will show you exactly how each arrow will bend when shot from a bow. Spin each arrow until they all bend either straight up or straight down. On the nock side just make a sharpie mark on the top. This way you can glue the inserts with your broadhead screwed in and make sure they are all oriented the exact same. Same goes for the fletchings. So every arrow will be identical when nocked in your bow and they will all leave your bow the same.
I have learned a lot since taking up archery in the late 90s. I do all my own setup and repairs and have learned from others, but mainly through trial and error. I have built so many arrows I can't count them all...each time learning from the last and making better flying arrows. I have never taken these detailed of steps though but I like the concept of checking, verifying and especially weight matching components. Makes total sense. Just got a dozen Golden Tip Kinetic Pierce 400 arrows and are going to follow each step. I am by no means a pro archer, but I AM good enough to want the best arrows I can build and I look forward to the task. Thanks for detailing all these steps...should be fun and interesting !!
If all of your bareshafts are a little bit nock high, lower your nocking point slightly, or raise your rest. Double check the sync of your cams and put them in sync if you will be shooting broadheads. Otherwise put a half twist into your top cam cable and see if it gets better. If the adjustment is too much, go back and adjust the nocking point and rest.
@@isaiah3898 doing so when they’re fletched is more beneficial, but a group of bareshafts flying at 20 yards compared to your fletched arrows can show you more than a paper tear can on its own.
You should run a festool hepa vac directly over your cutting station, at the point of cut. You can also buy a foot pedal switch--the vac will turn the cutter and itself on when you press down on the foot pedal. A p-100 respirator is also a smart precautionary investment. Look up what carbon fiber does to your lungs. It is all over the room you are working in now. You can make soft jaws for the pliers by applying a strip of masking tape to each jaw.
I cut from the side that has the most wobble first, (regardless of where the nock was from the factory). Then I replaced the nocks to get the final length right and cut the other side to get rid of as much wobble off of that end as well. I do it that way to get the least amount of straightness variance possible.
Let's just point out one small thing ..... there are not many archers that can shoot 6inch groups at 100 yards even if they did use this method to build arrows. Makes a interesting video though ! Just watched the South Dakota shoot video and I didn't see the proof in the pudding ! Sorry !
Good question. That’s one I haven’t tested with broadheads on the front, but with field points, you want the wobble on the front (point side). I would recommend that you use only your straightest arrows for broadheads and hunting, and keep any shafts with wobbles for target practice only.
Left helical will be with a left helical clamp which curves left, but you can do a slight offset left with a straight clamp which actually works well also!
Best bow content on YT by far. I’ve been shooting bows for only a year. Since following this channel and using his techniques, I shoot far better than many long time shooters. Not yt bs either. His back tension shooting lesson changed everything for me. Thanks for the amazing content
When there r all carbon arrows that are sorted with different levels of straightness this arrow building process helps. I've spent the same amount of time making .006 arrows very straight shooters. But getting the length & point weight right is great. But u have to get both ends squared off. I have a Lumenok tool I have mounted on the opposite end of the board that I have my fletching tool mounted to. That Lumenok tool is called a F.A.S.T. Fletched Arrow Squaring Tool. But I shoot bare shafts until I get the nock in the right position. A stiff target like a SEVR 21" which has one large side with just a grid pattern is a great tool to get the nock & the spine of the arrow just right. If u do it & pay attention to the results it can spare u the time of paper testing. The aluminum/carbon composite arrows r very straight & forgiving. But I made many Easton ACC arrows out of shafts for a long time & I might have just a couple that don't have a wobble @ the end. This is the only time of the year I make arrows. It's good weather for it in the upper Midwest. Take care & keep your high quality videos going. 🎉
Not sure if this was mentioned but you should always remove the nock when installing HIT inserts. Air pressure can build up and push the HIT out of place. Then your points or broadheads won't screw in all the way to the carbon. Loved the video though. Pretty much the exact process I use when building arrows. Great job!
Yes, most strings are twisted clockwise. Very few are made counter clockwise. You can check by looking at the top or bottom of your main bowstring right where it comes off of the cam below the serving to protect it from the cam. If you have two different string colors it’s easy to see, but if it’s solid it will be a little more difficult. Another way to tell may be to look at where your peep sight splits the string and see which way it’s twisted where the string splits. When I say clockwise or counterclockwise, I’m referencing the direction from the very end of the string, so keep that in mind when referencing the direction it’s twisted.
I usually just square the nock end after they’ve been cut and I don’t think just squaring the end would fix any visible wobble as it seems to be more from the arrow itself than just the very end.
Instead of removing the label is there any reason why you just don't put the knock on the other end? I'm sure there is a reason and I'm curious about what it is.
before step 14, step 13a, determine the direction of the spine, which direction the arrow naturally wants to bend. Mark this weak point, (with the number), and use it for the cock feather so that when the arrow bends upon release, the arrow moves away from any potential contact with bow or rest.
To make the cut perpendicular to the shaft. What I do is put the arrow end I'm cutting in a drill chuck. Then lightly tighten chuck while rotating the chuck to ensure no wobble. Once tighted enough so arrow is not spinning then I use a fine locksmiths file to score, eventually cutting the shaft while the drill is going at a low speed. Very fast and accurate with a nice clean edge finnish. To lock the trigger on the drill at the speed I liked, I wrapped a fine copper wire around the handle and it depresses the trigger. Works great.
I’ve tried that also and it works super well if you don’t have as much control with the tip of your glue. Thanks for the comment! Hopefully this helps someone
What if the arrow is spinning faster than you think while Bare shaft? Am I tripping or could have just made an almost full rotation on the first shot and the second shot it could have made nearly 1.5 rotations (clockwise) opposite of what you were thinking.
Start very closely to the target and slowly back up and it will give you a clear indication of which way it is spinning as it will not spin a full rotation at such short distance from a target.
Hard to imagine ever being good enough that this would matter for me, but I might as well build a new set of arrows with these methods and see what it does for me.
Great info brother! Building new hunting arrows right now and I like the trick of taking off the label on the shaft. I used a green scratch pad and it worked like a charm.
Shooting the Elite carbon ERA this year and looking to build some arrows - do you have any suggestion on what spine shaft I should build on this platform? Draw weight 70# at 27” draw. Anyone that could point me in the right direction, thanks 🙏🏻
That is perfectly fine too! I’m not telling anyone they have to do this. For those that want the most consistency and accuracy they can get out of their set up, then this may help you. If you don’t want to achieve that, that’s fine too. There are much more important things to focus on than this for accuracy, this is just one tiny piece of the puzzle.
Great video, incredibly concise! Please wear a dust mask, and put a HEPA vacuum, like a Festool ct15, at your arrow cutting station; I can't begin to tell you how dangerous carbon dust is, even in small doses. it's horrible stuff that your lungs can't process. Re: Inserts, grab a small quantity of West System 205 two part epoxy; it goes on thinner to reduce weight variances, and is engineered for carbon/aluminum bonding. For the threading, try red Loctite #271. Re: Fletching, try bonding with Loctite #435 low viscosity, with Accelerator #7452. Keep making great content. Subbed!
Do you re-weigh each arrow after the insert but before the fld. points? Also, is it ok to put a right fletch vane on the arrow if the bow is shooting left/counter clockwise?
Yes, I re-weigh each arrow after the insert because the glue seems to have some weight variance to it and it only takes a minute to do. Yes, it is ok to put a right helical on an arrow that is spinning counter clockwise. The vast majority of archers will not be able to notice a difference in accuracy and most people shoot a helical that is against the natural arrow rotation anyway by accident. With that said, why not have every advantage on your side if you’re able to? If you know it’s coming out counter clockwise, no reason not to match it.
@@BowOnlyOutdoors because I can only find a right helical fletch on my blazer shrink wrap dip n boil! I don't have a jig so I buy the dip into boiling water kind.
@@Calebott01 that question I do not know for certain. Most all labels are inked on which doesn’t mess with the shafts appearance at all when removed, but some shafts may have a coating that comes off with the label. No issues on the Easton axis and gold tip arrows that I’ve used.
I use hotmelt for my hunting inserts. This allows me to heat up the broadhead base and spin it to align the blades with my fletching. I do this so when I have a pass through the rib cage it is much less likely to get a fletching torn or cut as it goes through the animal.
Great video. I like the weight matching section, but is a grain or two of total arrow weight more important than matching FOC? If your adding all the heavy fletching to the lightest arrow, and vice versa, you've created an ideal situation for dynamic spine differences between arrow... I'm not saying your method is incorrect, I've actually never built my own arrows, so I'm here to learn, but I just wonder if anyone has studied the benefits of perfectly matched arrow weights vs perfectly matched dynamic spine, FOC, etc.....
I imagine you could also use a very small drill bit to balance broadheads and field point, much like the way a crankshaft is balanced, removing material
I can't shoot within the tolerance of 2 grains of weight variance, much less 0.2 grains. This whole process is interesting though. No shaft spine alignment? 😉👍 Very nicely done video though, as another poster mentioned. _edit:_ should have waited for the last segment about nock tuning. Oops.
Thanks! I don’t shoot good enough most days to have a 2 grain variance matter much, yet it still makes a difference. If anything, it gives me more confidence in my set up. Archery is a game of consistency and the more factors I can have as consistent as possible, the better I find I shoot.
Great video man! I’m looking to start making my own arrows soon and have a question. What if when you bareshaft tune, the arrows aren’t grouping with your fletched arrows(higher, lower, left, right)?
Great question! Lots of factors that go into this. Factors such as cam sync, rest position, nocking point position, draw length, cam lean, shooting form etc all will change the point of impact. The bare shaft tuning process is pretty in-depth itself which is why I did not include it in this arrow build video. I have included more detail in other bow build videos from in the past and that will be more helpful.
No hate here just a question wouldnt it be easier to nock tune before fletching so you could micro adjust the nock instead of being limited to three fletching positions? Also i like to spin test each insert with a field point screwed in as i install it to get the least wobble possible
Great question! I’ve done it both ways, nock tuning with bareshafts and with fletched arrows. I have found that both ways work well. Although doing it with bareshafts gives you more adjustability, nock tuning bareshafts for most people is extremely difficult. Doing it after fletching makes it more attainable for most to do. That, and it’s hard to argue with perfect arrow flight from the fully built finished arrow. I’ve never had issues with the HIT inserts and wobble from the insert themselves. Any wobble I get at the tip almost always comes down to the actual point itself from my experience. In that case, I just replace the point.
Great job man, like it, learned a lot. Two questions, what kind of arrow wrap do you use, and are they so accurate, that they dont overlap after wrapping one turn, or do you cut them so presicley? Second question, what about measuring the stiffest side of the arrow? Is is not important to know for you, to fletch your arrows all equal? regards from Austria
Thank you! I was just in Austria a few weeks ago visiting the Swarovski Optik factory and taking guests on a Chamois hunt in the alps. It sure is a beautiful place! For the wraps, I use onestringer arrow wraps that I just order online. They overlap probably 1/8” which seems to be about perfect. As for measuring the stiffest side of the arrow, I find it unnecessary if I do my nock tuning process that I show at the end. It is not important for me to fletch the arrows according to the stiffest side of the shaft. As long as my arrows come out of the bow flying straight, I see no added benefit for myself of going through that additional step. If I were measuring the stiffest side of the shaft, I would do it in an arrow tester rather than the other methods out there but I haven’t known it to matter with these arrows. Hope this helps and regards from Nebraska!
So cool build info ! That really matters for 80+ yards distances. But for any shorter distance it’s not a big deal I think (like natural spinning or labels on the shaft)
Thank you! Are you referring to the inserts at 12:52? These are used to put in different screwable points such as field points for practice, or broadheads for bow hunting.
I hear a lot of people prefer arrows slightly on the stiffer side, especially for hunting but never explain why. Are you in the same school of thought? If so, what are the benefits of having a slightly stiffer spine and what would be the cons of having a slightly weaker spine, given that they both tune fine out of the bow?
This is a great question! Thank you for asking. For the last 5 years or so, I’ve always actually hunted with very slightly weak shafts because that is what shot the best out of my bow when testing with field points. When it came to fixed blade broadheads, I found that the accuracy was still good with a well tuned bow, but just wasn’t as good as a slightly stiffer arrow. Shooting a stiffer arrow for hunting out of a compound is a benefit for several reasons. First off, a stiff arrow shaft steers broadheads the best. When an arrow is too weak, they just don’t group as good because the broadhead has more influence on steering the arrow since it is flexing slightly more. Secondly, a stiffer spine will always have a higher GPI (grains per inch) which ultimately makes the arrow shaft stronger when it is penetrating through bone and the animal. Paired with that, a stiffer arrow will penetrate better because it doesn’t flex as much when it hits a hard surface, so it keeps the momentum moving straight forward in the arrow rather than losing it out the side as the arrow flexes when it hits a hard object. The cons I’m finding out are not near as bad as I thought they would be. The stiffer shafts with field points still shoot amazing, but are maybe just slightly less forgiving than my slightly weaker set up. Another con that needs to be taken into consideration is how much heavier your total arrow weight will be, as you will lose trajectory if you gain too much weight. I built these arrows to actually weigh slightly less than my previous ones by using standard inserts instead of the heavier brass. At the end of the day, I’m a bowhunter, and I want all of the advantages that I can to ensure I make a completely ethical shot on the animals I am hunting. There may not be a huge advantage to shooting a slightly stiffer shaft, but there are some, so I am using that to my advantage until I find a reason not to. Thanks again, and hope this helps give you more information around it!
@@BowOnlyOutdoors That was a really well thought out and thorough answer. Thank you! I'm testing different arrow builds now for the upcoming season and will definitely need this in mind! Thank you!
Thank you! I have never had issues personally in the past from doing it to thousands of arrows but knowing that others have, that is a good recommendation. 👍🏻
If someone is worried about using a flame to heat the point to remove from hot melt, boiling water and dipping the tip of the arrow for 5 seconds will work. I feel a lot safer doing it that way. I’ve cracked a few arrows with a flame but I tend to over do things. 😂
I noticed you didn’t do any prep work to your shaft when applying the arrow wraps. I have found that the wraps do not adhere well when I do not prep and clean the shafts very thoroughly. I find when pressure is applied to the vanes, like being shot through a target, although the vanes adhere very well to the wrap, they will tear the wrap where they are glued. I found with a thorough prep with a scotch bright pad and being cleaned until absolutely no carbon residue remains, that only then do I have solid vane and wrap adhesion that are super solid and can handle a ton of abuse. What are your thoughts?
That is a great tip for those that may struggle with that as well! Personally, I find that simply wiping the carbon dust off with a damp rag after cutting makes the shaft clean enough for my wraps to stick extremely well. So well that the only way to get them off is with a knife and scraping as they will not tear from the shaft even when they are going through targets like you describe. I do thoroughly clean the shaft if I’m going to fletch directly to it, but for wraps, I’ve found that it’s not needed for me. I will say as I type this out, I have had wraps tear off in the past exactly where the fletching connects after going through an animal and sometimes even when it’s shot off from another arrow. Although it doesn’t happen very often, perhaps going the extra mile to clean more intensively would make the difference to allow them to not tear. Thank you again for the tip!
