Footed Arrow Jig and Arrow Repair

This process works great for footing arrows and simply saving arrows that have been broken. I have arrows I have repaired this way 4 and 5 times. I’m really not sure there if there is a limit but it sure saves time over making a new arrow, fletching it and nocking it. 

For footing arrows you can perform the process while they are still in square stock if you make your own shafts or after they are arrow shafts. I think the squarer stock may be a little faster and easier, unless you make the jig, but not enough to stop you from either process.

If you only plan to do a few arrows now and then, doing them without the jig works fine, but the jig really helps speed things up and make it easier to get them true.

You cut the point on the fletch side of the arrow.

Then cut the groove on the foot or point end (foot end) You can cut the V groove or just cut a slot and clamp it. Either way works and I’ve not seen a difference in the end results. 

This next image is sanding the V point. I cut it first on the band saw. It can be done this way, or with the jig shown below.

 

Wood Arrow Repair – Broken Self Nock

Originally posted July 21, 2021

Every once in a while, an arrow will land directly in the nock of an arrow already in the target. Some refer this to “Robin Hooding” an arrow. The arrow doesn’t usually split like in the cartoons, but it sure does do a number on the nock.

Here is how I fix those arrows.

First cut the tip of the arrow at an angle, removing the broken part. I like to leave as much as possible of the old arrow. 

Here I am using a hickory tip for the new nock end, but it doesn’t matter. Sometimes a contrasting wood looks cool, and sometimes I just use the same wood from another broken arrow.

Here I show an square. It’s part of an arrow blank that didn’t make the cut for an arrow. It may have been to short, split or just bad on other parts. I’ve used round arrow pieces and square like this, it doesn’t matter really.

Cut a matching angle and adjust with a belt sander ot just a piece of sand paper on something flat to get a proper alignment.

The glue it and clamp it. Here I am using titebone III but you can use super glue if you’re in more of a hurry.

Once the glue is dry, round off or even up the glue line. Measure how long the tip should be and cut it off.

Make your self nock as you normally would in the arrow.

Then I wrap it with artificial sinew set in glue for a little extra strength and I always wrap my self nocks like this anyhow. I just extend it a little further to strengthen the fix. I’m not sure it’s really necessary, but it’s a little added insurance.  

I coat the entire tip with glue for added moisture control. You can also repaint the nock of you typically paint them.

My Hudson Saw Mill

 My Hudson Saw Mill

Originally posted May 24, 2011

 

I decided to purchase a Hud-Son Homesteader 21. The decision point was they are located in Utica NY, which is only a couple of hours from me, and there a re a few dealers even closer. Its an upgrade to my Alaskan Mill, which has served me well, but its getting a little rugged on this aging body.

I am impressed with the 6.5 hp motor. I was a little concerned, but it seems to pull its weight. I can understand why you’d want a much bigger motor if you wanted to try and make a profit sawing logs; I am not.

Its much faster than my Alaskan mill

Dislikes.

The runners are a little flimsy. They work, and this isn’t a bash, just be ready with a solid, flat sub base. To be clear, I understand I bought a $2500 mill, so I expected to need to add a base.

When it arrived the shutoff for the blade lubricant would not shut off. They just mailed me a new one.

I would recommend you buy a torque wrench if you don’t own one. It makes setting the blade tension a lot easier. 35 pounds is what’s recommended.  Unless you have an idea how tight 35 pounds really is, a torque wrench it the way to go.

If you don’t own a cant hook, buy one.

Note the I beams it is setting on. This worked well, but they were just a bit to short. I have two more, so we’ll take care of that problem.

My neighbor stopped by with 6 logs in the back of his truck. 3 poplar and 3 red oak. One of each was 19”. The mill is only rated for 21”, so I  figured this would be a good test.

It cut the poplar fantastic. The oak made it work, but it went through without any issues. I made a bunch of very nice 1” x 10” x 10” boards.

I decided to make a permanent track for the mill out of a couple I beams I had laying around. This is way overkill, but I had no other use for this steel, and I wanted to be able to cut more than the 10’ that came stock with my mill. I can not cut just under 20’

I still have the original track should I want to roam with the mill. 

 

The original blade didn’t stay sharp very long. It may have been my fault, so I’m not suggesting it was a bad blade. I’ve learned since to do a much better job cleaning off the logs. That said, I ordered a 10 pack of blades from Cook. They are a little heavier, cheaper, and I’m still one my first one, and they seem to work very well.

 

A vintage Wheel drive for the leg vise

ORIGINALY POSTED January 21, 2013

Ever since I’ve seen the wheel drive like the bench craft I thought it would be pretty cool to have, as an upgrade to my leg vice. But I’m more of a vintage guy, so something that new and shinny wouldn’t fit the decor of my shop. Plus, at over $300, I find it hard to justify.

So as I saw wheels in flea markets and antique shops I’d stop and look. Most were way more than I thought they were worth, and I even bought an old tractor steering wheel, but it just didn’t seem to fit. Then one day I ran onto this in an antique shop. The price was right, so home it came.

Heavy, vintage and cool. So lets see if it will work. I had to purchase a set of larger drill bits. I needed to enlarged the hole slightly to 15/16”. A set of bits were only about $30, so I ordered them.

So I popped the pin and removed the existing handle
.
.
Made a new cherry knob.

And what do you know. A working vintage wheeled leg vice.

.

.

Thanks for stopping by.