BE A BACK-TO-BASICS BOWYER

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ARROWMAKING: STRAIGHT AND FAST

To complete your primitive-archery outfit, you'll want a supply of arrows to go with your custom-made bow . . . projectiles that are every bit as functional and beautiful as their launcher. Cherry, serviceberry (Juneberry), ash, dogwood, cedar, bush blueberry, and even cane and reed are good woods to use for arrow shafts. Cut sections about three feet long from saplings with base diameters of 1/2" or so, and take the time to search out knot free shafts. Collect your arrow wood during the winter, when the sap is down. After bundling the shafts together into tight packages tied every few inches with cord, let them season as you did your bow stave.

When the shafts have aged for a full year, remove the bark, again by scraping instead of carving (because they are so much thinner than bow staves, even greater care is necessary when shaping arrow shafts). If you're shooting a five-foot-long bow, measure your arrows from the tip of your extended middle finger to the pit of your arm . . . about 30" for an average adult male. For a shorter bow, your arrows will be only about 23" to 25" long. (The extremely short bows used by Plains Indians were designed for easy shooting from horseback and were rarely pulled to full draw. If you want to be able to shoot a long arrow at full draw, you'll need a bow that's at least 48" long, preferably longer. Otherwise —even if the bow is well made and doesn't break your — fingers will suffer string pinch due to the acute angle formed when a short bow is overdrawn.)

Using coarse grained sandpaper, smooth the arrow shafts down to a diameter of about 5/16". Then switch to a fine-grit paper or emery cloth for finishing. Once the shafts are smooth, rub them with rendered fat and warm them near the fire to induce absorption of the oils. (Of course, you could also simply buy 5/16" hardwood dowels.)

Crooked arrows can be straightened by heating them, bending the kinks out with your fingers or your teeth, and holding the shafts straight until they cool. Sometimes it's necessary to use an arrow straightener, or wrench, to unbend stubborn spots on an arrow. To make this tool, drill a shaft-sized hole through a piece of antler or bone. Then stick a heated shaft through the hole and use the wrench as a lever to bend out the kinks.

Next comes the fletching. 1 find that a 6"long fletching, trimmed to a height of about 1/2", provides good aerodynamics and closely resembles the traditional Indian style. Turkey tail feathers are the best, but the tail plumage of almost any large or medium-sized bird will do in a pinch. (Just be sure not to use feathers from any of the many protected species of birds or you'll be letting yourself in for a federal-type felony!)

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