Straightening wood shafts.......The easy way

[Slim Buttes]

Excellent Guru just what I needed. I got some ash shafts and they need a little taming. I've done two so far,straight arrows, who would of thought? I hope this doesn't effect my shooting.

[Huntschool]

I use a heavy old machine shop tap.  Its pretty chunky and has a perfect finish.  After the first go round (fix) I get the majority of my finish on and then lightly burnish the entire arrow.  Then final finish and they seem to stay straight.

[Guru]

Glad to help...

[Keith Deters]

This will also work on your finished arrows if they bend again later on.

I use a hardwood block on my bench like Ted mentioned above.

Let me know how you make out with your bow Curt.

[Red Beastmaster]

I welded half a chain link to a 3/8 rod to make a hook. It sort of looks like a question mark (?).

It works really well on the hardwoods I get from Twig Archery. I have made up several dozen so far this winter. They stay just as straight as the best cedar I have.

I agree that the combination of heat and compression is the key. Rub fast and evenly, with long strokes. You are trying to make the "long" side of the shaft equal the "short" side. You don't want to make a sharp dent in the shaft.

If I over hook and  warp it toward the compressed side I usually just bump it a few times with hand straightening to get it back to straight. I wait to cut to length until after all straightening is finished. Full length shafts are easier to work with.

Soft woods like cedar can be flattened pretty quickly with hooking. I usually just hand straighten them.

One other thing: make the nock end of the shaft  the end that was straight naturally, prior to straighting. If it wants to bend again it will be easier to see and correct if not covered with fletching.

[JasonV]

Thanks Curt.
I'd been favoring carbon since I'm "straightening impaired" - But recently been messing with a pile of ramin shafts trying to get them straight enough to invest the time into making them up into arrows...  I just spent about an hour in the garage with a screwdriver, and I've got a dozen close enough that my shooting won't show the difference (and only broke 1)

Do you just hand-straighten if needed once they're finished? (I'm sure the screwdriver will screw up the finish...)

Thanks again - the pictures really helped...

[poekoelan]

Jason,
If you can still find one, a frontier arrow straightener works wonders on finished or unfinished ramin. I bought mine years ago when I shot a compound. They were origninally made for aluminum shafts, but they work just as well on wood. Especially ramin. Haven't seen one around in a long time though. I can even straighten a shaft with multiple bends.

the screwdriver trick does work well though. Much better than trying to straighten ramin with nothing but your hands.

[Guru]

Your welcome Jason...pretty easy wasn't it???

I find that I can touch them up(if need be) after they are finished as long as it's a tough finish( I use poly).But if you go over them a couple times during the steps of the making process,they should stay straight.But some will fight ya....Just be careful with the softer woods,go easy...

[Terry Green]

Worked like a charm last night.......thanks.

[Curtiss Cardinal]

Another way to deal with this is buy Rouge River Archery Shafts. I have some that are 8 years old and are as straight as the day they arrived. never seen anything like it.

[Walkingstick]

Wow...sometimes we have answers right in front of our nose...takes a GURU to see it. Way to go Curt. I will use this one...........Mac~

[Guru]

mac, I started out "hooking" them with a homemade version made out of a eye screw.......But found that there is nothing simpler and easily accessible as a screw driver....

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I'm gonna have to try the screw driver method sometime Curt.  Thanks.  I like trying new techniques.    

[On Fire aka Charlie]

Curt, I tried the screwdriver method last night and had 2 shafts with a big curve in them straight in a few minutes.  Got another that bends 2 ways and I got it better.  With a little work it'll be right tonight.  Thanks for the idea.  I haave tried to use a hook before and pretty much lost interest because I only made them worse.

Charlie

[Guru]

Hawg,try it,you'll like it!!

Charlie, after you get the feel for it,it's almost too simple....

[**DONOTDELETE**]

You bet.  Gonna give it a shot next batch.  Since I had a blond moment with this batch.          

[Aram]

Wow!!! Curt, thank you! I've been using an empty beer bottle.