New Arrows - Waterslide Decals and Spliced Feathers

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geoff
Apprentice Bowman

Posts: 129
No Commercial Interest
Location: Chellaston, Derby

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:03 pm Post subject: New Arrows - Waterslide Decals and Spliced Feathers

Hi peeps, I've just finished 2 new sets of arrows and I'm really pleased with how they have turned out... comments appreciated Blue set are for my 40lb longbow - short range, mainly indoors Green set are for my 60lb longbow - longer distances My front room has been looking like a fletchers workshop for a while! _________________ My thread on making a longbow

Club: Anchor Bowmen
Bow: Longbow
Sight: ... in both eyes
Arrows: DIY - POC, self nocked, feathers
Accesories: Tassle - well used

Other bows: Another longbow!

Dawn
Global Moderator

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Posts: 4315
Club Committee Member
Location: Long Eaton, Derbyshire

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:09 pm Post subject:

Wow Geoff they look fantastic I love the way you have used the decals, how did you get the fade out of colour on the shafts the whole thing looks brilliant _________________ aka Cherrie Secretary Black Arrow Field Archery Club

Club: Black Arrow FAC & Duvelle Bowmen
Bow: Marksman KG1 with nice blue riser
Sight: need glasses to read
Arrows: ACC
Accesories: stabiliser

Samick AFB with wood & feather arrows

geoff
Apprentice Bowman

Posts: 129
No Commercial Interest
Location: Chellaston, Derby

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:19 pm Post subject:

Dawn wrote:

Wow Geoff they look fantastic

I love the way you have used the decals, how did you get the fade out of colour on the shafts

the whole thing looks brilliant

Thanks Dawn

It was the pics of your arrows which inspired me to use the decals - thanks again

I designed the celtic knots on a program which we use at work - Techsoft 2D Design (a school based CAD package), as well as the outline of the decals to get the sizes accurate. Copied and pasted across to MS Publisher for the graduated fill and text

Feathers were 2 black and 1 colour for each shaft, but split the colour into 3 to splice into the 2 black feathers. After gluing (viscous superglue - I'm impatient!), I then bound top and bottom with strong thread, and varnished over the top - helps keep the fletchings stuck and the thread from unravelling!

_________________

My thread on making a longbow

Club: Anchor Bowmen
Bow: Longbow
Sight: ... in both eyes
Arrows: DIY - POC, self nocked, feathers
Accesories: Tassle - well used

Other bows: Another longbow!

Joe(thebow)M
Master Bowman

Posts: 618
No Commercial Interest
Location: Nebraska

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:55 am Post subject:

Dawn wrote:

Wow Geoff they look fantastic

I love the way you have used the decals, how did you get the fade out of colour on the shafts

the whole thing looks brilliant

I agree. They look fantastic!

_________________
Joe(thebow)M

Club:
Bow: Longbow
Sight:
Arrows: feather fletched wood
Accesories:

Steve B
Admin

The Original Archers Rest Webmaster & Co-Admin
Australasia Area Rep (ABA - IFAA)
Posts: 4089
No Commercial Interest
Location: Victoria, Australia

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:40 am Post subject:

geoff, that are absolutely brilliant mate I love the effect of the fade out and well done on the celtic knots.... they just look so special, well done. So do you have any comments on the ease or difficulty of actually splicing the feathers and putting them together to glue ?

Club: Phoenix Field Archers of Sale. Victoria , Australia
Bow: Bowtech Commander
Sight: Copper John Ants
Arrows: Gold Tip Pro's
Accesories: Carter Just-B-Cuz

Mjollnir
Grand Master Bowman

Posts: 2687
Club Committee Member
Location: Cambridge

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:42 am Post subject:

One word WOW!!!! _________________ My shoes are too tight, but it doesn’t matter, because I have forgotten how to dance.

Club: Cambus Archery Society
Bow: SF PRO riser, with SF Carbon limbs
Sight: Sure-Loc Quest-X
Arrows: Easton Navigator FMJ 460 spine
Accesories: Merlin Triad Stabilisers

Fanatical_Fletcher
Cub Poster

Posts: 39
No Commercial Interest
Location: Sunderland

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:54 am Post subject:

Wow indeed! They are honestly quite possibly the best looking arrows I've ever laid my eyes on! I think I'm going to have to give the water-slide decals a go at some point, as the results are brilliant.

Club: Cleadon Archers
Bow: Longbow!
Sight:
Arrows: Wooden-Homemade
Accesories:

geoff
Apprentice Bowman

Posts: 129
No Commercial Interest
Location: Chellaston, Derby

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:04 am Post subject:

Steve B wrote:

geoff, that are absolutely brilliant mate

I love the effect of the fade out and well done on the celtic knots.... they just look so special, well done.

So do you have any comments on the ease or difficulty of actually splicing the feathers and putting them together to glue ?

Thanks Steve B

Splicing the feathers was pretty easy. I marked the length of the feathers on a board, and marked off thirds. I then held each feather upright against the marks, cutting through the base (quill?) up to the edge of the feathers. By bending, the rest of the base then split. I cut all the feathers, then it was a case of sorting through them all to find the best matches. Each strand (?) of the feathers hook onto each other like tongue and groove, so they look like the same feather. A small bit of masking tape to make sure they stay in place until glued, and I also gave the base of the quill a light sand when the feather was in the flecthing jig clamp to make sure it was flat. If this makes no sense (!?!) then I can put some pics up to help

I have seen another method of splicing where a feathered section was peeled from the quill of one and stuck to another, but this looked more difficult and less strong... I'm pleased with the success of my method anyway

_________________

My thread on making a longbow

Club: Anchor Bowmen
Bow: Longbow
Sight: ... in both eyes
Arrows: DIY - POC, self nocked, feathers
Accesories: Tassle - well used

Other bows: Another longbow!

LongJohn
Junior Poster

Posts: 78
No Commercial Interest

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:25 am Post subject:

Geoff, very, very nice arrow´s! Isn´t it pity to shoot them? Long John

Club:
Bow: Bickerstaffe
Sight:
Arrows: 11/32" Northern Pine
Accesories:

Viking bow

geoff
Apprentice Bowman

Posts: 129
No Commercial Interest
Location: Chellaston, Derby

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:58 am Post subject:

LongJohn wrote:

Geoff, very, very nice arrow´s!

Isn´t it pity to shoot them?

Long John

yep! frightened to scratch them!

_________________

My thread on making a longbow

Club: Anchor Bowmen
Bow: Longbow
Sight: ... in both eyes
Arrows: DIY - POC, self nocked, feathers
Accesories: Tassle - well used

Other bows: Another longbow!

heavybows
Cub Poster

Posts: 19

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:34 am Post subject:

Those are nice. Marlon

Club:
Bow:
Sight:
Arrows:
Accesories:

geoff
Apprentice Bowman

Posts: 129
No Commercial Interest
Location: Chellaston, Derby

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:49 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the nice comments everyone, and also a big thanks to Jase for advice and help on choosing and supplying the bits _________________ My thread on making a longbow

Club: Anchor Bowmen
Bow: Longbow
Sight: ... in both eyes
Arrows: DIY - POC, self nocked, feathers
Accesories: Tassle - well used

Other bows: Another longbow!

jaselpool
Moderator

Outstanding Contribution Award Winner
Posts: 277
Trader/Retailer
Location: Wirral UK

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:58 pm Post subject: Re: New Arrows - Waterslide Decals and Spliced Feathers

geoff wrote:

Hi peeps, I've just finished 2 new sets of arrows and I'm really pleased with how they have turned out... comments appreciated

Blue set are for my 40lb longbow - short range, mainly indoors
Green set are for my 60lb longbow - longer distances

My front room has been looking like a fletchers workshop for a while!

Very, very nice Geoff! They are arrows to make any archer proud. Excellent bit of designwork as well mate

You have to get them all in the gold now so people can watch you pulling them out slowly

Jase

_________________
TheLongbowShop.com

Club: Bebington Archers
Bow: English Longbow
Sight: Rubber band :D
Arrows: Woodies!
Accesories: Quiver, Bracer and glove

55lb Horsebow, 50lb Falco Flatbow

Chedawan
Grand Master Bowman

Posts: 1488
Club Committee Member
Location: Derbyshire

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:34 pm Post subject:

Excellent work sir! Makes me want to start making another set... now, where's my wallet gone? _________________ :: Sig courtesy of CamdogXIII of EMP ::

Club: Forest Bowmen (Field) Greenwood Archers (Target)
Bow: Winact riser (Yellow Gold) SF Super carbon limbs (Black) 43Lb on the fingers.
Sight: Cartel Activa (Black)... Yes I use a sight! You can stop booing now!
Arrows: Yes, ACC's fletched black and yellow.
Accesories: Many, mostly black and yellow, I try wherever possible to look like an angry wasp.

Also shooting KG Cobra Deluxe, with big wooden arrows, there's also a stave of wood in my loft with a longbow hiding in it, going looking for it soon!

BTS
Junior Poster

Posts: 74
No Commercial Interest
Location: Nottingham England

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:59 pm Post subject:

Very professional indeed! The faded paintwork looks like an airbrushing effect, its so consistant & gradual. _________________ BAZZ

Club: Burton Joyce Archers & Black Arrow FAC
Bow: OK Match + Merlin TM5 Comp..
Sight: K Sight + Toxonics 1400
Arrows: X7's & AFC Exacta+ Easton 3-28/500 A/C/C's
Accesories: all sorts

old KG1 in cupboard bottom!