How to Build Crossbow Arrows
- 1). Burn the dowel rod lightly with the torch, until it turns a slightly dark brown. Do not allow it to turn black, as that will ruin the wood. By burning the dowel, the wood is hardened. Treat the wood with a sealant to prevent humidity from affecting its weight and straightness.
- 2). Split the feather in half lengthwise with the razor knife, then trim and shape the two halves so they are uniform. If high-quality feathers are unavailable, most archery supply stores have natural flights available for purchase.
- 3). Tie both ends of the feathers to the dowel with sinew. Place the feathers directly across from each other, 1/2 inch from the end of the dowel. Run a small bead of hide glue between the feather and dowel to hold them in place. Wrap the sinew around the shaft three to four times, then place a bit of hide glue on the end of the sinew and tuck it under the last loop made. Cut off any sinew sticking off the side of the bolt.
- 4). Trim the end of the dowel opposite the feather into a taper that fits snugly into the crossbow point. The point should not move at all once it is fitted onto the shaft. If there is any play at all when the point is touched, start over with a new dowel. Make sure the point sticks straight off the end of the shaft.
- 5). Fire the bolt from the crossbow and test its accuracy, distance and power against a standard archery target. If the bolt tumbles through the air, doesn't fly far enough or cracks the shaft on impact, remove the point and start over. The point can be reused but the rest of the bolt should be thrown away.
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