Arrow Shaft/Dowel Maker – Take One

Arrow Shaft/Dowel Maker – Take One

I made three different Arrow Shaft/Dowel Makers

• This is version 1
• For Version two follow this link
• For Version three follow this link

A Simple Dowel Cutter for Arrow making

Remember bad arrows break. Keep your grain straight and test them well.

I made this simple cutter to help round the shafts out.

The first thing I do when making arrows from a board is split the board down the middle. If it doesn’t split straight it either used for something else or it becomes firewood. I then plane the split side flat and cut the blanks from there.

I cut the corner with a hand plane like I show here. ( a round over bit in a router table would work, but I like the quite use of the hand plane) I then chuck the shaft directly into the drill and spin it through. 

I did not bother with a guide on the back side. I hold it steady with my hand.

The plate is a simple piece of scrap metal I found around the shop. I drill the holes and cut the slots with a cut off wheel; in a dremel tool

I’ve cut poplar, oak, and maple as of this writing. Obviously the closer you get with the hand plane, the quicker it goes through the jig.