From: tip@lead.aichem.arizona.edu (Tom Perigrin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Arrow-making
Date: 5 Nov 92 23:53:48 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona UNIX Users Group

In article <219732XXXXX@ACS.VIRGINIA.EDU> U254@sysm.acs.virginia.EDU writes:
>
>Unto the good folk of the Rialto from Landon of Wulfkeep, greetings!
>
>   Milord Graydon Saunders writes:
>
>>It is *extremely* dubious something 30" long and less than
>>1/2" thick can be turned in a lathe; any pressure put on the workpiece
>>will flex it.  There is also that lathes were slow and tricky and
>>post date military archery by quite some thousands of years.  There

There are paintings depicting lathes in Egyptian tombs from about 2000 BC.
For most jobs these lathes are capable of turning out work of the same quality
as today. It is true that most such lathes worked on the reciprocating
principle, but it is easy to learn to use such a lathe.  I have!  
The cutting tool itself is the real advancment since the bronze age,
and the speed of work.

I have turned things as long as 2' long and 1/4" thick using a modern lathe,
 but it is a PAIN. One must use a steady rest, which has two small wheels 
which you put  on the opposite side of the work from your tool.  As you move 
the tool, you slide the steady rest along the work.  Slow process.   You can 
curl your fingers around behind the work to act as a steady rest,but after a 
while the friction heats your fingers and you have to stop.

>>has to be another fast way to make steles; my guess is by planning
>>into a 16gon in a jig and scrapping or rubbing smooth.
>
>Milord--
>   In _The_Woodwright's_Shop_, author Roy Underhill describes a
>method of making dowels by pulling the split blanks through a series
>of progressively smaller holes drilled in a metal plate.  I don't
>know if this is period (the author's focus is Colonial era) but
>might be worth looking into.
>

The pressure of pounding them through the holes would most likely snap
them...   Herewith follows a little something from my files...


	Thou hast inquired about how one might proceed to make a barrelled
shaft for an arrow...   although my knowledge is not directly related to
arrowmaking,  I would like to present an idea or two for thy examination.

	The way a coopers barrel stave is tapered is as such;  First the stave 
is split from a bulk by a froe,   and split such that the square of it is
as the greatest part of thy stave.   Then the workman rough hews it with a
bradeax until it approaches the shape desired.  He then takes his stave unto
his plane,  which is a cunning device indeed.  It is often over 5' in length,
and rests with one end upon the ground,  and has two legs to support the 
other end.   Thus,  the edge is uppermost, and the shavings can cascade
through the throat and downwards.   He places his feet astride this plane,
and holding the stave at the right angle taught unto him by experience,
he quickly runs it along the plan efrom wide to narrow, which is as he
must,  for the other direction would catch the grain and tear it.

	But I fear me that this method is not correct for thy wishes.
The shaft of an arrow is too small and whippy,  and I have fears for thy
fingers as thou woulds't whip it by thy razor sharp plane blade.

	I know that in the main smaller work such as tines and prods for
spindles and chair rungs, are shaped upon the horse.   The horse has a bench,
of one foot and one span in width,  and equal in lenth to a mans hieght.
The plank has four goodly legs to support it.  Upon this plank,  thereis
another plank which arises from the end, and comes towards the center some
2 or 3 feet, and rises a foot or more.   This is called the table.   The
bench and the table are bother peirced by a mortase,  through which a
another timber doth pass.   This timber is pivoted unpon the bench,  and
has upon it's lower end a place to push with ones feet...   the upper end
has a tooth, or a pin through it,  or any number of arrangements to catch
the work.  This part is named the head or the dumbhead.

	The way the horse is used is this;   one sits upon the bench facing
the table.   Because of thy height,  thou canst peer the length of the
table,  and it points at thy chest.   Thou laiest thy work upon the table,
next to the dumbhead,  and then by pressing the pedal away with thy feet,
the head pivots forward and captures the work to the table.   Thou art now able
to take a draw knife or a shave,  and to plane thy work towards thyself.
To turn thy work is but the work of a trice...   thou dost but barely
move thy feet, spin thy work, and press to again.

	The horse is quick and simple,  and can easily work such small things
as an arrow shaft.  However,  when 'er I teach a prentice how to use the horse,
I always insist that they wear a wooden bib...   and the reason is this:
I keep my drawknives as sharp as I can make them,  and when the prentice
sits upon the bench and pulls the knive towards him,  he is pulling a foot
wide peice of razor sharp steel towards his breasts,  with nothing but
grace to stop it.   My bib is precisely that...  a square of wood about
8 inches upon the side,  with two holes for a cord to go around ones neck,
and a small depression the center so that one may capture wok theirein in
work closely unto it.   The number of nicks and cuts impress the wisdom
of using it upon the prentices... and they are most faithful in using it.

	If My Lord hast never used a draw knife,  I woulds't be happy to
scribe a missive about that as well.   I have now used them for over 10 years,
and built many shafts and spokes and spindles,  and have learned some of the
tricks therein.   It may seem a clumsy tool, but ifaith,  it is a cunning tool
when used to all extent!   But it yeilds it secrets slowly...   I carved
more than 20 spokes of good white oak before I learned but the simplest
differences between the 5 major cuts,   and I would happily pass this onto 
thee.

I am in your Lordship's service,  and remain,

Thy Obedient Servant

Thomas Ignatius Perigrinus