From: 76520.3531@compuserve.COM (Jack Thompson)
Subject: Bows & arrows; parchment=paper
Organization: The Internet
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 07:47:00 GMT

Bows & arrows; parchment=paper.
Sort of doing a round-up here.  The discussions about bows (self; composite;
recurve; etc.) has been interesting.  An interesting book is _Bows and 
Arrows_ by James Duff, New York, The Macmillan Company. 1943.  In the 
section on arrows, he states that he uses a lathe, unlike all of the other
masters of the craft. (Duff was trained in the Archers' Hall, Edinburgh,
late 19th. century).  The others used planes.  To prevent undue flex in the
shaft while the lathe was in operation, he backed the shaft with a piece of
wood mounted on the lathe bed. During the sanding, if I read it right.
His explanation of arrows being thicker at the middle (or footing through
middle) is that it was easier and less conspicuous to take weight off at 
the nock end. For further reading, Duff suggests books by Samuel G. McMeen,
Robert P. Elmer, and Saxton T. Pope.

I do not believe that the drawplate (of undisputed antiquity) would 
serve to run arrow blanks.  I use and have made drawplates. Straight grained
wood, suitable for making arrows would leave a large pile of kindling 
around a drawplate, amidst enough sulfurous commentary by the person picking
splinters out of hands to start a fine fire.  Wire is one thing, thin sticks
quite another.  The pieces drawn by Roy Underhill (and others, back over the
years) were shorter and thicker.

Linen strings.  Two things might help put this into perspective.  First, 
linen thread today is not what it was, unless you grow and process your own
(a year after harvest is generally better than processing in the year
harvested).  Commercial linen thread is generally (lightly) bleached and
is treated.  A group of us book conservators got together a few years ago
and placed an order to our specifications (simple enough, minimal processing
no bleaching, no wax) but we all had to buy a life time supply.  The best
stuff I know of is available from Colophon Book Arts Supply, in Olympia,
Washington, USA (can't find the address right now; will post it tomorrow).
As far as wet and dry usage is concerned, why not have a spare for wet
weather.  If the normal string is wound with an "S" twist, like your clothes
it will expand when wet; if wound with a "Z" twist, like an artists' canvas,
it will shrink when wet.  Just a thought.

"(degenerate, flabby yew trees in our era?)"  Haven't been to the panhandle
of Idaho, have you?  Dry.  Old trees that look like saplings most other
places.  Hari Heath, Box 126, Santa, Idaho 83866, is making long bows and
shorter self bows from yew and other indigenous woods.  Looking good.
While I'm on the subject of bows and what was and was not authentic, no one
mentioned anything about stone bows (see, Helmut Nickel's: "Stone Bows in
the Old and New Worlds", in _Arms and Armor Annual_ Northfield, Illinois.
Digest Books, Inc. 1973.

Last, but far from least, good, acid free paper. Don't worry too much about
acid free, or buffered, or whatever.  Some of these might affect the color
of inks/paints used.  Go to a good stationary shop (legal supply places are
good for this) and buy a ream of 100% rag paper, or no less than 75% rag.
There is also the White Eagle Rawhide Company in Chicago, Illinois.  They 
make dog chews and drum heads for boy scout drum kits.  Cheap.  Get samples
though, and order from samples.  They don't know what you plan to do with
their dog chews.
Cheers.
Jack C. Thompson  >76520.3531@compuserve.com<