|
|
Society for Creative Anachronism
Note: Before implementing, contact the Kingdom Earl Marshall for Trimarian specifics. This posting from the SCA AM is for informational purposes only. DRAFT NO. 4 EXPERIMENTAL FIBERGLASS SHAFTS AND PLASTIC CORED BLUNTS Sir Jon Fitz-Rauf, SCA Archery Marshal 12/19/97 Please Note: The use of solid Fiberglas shafts has now been accepted at Society level. But it is up to each kingdom to allow their use. If you wish to use the fiberglass shafts you must first check with your kingdom marshal. Fiberglass shafts have a great advantage over wooden shafts. They do not break, even under the most extreme combat conditions. They can be bent into a U shape before breaking. A two hundred pound fighter in sixty pounds of armor can dance a jig upon them without damaging the shaft. When bent into a U and finally broken, they break like a stick of rattan. They become a bunch of loose fibers, which I have stabbed into my throat will no ill effect, a drop of blood or a scratch. When taped, those fibers are contained just like a rattan sword. I tested a quiver of thirty shafts through 1996. They were used in five wars, in open field, bridge and castle battles with no shaft breakage. There was some nock breakage. The Beman nocks that were used had a thin neck that could break when stepped on. There were three fletches that came loose. One shaft was lost and not found. The set of thirty went through the season with 0 percent breakage and 3.5 percent loss. And, to my knowledge, no complaints from those I hit. This resistance to breakage is important to archers in at least two ways:
SHAFT CONSTRUCTION The type of fiberglass rod used is the solid fiberglass rod, from 1/4 inch to 11/32 in diameter, depending upon style of head being used. It is possible that the 11/32 shafts may be limited to crossbow bolts in the future. They make an overly heavy and stiff shaft for a thirty pound hand bow. COST I have been able to purchase 1/4 inch rod at TAP plastic Co., a chain of plastic supply houses in California for $1.75 and 5/16 at $2.55 in six foot lengths. It is even cheaper when bought in ten or fifteen foot lengths. CUTTING You should first determine the length you need for the shaft, allowing for both nock and blunt. An indelible marker is best for marking the fiberglass. The maximum draw length of the arrow is twenty-eight inches from the bottom of the nock slot to the bottom of the blunt. But your shaft will be longer than that, by the length of the shaft that is inside the blunt and whatever extra taping may be at the base of it, as well as the length of shaft in the nock. In cutting the fiberglass, you need to take care to avoid breathing the dust or getting it in your eyes. It is not toxic, but can cause a sore throat and itchy eyes. It should be done outside to avoid build up of dust in the air inside. If you wear a dust mask and goggles, you can reduce the chance for irritation. You should also wear gloves to help avoid skin irritation. SANDING After you have cut the rod to length, you will need to sand the full length of it with some medium sandpaper. The rod has a very slick surface that needs to be roughened to make a better surface for both gluing on the fletching or applying the tape. Remember, avoid the dust while you are sanding. You can also remove the slick surface by wiping the surface with an acetone-dampened rag. NOCKS For the 1/4-inch or 5/16 shafts you can use parallel-sided nocks, such as the Beman or Bohing brands. Beman also makes a tapered 1/4-inch nock. You will need to file down the nock end of the shaft to fit the nock. You can rotate the shaft as you file, until the nock just sides on. You do not want a too tight fit, for it will not allow enough glue. And too loose a fit and the nock will not align correctly. You can use DUCO cement or a good two-part epoxy to cement the nock. Then let it dry completely. For the 5/16 and 11/32-inch shafts you can cut, file or grind your own nock taper. This is what you find on wood target arrows, etc. A nock and point taper cutting tool will work, but you will need a good supply of spare blades. If you have a good eye, a steady hand and a template you can use a file to hand make the taper. When doing this leave your shafts longer than you need. If you make a mistake, you can cut off the offending part and start over. Then when done, recut the shaft to the correct length. If you have a: Bench grinder. Disk sander. Or table saw with a sanding disk. You can build a jig to hold the shaft at the correct angle and quickly grind or sand the correct eleven degree taper. Again...avoid the dust. When the shaft is the correct length, you should take a file and slightly round off the edges of the front end of the shaft. FLETCHING You can use either feather or plastic fletches on the shafts. Fletchtite does not seem to work as well as 3M Super strength Adhesive or DUCO cement. After the fletching has set, I run a bead of the glue down both sides of the base of each fletch and a drop at both ends. If you want, you can also wrap the ends or the whole length with thread as well for greater security and a more period appearance. Because of the size and weight of the blunt head, I use a five inch fletch to help stabilize the arrow in flight more quickly. TAPING You can tape the shaft with whatever tape is required in your kingdom. However I have found that a good quality electric tape such as 3M works best. It sticks well and goes on smoothly. Since the arrow will not break, heavy tape is not needed. There is a question as to the need of taping a fiberglass shaft, but at this time it is still required. If you carefully run the tape parallel to the shaft it produces a smoother covering than using a spiral pattern. There are less leading edges to peel up. BLUNTS TYPES: MANUFACTURED BLUNTS So far I have found that the 3/4 inch blunts tested, (Lochac-Riverhaven, Antir-Montegard, HTM and Saunders) using a solid fiberglass shaft have had a short life before punching through. They should NOT be used in combination with fiberglass shafts. The two 1 1/4 inch manufactured blunts tested (Thistle Missiles and the new Baldar's Blunts from Trimaris) both worked well. The Baldar's blunts worked well with both the 1/4 and 5/16-inch shafts. They also worked with the 11/32 shafts, but were slower and had less range with the heavier shafts. They have a solid nylon insert in the blunt, in which the shaft is seated. This insert holds up to impact and helps prevent punch through. The Thistle Missiles also work. But, the 1/4 inch shafts do not work as well with the size of the hole in the internal plug. At this point the Thistles should only be used with 5/16. Or with 1/4 shafts where the shaft must be built up to about 11/32s of an inch. This can be done with five or six layers of electric tape. Or with the use of heat shrink tubing to build it up to the same size. Before you build a quiver full of such arrows, you should build a few and test them completely for punch through. So far tests have shown a problem with crossbow bolts and the Thistles. The fiberglass shafts, even of 11/32 size or built up to 11/32 punch through after a while. Until a way is found to prevent this, the Thistles should not be used on fiberglass shafted crossbow blunts. The full-length 11/32 shafts in combination with the Baldar's or Thistles make a very heavy, stiff and slow combat arrow. With both of these blunts and 1/4 or 5/16 shafts, extra taping is needed. The tape on the shaft should extend all the way from the fletching to the front of the shaft. Then additional tape should be added at the front of the shaft. You should cut a three-inch length of electric tape. Then you center the length of it over the tip of the shaft and then fold one side down and smooth it to the shaft. You then do the same to the other side. For the 1/4 inch shafts you should use, at lest, an additional three or four strips of tape over the two that run the length of the shaft. Or the same result can be obtained with heat shrink tubing. You should apply a little epoxy to each layer of tubing. The Baldar's blunts now have a head intended for use with 1/4 inch shafts which does not need to be built up. The intent of the additional tape is to increase the diameter of the shaft to make a tight fit, to prevent the blunt from accidentally being pulled off. And to provide a tighter fit to help prevent punch through. The 11/32 shaft needs no additional tape, other than that running the length of the shaft. Both Thistles and Baldar's need to be taped to the shaft as well. HAND MADE BLUNTS MARKLAND VARIANTS The most common form of combat blunt is the Markland and its variations. It is basically a wooden dowel, padded on the face and sometimes the sides, often with a leather disk on top of the dowel to help prevent complete punch through in case of failure of the dowel. The dowel has been drilled out to receive the shaft. This is then covered with tape and foam, then taped to the shaft. There are many variations of this style. This style has proved, over many years, to be a good basic combat blunt. However, the dowel can finally break even with a wood shaft. And the fiberglass shafts tend to split the wooden dowel even sooner, causing the blunt to fail. Replacing the wood dowel with a material that will not break such as a shatterproof plastic can solve this problem. The types I have found to work best at this point are Delrin rods, nylon, Teflon or Tivar-100 UHMW rod. These materials can be found at most plastic supply houses. You can try your Yellow Pages for suppliers and give them a call. When you replace the wooden dowel or plywood plug in a blunt design, you should use the same diameter as the original design. But, the length of the plug may be reduced if the design allows. If the required length was only to provide more wood to reduce punch through and breakage, then a shorter length of plastic rod may be used. You need to check with your kingdom Earl Marshal to determine if this can be done and if they will allow its use. 35MM FILM CANISTER BLUNTS I have tested a modified Markland style used in the West, known as a film canister blunt. They work quite well with fiberglass shafts and Delrin or UHMW plugs. To build a film can blunt you need:
You must first cut your 1-1/8 rod to length. You must make sure that your cuts are parallel and 90 degrees to the side of the rod. A table saw and guides work well for this. Now take the lid from a film can and punch a small hole through the exact center of the lid (most lids have a small mark at the center). Push the 1-1/8 by 5/8 inch rod into the inner ring on the bottom of the lid. Then, using a permanent marker pen, you mark the center of the rod. Then remove it from the lid. Now use a sharp drill bit the size of the shaft you are using, 1/4 inch for the film cans. You should drill dead center and as perpendicular as possible (if possible use a drill press). If this is not done well, the hole will be off center and the blunt will out of balance and may cause the arrow to wobble. You should drill the hole 5/16 of an inch deep. You can now cut the film can to one inch in length. Make a jig to hold the can and provide a guide for cutting. You should use a sharp knife or razor knife. Or they may be cut on a table saw. If you wish, it may be left full length. But the extra length is not needed. You may now cut your 1/2 to 3/4 inch closed cell foam. This is the type used in exercise mats and under sleeping bags and for helm padding. I have had good results with some soft Neoprene rubber. It has not packed down under impact and the bounce back seems to be less. Do not use a foam that does not spring back after impact. You should test a piece of the foam by placing it on a hard surface and striking it several times with a hammer. If it stays flat do not use it. If you have an 1-1/4 inch hole punch, use it, if not use scissors to cut a 1-1/4 inch square. You should glue the foam to the bottom of the can using the 3M adhesive or similar cement and let it dry. You now take the Delrin rod and wrap a length of electrical tape around it three times. You should let about 1/8 inch stick up above the side without the hole. Now fold this excess tape over onto the face of the plug. Next you remove 5/16 of an inch of the tape from the front of the shaft. Following directions on the container, mix a small amount of two part epoxy and apply it to the hole in the plug. You now insert the shaft into the plug, forcing it in as far as you can. Then hold the shaft tightly and drive the shaft and plug down hard onto a solid surface, until the shaft is seated all the way into the plug. The 5/16 of removed tape is the guide for this. Next you insert the shaft and plug into the film can. At this point if you want a half inch flat face you are ready to tape the head on. But, if you wish a 3/4 thick rounded face blunt, you need to trim it round. (Note: The striking face of a blunt may be rounded to no less than the radius of the blunt. e.g. A 1-1/4 inch blunt may be rounded to a radius of no less than 5/8's of an inch. This rule is being changed at Society level, but will still be at the choice of each kingdom.) To cut this radius you can make a template, with the correct radius cut out, to use as a guide . You turn the shaft with one hand, while you trim the foam with the scissors and check the final shape with the template. At last you are now ready to tape the blunt onto the shaft. You will need to cut two lengths of fiber strapping tape, long enough to extend about two inches past the bottom of the blunt onto the shaft. Center the first piece of tape on the top of the blunt and press one side down the blunt and onto the shaft. Do not fold the tape in at a 90 degree angle, it should form about a 45 degree angle between the edge of the blunt and the shaft. Repeat with the other side. You then place the second piece of strapping tape at 90 degrees to the first and repeat the process. You now cut four strips of electrical tape the same length as the strapping tape and apply the first two in the same manner as the two strips of strapping tape. You then place the last two strips in the intersections of the first two, so that the entire blunt is covered. The tape between the bottom edge of the blunt and the shaft should be at a 45 degree angle or less. This reduces turbulence and drag, making the arrow go further. You must now measure 28 inches from the bottom of the nock slot and mark this point. It should be on the strips of tape securing the blunt and about 1-3/4 inch below the blunt. Cut a 6 inch strip, or longer, of electrical tape and wrap it around the shaft, between the mark and the blunt with an edge just touching the 28 inch mark. Now take a sharp knife and remove the excess strips of tape that extend past the ring of tape below the 28 inch mark. This forms a draw stop for the shaft at 28 inches. The last step is to identify your arrow. This serves three purposes.
Since these arrows are still experimental, they need to be marked with alternating red and green tape below the head as per the SCA Marshal's Handbook, page 52. EXPERIMENTAL 1 & 1/4 INCH BLUNTS An easier to construct 5/4 blunt, of my design, for fiberglass shafts can be made using a 1 by 5/4 inch plug. The UHMW rod seems to work well with this design. It is lighter, less expensive and as strong as the Delrin.You use the same methods of construction as the film canister blunt. But you make the plug 1 inch long and 5/4 wide and leave out the film can. Before you glue the foam to the face of the blunt you should slightly round the front and back edges of the blunt. The front edge is rounded so that it will not scrape skin on a glancing shot. The back edge, so that it will not wear through the tape. A 1/8 inch radius is about right. I have shot one of these against the back wall of my house about 120 times (as of 4/8) with no sign of damage to the head or shaft. When shot at me, at five yards with a good thirty pound laminate recurve while I was wearing a single quilted layer of mattress pad over a tee-shirt, the impact felt the same as a film canister, Thistle or Baldar. The red marks lasted about the same time as a film can or Baldar, but less than a Thistle. EYE PROTECTION For those worried about the possibility of bounce back damage to the eyes from fiberglass or wood shaft arrows, the use of safety glasses or goggles is recommended. Lexan, a shatterproof plastic, is in the process of being approved, at SCA level, for use as eye protection. An approximate two-inch wide strip on the visor slot or on the bars over the eyes can help prevent injury from arrows, weapons and armor pieces as well as dirt from weapons or from the ground. A 1/8 thick inch piece will stop a field point on a 11/32 shaft shot from a 50 pound laminate recurve at five yards. Screen or perforated metal can also be used in a strip just over the eyes. It need not cover the entire face. Sir Jon Fitz-Rauf, SCA Archery Marshal John R. Edgerton 7662 Wells Ave Newark, CA 94560-3530 (510)791-9070 sirjon@netcom.com |
|
|
