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<P>Spider1 - both Sitka Spruce and Lodgepole Pine (chundo) make good arrow shafts, but they are not the same species.</P>

<A href="http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&amp;p=42331&amp;cat=1,180,42288" target=_blank>http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&amp;p=42331&amp;cat=1,180,42288</A>&nbsp;<br>I have this tool, works great, cuts the shafts very clean and is adjustable for 5/16th thru 23/64 or larger. Only thing I do not like about it is you need to cut your square blanks 6 inches longer than the length of the shaft you need because the tool is 6 inches long and you lose that 6 inches from your stock.<br>

Fletcher, you're probably right. I got my info long ago from this site, <br><br><A href="http://www3.sympatico.ca/ragiwarmbear/diy/arrows/wood.html" target=_blank>http://www3.sympatico.ca/ragiwarmbear/diy/arrows/wood.html</A><br><br>It might be old out dated info. The auther even says he doesn't know for sure.<br><br><br>Thanks for setting me right, now I gotta get some so I can check out the differences for myself.<br>

I have limited experiance with both - I make 99% of my arrows from Port Orford cedar that I get from Rose City.<br><br>From what I have made, and what I have read...<br><br>Sitka Spruce is slightly heavier.&nbsp; I does have a good grain if taken form older straight trees.&nbsp; It will hold straightness well.<br><br>Lodgepole is lighter and often wider grain.&nbsp; If possible to get from 'dog hair' stands, where the trees grow very tall and close together competing for light - then the grain is tighter, and the shafts a bit heavier.&nbsp; They tend to warp a bit more than spruce or cedar.&nbsp; All are easy to straighten.<br><br>All of my shafts from these have been hand planed and sanded.<br><br>I have got to get one of those lee valley tools - that looks like it will take a lot of work out of shaft making, and is far cheaper than the 'Shaft Shooter'<br><br>Since we have several large forest fires right near Kalispell, and they are burning a lot of lodgepole, I suspect it should be easy and cheap to get a cutting permit.&nbsp; I will get some for tipi poles, arrrow shafts and fire wood.<br>

ROY Wrote:<a href="http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&amp;p=42331&amp;cat=1,180,42288" target="_blank">http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&amp;p=42331&amp;cat=1,180,42288</a>&nbsp;<br>I have this tool, works great, cuts the shafts very clean and is adjustable for 5/16th thru 23/64 or larger. Only thing I do not like about it is you need to cut your square blanks 6 inches longer than the length of the shaft you need because the tool is 6 inches long and you lose that 6 inches from your stock.<br>

<br><br>With the less expensive dowel maker that they sell (the one linked in my first post) you don't have to cut your stock longer. Once the drill turned the shaft all the way to the blade I simply put on a pair of gloves and turned and pulled the shaft through the rest of the way from the exit end. It takes a little elbow grease to get them through depending on what flavor of wood you use, but with my first attempt the cedar shafts I did last night weren't too much of a hassle. I'll post some pics when I get home of my results from my first batch. <br>

<P>I was wondering if you could just chuck the finished end in a 3/8" reversing drill and pull it through the rest of the way in reverse. &nbsp;It would only barf up about an inch of shaft stock that way and keep it turning true.</P>

Fletcher,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; I turn one end by hand about 4-6" the chuck that end in the drill and send it through.<br><br>Cuts it in about 10 - 15 seconds..depends just how fast you go I guess...<br>

I love this tool!!!<br>I was able to get 24 shafts that are 36" in length out of a 6ft Cedar 2X4 that I paid $4.50 for. That was from a perfect board (only one in the pile). The not so perfect boards won't produce as many usable shafts, but at that price you can easily afford to buy a couple boards that will produce at least some arrow shafts. I bought the next best board in the pile and it produced 15 good shafts. <br><br>I'm going to go back to Menards to look at their 8 ft stock. I just did some quick math and realized that out of an 8 ft board you can get 36 shafts that are 32 inches long that is if you find the ONE board with straight grain and no knots. That a lot of shafts for roughly $5.<br><br>

How many have used the contact email address for LeeValley tools to request the dowel cutter in the 4 standard arrow sizes?<br><br>If you are turning 3/8" round stock, what do you do to finish it up to take standard sized points and nocks?<br>

I called the Veritas Company.&nbsp; The tool comes with a standard 1" throat and you get die sets from there.&nbsp; The one I am going to get is the 5/16" and 3/8" set.&nbsp; They said the 'finish' balde is adjustable so I shourl be able to set it at 11/32" or 23/64"&nbsp; - down from the full 3/8" - to get shafts ready to sand, dip, fletch and taper for points.<br><br>The cost will be over $200, so I am saving up some coins!!!&nbsp; I am also starting to bandsaw some Lodgepole Pine logs that I have cut and have been drying.&nbsp; They are from 4" to 6" in diameter (36" long).&nbsp; I made an adjustable 'jig' that will ride the rip fence so I can first cut the log into quarters right down the center of the heart.&nbsp; Then I can use the rip fence set to 3/8".&nbsp; That should give me a good straight grain for shaft work.<br>