[Archers] Fwd: I need your help

[Siegfried]

>  Your ideas are appreciated, but we will
> stick with what we have for the foreseeable future.

Not a problem, happy to help.  Only offered because you asked. :)

> I would much like to get away from the construction foam, which leaves a
> nasty gunk on arrows, bolts and darts due to the friction melting the
> foam to the shaft on impact. This stuff can be scraped off with a piece
> of plastic, but that takes off the protective finish on the shaft as
> well. Our arrows need frequent maintenance. 

Actually, funny you should mention this.   Two things I can offer here:

1) Through lots of testing, we've found that the 'pink' (home depot)
stuff is much much less nasty to the shafts than the 'blue' (lowes) stuff.

2) We've also found that it really depends upon the finish, how badly
things get messed up.   A really really good high gloss poly that is
baby smooth, doesn't tend to get messed up.
   But even easier, is that any oil based finish comes out clean every
time.  Tung Oil, Linseed Oil, etc.
   Many archers up north here have been known to only finish with oils
now so that things don't stick to the shafts.   Or wipe a thin layer of
oil over their poly finish just near the tips.    Some glues have issues
with oil finishes, so I've known some people to dip the backs in poly to
get a good base for gluing, then oil the front halfs of the arrows.

>  My choice for archery (maybe
> not for atlatl darts) would be the classic round straw butt about 8"
> thick on a tripod stand. 

Funny thing is ... I've found people having major issues with certain
brands of Poly finish on the straw butts.   Where you end up with 'straw
gunk' embedded in the finish.   Seems to be the thinner wipe-on polys,
and water-based ones.  Versus hard finish dipping ones, such as using
wood floor poly.

>  These could be removed for indoor storage, and
> the whole thing put up in ten minutes or so. I know somebody still makes
> these (I stumbled across a web site once), but I can't find them right
> now. I'm planning on setting up another range, and would rather use these.

Actually plans for the tripods are pretty simple.  Highland Foorde made
3 of them over a decade ago, and they are still going strong.

Siegfried


-- 
Barun Siegfried Sebastian Faust - Barony of Highland Foorde - Atlantia
http://hf.atlantia.sca.org/ - http://crossbows.biz/ - http://eliw.com/