Your Wisconsin Outdoor Community

Shooting Sports => Archery => Topic started by: Rancid Crabtree on October 24, 2007, 05:37:18 AM

Title: How to recycle a turkey
Post by: Rancid Crabtree on October 24, 2007, 05:37:18 AM

I Use the feathers from the birds we harvest to make arrow fletchings.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/newcedars991.jpg)

I  like to use whole uncut white feathers for the two hen feathers and one homemade c0ck feather. I found 7 good looking specimens (one is a spare)
 
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/newcedars992.jpg)

Next I split them to get rid of the side that I won’t need.

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/newcedars993.jpg)

Then I found the best section in the middle of the length and cut off the ends. These are longer than I need but I will trim them later

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/newcedars994.jpg)

Because the split base is way to thick I need to thin them down.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/newcedars995.jpg)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/newcedars996.jpg)

I use a belt sander with a fine grit belt because the bases are pretty soft. I finish them with a sanding block

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/newcedars997.jpg)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/newcedars998.jpg)

The thined feather is a lot less beefy.

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/newcedars999.jpg)

Next I cut them to their finished length. 
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/newcedars9991.jpg)

The next step is to cut down the height a little so they fit in the fletching jig.

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/arrows/newcedars9995.jpg)

After fletching, I use a feather burner to give them their shape.

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/arrows/newcedars9994.jpg)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/arrows/newcedars9996.jpg)