Arrow Construction
by Arch Duke Sir Egil "Tree-Speaker" Njalsson of Dragonspine
(March 1999)

The following method of Amtgard arrow construction is suggested as an alternate to the one found in our rulebook. This method has evolved from my own experiences with building arrows I've made dozens since joining Amtgard. Some of these ideas are from the rulebook; some are from fellow Amtgardians; and some are my own.

While the quality and life of your arrows is largely determined by your own skills of construction, arrow heads built in the following manner have been declared safe by several champions, and should last for years.

 
What you will need for each arrow:
- an arrow shaft
- duct tape
- electrical tape (for finished surfaces)
- a penny
- scraps of blue type foam
- 3" length of 1/2" pipe insulator (or blue type foam)
- one circle of 2" white foam, approx. 6" diameter
- a circle of cloth, approx. 7 8" diameter, for the cover
- contact cement		 Finished product:
white foam
blue foam
foam "spring"
insulator
penny
tape
shaft
(Illustration being developed)

  1. Check the arrow length.
    • Amtgard arrows, when finished, can have no more than a 28" draw; that is, no more than 28" from the nock (back end) to the back of the arrowhead. (This is important, especially when we use "field arrows," because if someone loads a longer arrow into a bow that is 35 pounds at 28", the poundage of the pull increases, at approximately 3 pounds per inch of draw.) If your arrow shaft is already less than 28" you have nothing to worry about. If it is longer, mark the 28" point: when done, the arrowhead must extend at least this far back. If your arrow shaft is longer than about 30" you will need to cut off the excess with a hacksaw.

  2. Make the tip safe.
    • If it has an attached point, remove it. Most will unscrew; if this doesn't work, cut it off so that the end is flat. Then fold 4" 5" strips of duct tape (I split it into thirds lengthways) across the end, rotating the direction of each until the diameter is roughly the size of a penny. (To increase the safety of the finished product, avoid the temptation of making it bigger more quickly by wrapping tape around the shaft.) Place a penny across the top, and continue layers of duct tape across the top until the diameter is about the size of a nickel.

  3. Create a "spring."
    • This technique is my own invention -- you won't find it in the rulebook. Create a tube of foam around the arrow tip. This is done most easily with pipe insulator (it's already in tube form), but can also be done with blue foam. It should encase the last two inches of the shaft, and should extend outward about an inch or a bit more. The tube should fit snugly around the built-up duct tape, so if the tube fits loosely, trim it a bit. Split the tube open, tape one side securely to the head area, and wrap the rest of the tube around, putting a layer of tape around the outside to secure it. (You could also secure it with contact cement.) Separately tape the rear end of the tube to the shaft (I use electrical tape here), and wrap a short strip of tape around the tape on the shaft, to keep it from peeling up.
    • Fold a piece of blue foam (about 1/2" x 2 1/2") into a U. Shove this into the open end of the tube, with the bottom of the U sticking out slightly. A thin strip of tape will hold this in place. Place a circle of blue foam, the same diameter as the outer edge of the tube, across the top of the tube, and tape/glue it down.
    • This mechanism acts to absorb some of the impact when the arrow strikes its target, and replaces the first set of "compacted foam" mentioned in the rulebook directions.

  4. Add the final touches.
    • Place a circle of thick white foam across the tip, and gather the edges, taping them onto the tube with a single strip of duct tape going around the outside. Remember that this is the main striking surface, and we want it to be safe and soft, so try not to compact the foam at the tip while taping the edges down. For the same reason, do not run tape over the tip: you don't need to, and it may hurt more when it hits if you do. When taping this foam down, remember that the tip needs to be "bigger than an eye socket." You might want to test it while still in this stage. If in doubt, a good rule of thumb is that the tip must be at least 2 1/2" across, though we're more concerned with whether it can go into someone's eye, so the eye socket test is more valid.
    • Finally, wrap a circle of cloth over the tip, taping it down at the edges. I normally switch to electrical tape at this point, since we are now dealing with surfaces that will remain exposed, and you want them to look nice.
    • Also, wrapping a short piece of tape around the leading end of the fletchings (feathers) will keep them from peeling up with use. They'll still wear out eventually, but this will make them last longer.
    • You're done! Now go kill things.

Notes:

  • You can also easily repair broken or missing nocks and fletchings. These are available inexpensively at any archery shop, and are attached with a special type of glue available at the same stores. You could use a glue such as epoxy, but the archery glue is better: if, for example, you use epoxy to hold down a nock, and the nock later breaks, it's a pain to get the epoxy off to get a smooth surface for the next nock; but the archery glue comes off easily.
  • If you want to invent your own customized method of arrow construction, just be sure it's safe. One warning: don't skip the part about building up a core of duct tape before you put the penny on. Some people tape the penny directly to the shaft, thinking it will hold, and it often does; but I've seen one such arrow where the penny slid off over time, and the shaft poked a hole all the way through the foam. Had this been shot at a person, they would have been hit directly with the arrow shaft...

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