Glossary

2-lb cut (shellac) #

A shellac concentration specification: 2 pounds of shellac flakes dissolved in 1 gallon of denatured alcohol (or proportionally, 2 oz per pint). The 2-lb cut is the standard dip-tube consistency for arrow finishing — thin enough to flow smoothly off a dipped shaft, thick enough to leave a visible film. Thicker cuts (3-lb, 4-lb) are used for brushing; thinner cuts (1-lb) are used as sanding sealers.

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AMO standard #

“The Archery Manufacturers Organization’s legacy spine test protocol for wood arrows: a shaft supported at 26-inch centers with a 2-pound weight at the center; spine is reported as 26 divided by deflection in inches (e.g., 0.5"” deflection = 52-pound spine)."

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Archer’s paradox #

The phenomenon in which an arrow shot from a traditional bow — where the arrow must be offset to one side of the riser — nonetheless flies straight to the target because it flexes around the bow and recovers to the line of flight as it leaves the string. Correct spine matching is essential for this recovery to happen properly.

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Bareshaft tuning #

A tuning method in which one or more unfleteched (bare) shafts are shot alongside fletched arrows at the same aiming point. Where the bare shaft impacts relative to the fletched group reveals spine match (horizontal deviation) and nocking point position (vertical deviation) before feather corrections can hide errors.

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Blushing #

A defect in shellac and lacquer finishes in which moisture is trapped in the film during drying, producing a white or milky haze. Caused by applying finish in high ambient humidity or in a cold, drafty workspace where the solvent evaporates unevenly. For shellac, early blushing can be corrected by misting the surface with denatured alcohol to re-dissolve and re-level the film; a fully hardened blush must be sanded back and re-coated.

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Bow window #

The cutaway section of the riser above the grip that allows the arrow to pass closer to the bow’s centerline, reducing (but not eliminating) the offset that produces archer’s paradox. The depth of the bow window directly affects how much spine correction is needed in shaft selection.

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Brace height #

The distance from the deepest part of the bow grip to the bowstring when the bow is strung and at rest. Brace height affects arrow paradox duration, finger clearance, and string slap risk. Most traditional longbows prefer 6–7 inches; recurves typically 7–9 inches depending on limb design.

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Centershot #

The horizontal alignment of the arrow rest or shelf relative to the bow’s centerline. A bow is ‘center shot’ when the arrow’s centerline passes through the bowstring’s centerline; traditional bows are only partially cut-through and rely on archer’s paradox to correct the remaining offset.

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Cock feather #

The single feather in a three-fletch configuration that is oriented perpendicular to the nock slot. At full draw, the cock feather faces away from the bow shelf (away from the riser side the arrow rests on). This orientation ensures the cock feather clears the shelf cleanly as the arrow exits. The cock feather is often a different color from the two hen feathers to allow quick, consistent nocking.

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Cresting #

Decorative bands of color painted on the shaft between the fletching and the crest (the solid base color band just forward of the fletching). Cresting historically identified arrows to their owner; today it is a mark of craftsmanship and personalisation. Applied with a spinning crester jig and fine liner brushes, then sealed with a clear topcoat.

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Cresting jig #

A tool that holds an arrow shaft and rotates it slowly and consistently around its long axis while the archer paints crest bands with a brush held steady. May be powered (a slow-speed motor or drill press) or manual (a V-block that lets the builder rotate the shaft by hand). A cresting jig is not strictly required — a steady hand and a slowly rotated shaft produce acceptable results — but it is the standard tool for tight, consistent crest bands.

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Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue #

A fast-curing single-component adhesive that polymerizes on contact with moisture. Thin-viscosity CA wicks into hairline cracks by capillary action and is used in archery repair to stabilize minor nock-end splits. Not a structural repair for cracks that open under load.

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Dip tube #

A length of PVC or metal tube long enough to fully submerge an arrow shaft. Used with liquid finishes (gasket lacquer, shellac, polyurethane) to coat the entire shaft in a single smooth, even pass. Multiple dip coats — with light sanding between — produce a durable moisture barrier.

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Douglas fir #

Pseudotsuga menziesii, the primary material for Surewood Shafts’ premium wood arrow shafts. Denser than Port Orford cedar, producing heavier arrows that some archers prefer for downrange momentum; requires disc-sander tapering rather than blade-style taper tools because of its grain structure.

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Draw length #

The distance from the nocking point on the string to the back of the bow (the side facing away from the archer) at full draw. Draw length directly affects arrow length, which in turn affects dynamic spine — one inch longer weakens dynamic spine by approximately 5 pounds.

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Draw weight #

The peak force in pounds required to draw a bow to a specified draw length (commonly 28 inches for traditional bows). Draw weight is the primary input for spine selection — heavier bows require stiffer arrows.

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Dynamic spine #

The effective stiffness of an arrow during the actual shot — how it actually bends and recovers as it accelerates off the bow. Dynamic spine is influenced by shaft length, point weight, draw weight, bow design, and release style, and is what truly determines whether an arrow flies well.

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FOC (front-of-center) #

The percentage of the arrow’s total length by which the balance point lies forward of the physical midpoint of the shaft. Calculated as: FOC% = ((balance point − length/2) / length) × 100. Higher FOC improves downrange stability; for target traditional archery, 10–15% is a widely recommended range.

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Feather fletching #

Natural feathers (typically turkey) used as arrow vanes. Feathers collapse on contact with the bow shelf and recover instantly, making them the preferred choice for off-the-shelf shooting on traditional bows. The rough side of the feather faces outward on the arrow shaft.

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Fishtailing #

A lateral side-to-side oscillation of the arrow in flight. Fishtailing indicates spine mismatch — the arrow is bending too much (too weak) or not enough (too stiff) for the bow’s draw weight and release. Corrected by changing point weight, shaft length, or spine grade.

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Fletch-Tite Platinum #

A water-based fletching adhesive made by Bohning, formulated for natural feathers on wood shafts. Remains slightly flexible when cured, which prevents the brittle trailing-edge failures common with cyanoacrylate adhesives. Open time approximately 30–45 seconds; minimum clamp hold time 5–7 minutes; full cure 24 hours. The standard adhesive recommendation for natural turkey feathers on sealed cedar shafts.

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Fletching jig #

A tool that holds the arrow shaft and a single feather clamp in a fixed geometric relationship — controlling the feather’s position (distance from nock), rotation (120° spacing for three-fletch), and angle (straight, offset, or helical) — while the adhesive sets.

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Footing #

A short splice of dense hardwood (commonly hornbeam, osage orange, or bamboo) glued onto the point end of a softer-wood shaft. Footing reinforces the area most likely to split on target impact while preserving the shaft’s overall flexibility and lighter weight.

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GPI (grains per inch) #

A weight-per-unit-length specification for arrow shafts, calculated as shaft weight in grains divided by shaft length in inches. Port Orford cedar at 11/32-inch diameter typically runs 10–15 GPI. GPI is used to compare shaft weights independently of length.

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GPP (grains per pound) #

The finished arrow’s total weight in grains divided by the bow’s draw weight in pounds. A midweight traditional arrow target is 6.5–8 GPP. Too light (under 5 GPP) risks bow damage and excessive noise; too heavy reduces trajectory and speed.

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Gasket lacquer #

A fast-drying nitrocellulose or alkyd lacquer originally formulated for sealing automotive gasket surfaces. In arrow-making it is the traditional dip-tube finish of choice: it flows smoothly off a dipped shaft, levels to a high-gloss surface, and cures harder than shellac, giving target arrows a durable, scratch-resistant coat. Dry to touch in 30–60 minutes; re-coat in 2–4 hours; full cure in 24 hours. Common brands used for arrows include Deft Clear Wood Finish and Bull’s-Eye.

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Glue-on field point #

A tapered metal point with a conical bore that slides onto the 5-degree point taper and is secured with hot-melt adhesive. Field points are designed for target use — they punch into foam or burlap targets cleanly and pull out without damaging the shaft. Available in a range of weights (typically 75–125 grains for target use).

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Grain scale #

A precision weighing instrument calibrated in grains (the unit of mass used for arrows and projectiles, where 1 grain = 1/7000 of a pound). A reloading scale with 0.1-grain resolution is the standard tool for measuring raw shaft weight when calculating GPI. Digital scales marketed for jewelry or gold may have sufficient resolution; kitchen scales typically do not.

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Helical fletching #

Feathers or vanes attached with a deliberate twist (curvature) around the circumference of the shaft, creating maximum arrow spin in flight. Helical gives the best stabilization and tightest groups at distance; requires a fletching jig with a helical clamp. The standard choice for target wood arrows where speed loss is acceptable.

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Hen feather #

Either of the two feathers in a three-fletch configuration that are not the cock feather. Hen feathers are positioned 120 degrees from the cock feather and 120 degrees from each other. They are typically the same color as each other and a different color from the cock feather.

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Hot-melt adhesive #

A thermoplastic adhesive (commonly ethylene vinyl acetate, EVA) that bonds on cooling and releases when reheated. Used for glue-on field point installation on wood arrow shafts: applied via alcohol burner heating, it allows field removal and resetting of points without damaging the shaft taper. Not appropriate for nock installation, where repeated string impact stress requires a flexible, non-thermoplastic bond.

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Left-wing vs right-wing feather #

Feathers from the left wing of a bird curve opposite to those from the right wing. All three feathers on an arrow must come from the same wing; mixing wings causes the arrow to fight itself in flight. Convention: right-handed archers typically use right-wing feathers with right-handed helical clamps, and vice versa — though the actual direction of spin matters less than consistency.

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Modulus of elasticity #

A material property describing how much a material deforms under stress relative to its stiffness — specifically, the ratio of stress to strain within the elastic (recoverable) range. In arrow shaft materials, a high modulus of elasticity means the shaft snaps back to straight quickly after the flex of the shot, improving flight consistency. Port Orford cedar has a high modulus relative to its density, which is the primary reason it is preferred for traditional arrow shafts over heavier woods.

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Nock cement #

A flexible adhesive specifically formulated for securing glue-on plastic nocks to tapered wood shafts. Remains flexible after cure to absorb the repeated impact of the bowstring on the nock seat without cracking. Functionally interchangeable with fletching adhesive (e.g., Fletch-Tite) for nock installation; distinct from hot-melt, which should not be used for nocks.

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Nock insert #

A small plastic nock glued onto the tapered nock end of a wood shaft. More durable and consistent than a self nock; the standard choice for target arrows where reliability over aesthetics is preferred.

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Nock taper #

The 11-degree taper machined or cut into the back end of a wood shaft to accept a friction-fit glue-on plastic nock. The taper angle is standardized so that nocks from different manufacturers seat consistently.

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Nocking point #

The marked or built-up location on the bowstring where the arrow nock is consistently placed before each shot. Typically set approximately 1/2 inch above the arrow shelf (measured with a T-square). A brass crimp-on nock set or a tied thread serving are the two common methods.

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Offset fletching #

Feathers or vanes attached at a slight angle (2–3°) to the shaft axis without curving around the shaft. Offset induces spin and is easier to achieve with simpler jig clamps than true helical; a reasonable compromise between stabilization and setup simplicity.

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Paper tuning #

A tuning method in which the archer shoots an arrow through a sheet of paper stretched taut on a frame. The tear pattern — bullet hole (ideal), tail-high, tail-low, tail-left, tail-right — indicates nocking point position and spine match at the moment the arrow passes through.

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Parabolic cut #

A feather fletching profile with a smoothly curved leading and trailing edge — the classic symmetrical ‘half-moon’ shape. Less drag than shield cut, which preserves a few feet per second of velocity and produces slightly less noise. The standard profile for most target arrows.

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Parallel shaft #

An arrow shaft with uniform diameter along its entire length. Parallel shafts require separate taper tools to cut nock and point seats; they are common in cedar shafts sold pre-tapered or left for the builder to taper to specification.

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Personal Form Factor (PFF) #

A calibration constant in Stu Miller’s Dynamic Spine Calculator that adjusts the output for the archer’s individual release style. A clean, consistent finger release approximates PFF 1.0 (the default); a harder ‘pluck’ release effectively adds draw weight to the arrow and requires a lower PFF. Calibrate PFF by entering the specs of an arrow setup that already flies well for you and adjusting PFF until the calculator’s output matches the known-good spine.

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Point taper #

The 5-degree taper cut into the front end of a wood shaft to accept a friction-fit glue-on field point or other tapered point. Secured with hot-melt adhesive, it allows point removal and replacement in the field.

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Porpoising #

A vertical up-and-down oscillation of the arrow in flight, visible as a wave pattern against the target face. Porpoising is caused by an incorrect nocking point position and is corrected by adjusting the nocking point up or down — not by changing spine.

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Port Orford cedar #

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, a Pacific Northwest softwood regarded as the premier natural material for traditional arrow shafts. Valued for its consistently straight grain, high strength-to-weight ratio, and superior modulus of elasticity — it recovers quickly from the flex of the shot and returns to straight flight faster than most alternatives.

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Reject rate #

The percentage of raw shafts from a bundle that are culled before reaching the finished-arrow stage, due to weight outliers (GPI outside tolerance), geometry defects (bends that cannot be corrected), or taper failures. For raw cedar shaft bundles, a 5–15% reject rate is considered normal. Arrow makers order extras (typically 15–20% more than needed) to absorb expected rejects without falling short of the target batch size.

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Sealer #

A protective finish applied to a wood arrow shaft to prevent moisture absorption, which causes warping and spine drift. Common options: shellac (fast-drying, works under most adhesives), polyurethane (durable, available in wipe-on or dip formulations), and gasket lacquer (fast, high-gloss, traditional dip-tube choice).

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Self nock #

A nock cut directly into the wood of the shaft itself — a simple saw cut, or a reinforced cut with a hardwood insert glued in — rather than a separate glued-on plastic nock. Traditional in aesthetic; requires careful grain alignment and periodic inspection for splits.

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Serving #

A tight wrapping of thread applied over the bowstring at the nocking point zone and at the loop ends. Center serving protects the string from arrow-nock wear; loop serving reinforces the loops against the limb tips. Nocking-point serving is also used to build a thread nock set as an alternative to a brass crimp-on nock.

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Shellac #

A natural resin secreted by the lac bug (Kerria lacca), dissolved in denatured alcohol to produce a wood finish. In arrow-making, dewaxed shellac (e.g., Zinsser SealCoat at approximately 2-lb cut) is used as a dip-tube sealer. Advantages: fast dry (touch-dry in 30–45 minutes), re-coatable in 2 hours, compatible with virtually all fletching adhesives and hot-melt point compounds. Liability: susceptible to moisture blushing if applied in high humidity.

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Shield cut #

A feather fletching profile with a flat leading edge and a squared-off or slightly angled trailing tip, resembling a medieval shield in silhouette. Shield-cut feathers carry more surface area than parabolic cuts, providing more drag and faster stabilization — useful when spine is slightly off or when shooting off the shelf.

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Sitka spruce #

Picea sitchensis, a Pacific Northwest softwood used for arrow shafts. Stiffer and lighter than Port Orford cedar for a given diameter; historically favored for flight arrows. Less common today but available from specialty shaft makers.

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Spine #

The measured stiffness of an arrow shaft; properly matched spine allows the arrow to flex correctly around the bow riser and recover to straight flight downrange.

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Spine-sorted batch #

A quantity of wood arrow shafts that have been individually measured for static spine and grouped into 5-pound AMO increments (e.g., 50–55#, 55–60#) before sale. Buying spine-sorted shafts eliminates the manual sorting step and reduces cull rate in a matched-set build. Rose City Archery and 3Rivers Archery both offer Port Orford cedar in pre-sorted batches.

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Static spine #

A standardized laboratory measurement of shaft stiffness: the deflection in inches (×1000 = spine rating) when an 880-gram (1.94 lb) weight is suspended from the center of a shaft supported 28 inches apart.

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T-square (bow square) #

A measuring tool shaped like the letter T, used in archery to set and verify the nocking point position on a bowstring. The stem rests against the string and the crossbar sits on the arrow shelf, allowing the archer to measure the exact vertical distance from the shelf surface to the nocking point. The standard starting nocking point for traditional bows is 1/2 inch above the shelf.

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Tapered shaft #

An arrow shaft that is wider at one end than the other — typically tapered toward both the nock end and the point end from a wider center. The most common wood shaft profile for traditional target arrows; the taper creates the nock and point seating surfaces.

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Tip-roll check #

A quality-verification technique for glue-on field points: the finished arrow is rolled slowly on a flat surface while observing the tip. A correctly seated point rolls smoothly; an off-axis point hops, wobbles, or thumps once per revolution because the point bore is not concentric with the shaft axis. A wobbling tip indicates the point must be reheated and reseated before the arrow is shot.

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Walk-back tuning #

A tuning method in which the archer shoots from progressively greater distances (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20 yards) at the same vertical aiming point. Consistent vertical grouping with horizontal drift identifies centershot alignment errors that spine and nocking point corrections alone cannot fix.

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