Straighten and taper sequence: all 24 keeper shafts

What you’ll do #

Work through the full physical sequence on the shafts that passed the GPI sort in Exercise 1: straightness check, heel-of-hand correction where needed, point taper cut, and nock taper cut. When you finish, every shaft in your keeper pile will have a PASS or CULL-STRAIGHT in the Straightness column, and both taper date columns will be filled in.

Setup #

You need:

• Your keeper shafts from Exercise 1 (those marked KEEP in the Status column)
• Your batch-tracking table from Exercise 1
• A taper tool with the 5-degree (point) bushing installed first; the 11-degree (nock) bushing second
• A pencil or marking tape for end-identification
• A ruler and pencil for the taper measurement mark
• A clean flat surface with good overhead or side lighting for sighting shafts

Mark the nock end of every shaft before you begin — a small pencil ring or a piece of tape. This prevents you from accidentally tapering the wrong end.

Starter scaffold #

Step 1 — Sight every shaft.

Pick up shaft #1 from your KEEP pile. Close one eye. Hold the shaft at arm’s length and rotate it slowly, sighting down the length as if it were a pool cue or a gun barrel.

[TODO: Describe what you see on your first shaft. Is it visibly straight?
       Can you see a bow (curve) from tip to tip, or does the shaft look straight?
       Write your observation in the Straightness column of your tracking table —
       note the approximate location of any bend (near tip, near nock, middle).]

Step 2 — Apply heel-of-hand correction where needed.

If a shaft shows a bow:

1. Identify the apex (point of maximum curvature).
2. Place that point against the heel of your palm, convex side into your hand.
3. Apply firm, controlled downward pressure with both hands, slightly overcorrecting.
4. Re-sight.

[TODO: On your first bent shaft, record:
       a) Where was the bend (tip third, middle third, nock third)?
       b) How many correction passes did it take to hold straight?
       c) Did it spring back on the third attempt? If yes, mark CULL-STRAIGHT
          in the Status column and set the shaft aside.]

Shafts that spring back after three correction attempts are culls. Do not invest taper cuts in them. Update the tracking table and move on.

Step 3 — Measure and mark the point taper length.

For each shaft that passes straightness:

1. Measure from the nock end (where the string will seat) to your target finished arrow length — 28.5 inches for this 28-inch draw-length build.
2. Add 7/8 inch (0.875 in) for the taper length that will disappear inside the field point socket.
3. Make a light pencil mark at that total distance from the nock end — this is where the taper cut begins.

[TODO: For shaft #1, write out the arithmetic:
       Target finished length: _______ inches
       + Taper allowance:       0.875  inches
       = Cut mark from nock:   _______ inches
       Confirm the mark is on the shaft before you put it in the taper tool.]

Step 4 — Cut the point taper (5 degrees).

Install the 5-degree bushing in your taper tool. Insert the point end of the shaft into the tool. Apply moderate, even pressure while rotating. Check your taper tool’s instructions for the number of rotations — most blade-style tools require 3–5 full rotations under consistent pressure to produce a clean taper.

[TODO: After cutting the first taper, hold the finished end next to a 100-grain
       glue-on field point and check that the taper seats smoothly with the
       point socket flush at the shoulder. Does it wobble (taper too shallow)?
       Bottom out before flush (taper too deep)? Describe what you see.
       If the fit needs adjustment, note what you changed on the taper tool.]

Step 5 — Cut the nock taper (11 degrees).

Swap to the 11-degree bushing. Insert the nock end of the shaft — the end you marked before you started. Apply consistent pressure while rotating.

[TODO: Seat a plastic nock on the fresh taper. It should slide on firmly
       and seat at the shoulder without bottoming out. Can you feel the
       shoulder engagement? Does the nock feel secure (requires deliberate
       pull to remove) or loose (slides off with gravity)? Describe your
       first result and what, if anything, you adjusted.]

Step 6 — Log completion in the tracking table.

For each shaft that clears both tapers:

• Write today’s date in the Nock taper date column.
• Write today’s date in the Point taper date column.
• Write KEEP in the Status column if not already marked.

Step 7 — Repeat for all keeper shafts.

Work through your full KEEP pile. Update the tracking table after each shaft. At the end, count:

• How many shafts are fully tapered (both dates filled in)?
• How many were culled during straightening?
• Is your total at or above 24?

[TODO: Write the final count here:
       Shafts fully tapered: _______
       New culls (CULL-STRAIGHT) this exercise: _______
       Running total of usable shafts: _______
       If running total is below 24, what is your plan? (Note it here.)]

Verification #

You’ve completed this exercise correctly when:

1. Every shaft in your original KEEP pile has a result in the Straightness column (PASS or CULL-STRAIGHT).
2. Every shaft that passed straightness has both taper date columns filled in.
3. You have physically fit-checked at least the first taper cut against an actual field point and an actual plastic nock .
4. Your running usable-shaft count is recorded and you know whether you’re at 24 or need to re-order.

If your usable count dropped below 24, do not widen the GPI tolerance retroactively to rescue culls — the weight-match decision was already made. Order replacement shafts from the same supplier lot if possible, or start fresh from a new bundle.