CRANE BEAKS -- MARKLAND-TYPE ARROWHEADS THAT CAN BE REUSED

     Markland arrowheads are almost one-shot weapons. Because the parts are permanently fixed, a broken shaft means a replacement has to be made all the way from the ground up, so you have to count it as good as lost the second it's fired. This is not true of Crane Beaks--they can be reused if the shaft is broken. They can even be reused if part of the head is smashed.
      The Crane Beak design is, some people have told me, almost a throwback to an earlier Markland design. Crane Beaks can be reused as long as the wooden cylinder that is its main component is in good shape. If the shaft is broken you can cut the tape, slide off the head, and tape it to another shaft. If either end of the head is damaged, it can be replaced with relative ease. Any recoverable part reduces the work necessary to make replacement heads.
      I have made dozens of arrows with these heads, and tested them against both inanimate targets and men, including myself. They fly at least as well as regular Marklands and have about the same range. They hit (I think) a little harder because of the mass of the cylinders. They do not hit as hard as Baldar blunts because the padding used on the striking surfaces is a bit softer. The procedure for making them is almost exactly the same as making regular Marklands; it does require a little skill in using power tools. Please read this article all the way through before trying this procedure.

To make Crane Beaks, you need:

       Fletched arrows
       Fiber-reinforced strapping tape
       Razor blades or some good cutting tools
       Spray foam (the type I use is called 'Great Stuff')
       Paper funnels
       Elmer's glue
       Closed-cell foam padding at least 1" thick
       Band saw or some saw that allows you to make straight cuts across a round object
       A fine-tooth blade on the aforesaid saw
       Drill press
       Forstner wood bit or pilot-point metal drill bit that matches the diameter of the arrows
       HARDWOOD dowel, 1 and 1/4" in diameter
       Vaseline (the gel, NOT the hand care lotion)
       Rough sandpaper or grinding wheel
       Contact cement
       Narrow-bladed artist's palette knife, with straight edges
 

Not exactly required, but very highly recommended:

       Centering jig for marking centers of round objects
       Lots of newspapers to spread on the floor
       Disposable vinyl gloves
       Rubbing alcohol
 

Some notes on tools and materials:

Arrows shafts are available in a variety of diameters; I recommend using at least 11/32" shafts because they're more durable than the smaller sizes. Whatever size shafts you have, use a drill bit to match.

Fiber tape is also available in different thicknesses and widths. Keep this in mind when wrapping the shafts--it makes a difference in how the parts fit. At the post office you can get 'mailing tape' that is thicker than most fiber tape. Double-width strapping tape is available at Home Depot.

The spray foam may be hazardous for smokers; it produces flammable fumes. DO NOT USE SPRAY FOAM NEAR HEATERS OR FLAME SOURCES. It is also very nasty to work with; it oozes all over everything, is very sticky, and can harm the eyes. And it is under pressure, so it can shoot out more than you first think. When using it you have to use gloves and eye protection, and be very careful to not let it get on things you care about.

Paper funnels can be found at any gas station, and often you can talk the attendant into selling you a whole tube of the things for a buck or two. The small-end opening sizes can vary; this is not important. You can also buy the paper cones meant for snow cones, and cut off the small ends.

You really need the drill press; this procedure involves drilling that is too tricky by hand.

The drill bit: you must use a bit that produces holes that are relatively flat-bottomed. Do NOT use a regular wood bit because the pilot point on it is too long.

Make sure the dowels are hardwood; DO NOT USE SOFTWOODS. Oak or ash are great.

Yes, I said Vaseline.

PROCEDURES

When doing the production steps below, use the links to refer to the accompanying illustrations.

1. If your shafts are long enough, mark them at 29-and-1/2" inches from the forward end of the nock. Figure
   Yes, I said 29-and-1/2". Yes, I remember the maximum draw length is 28". The difference is taken up inside the warhead, so the shaft behind it is still 28".

2. Cut the shafts at that mark, or just behind the factory points, whichever distance is greater. Make sure the cuts are smooth, and perpendicular to the length of the shaft. Cut slowly and smoothly--DON'T split the shaft. Figure
    
3. Wrap the shafts with fiber tape all the way from the front of the fletches to the end. Make sure the fibers run the length of the shaft. Figure
    
4. Using the saw, cut the dowels into cylinders that are each 3/4" high. Figure
    
5. For each 3/4" cylinder: Use the center marking jig to find the center of the cylinder. You may need to draw multiple lines.

6. For each 3/4" cylinder: Use the sandpaper and/or grinder to clean the edges of the cuts so there are no splinters or projecting fibers. On the end of the cylinder OPPOSITE the center mark, sand or grind the edge into a slight bevel. (A SLIGHT bevel; 1/16" is plenty.) The beveled edge is the BOTTOM of the cylinder. Figure
    
7. For each 3/4" cylinder: Use the drill press to drill a hole from the TOP of the cylinder partway down the center of the cylinder. The marks made by the center marking jig will show where to start the drill bit. Figure
   IMPORTANT: THIS HOLE DOES NOT GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH. There must be at least 1/4" left between the outer face of the cylinder and the very bottom of the hole. This serves as the 'stop ' that is required at the end of combat arrow shafts, in place of the combined plywood/leather arrangement of earlier modified Markland heads. I would recommend leaving a little more than 1/4", just for luck.

   In this step, remember that the drill bit has a little pilot point in advance of the main cutting edge. The 1/4" margin must come between the outer face of the cylinder and the bottom of that pilot point hole. Drill as slowly as you can make yourself do it; do not force the drilling as that may cause the cylinder to split.

   Because you cannot be certain that the cylinders will be all exactly 3/4" tall, measuring the depth of the hole is no good for telling if the margin at the bottom is good. To measure, insert a narrow shaft to the bottom of the pilot point hole, mark the shaft at the top of the cylinder, and hold the shaft against the outside of the cylinder to see if the end of the shaft is 1/4" from the bottom end of the cylinder. You can have more than 1/4" but NOT less.

   When drilling, you may need to stop and measure a hole more than once. When you put the cylinder back in the drill press, make darn sure the hole and the bit line up well before turning on the power.

8. Cut the closed-cell foam padding into pieces 1 and 1/4" across. If you can cut it into cylinders, great. I usually cut squares out of an old mouse pad and glue them together to make padding thick enough (that's the padding I had available; you can use anything that's legal for making thrusting tips).

9. Wrap the bottom 1/4" of the shaft with an extra layers of fiber tape, until it fits snugly in the hole in a cylinder. You do NOT want a really tight fit; make it just tight enough that the cylinder stays in place if you hang the arrow point-down. The cylinder should be easy to remove with a gentle pull. In this step, the fibers can go around the shaft instead of lengthwise. Figure
   The inner diameters of the holes may vary slightly since the cylinder may have been pulled out for measuring more than once while being drilled. The more times you have to restart the bit in the same hole, the more wallowed out the hole will be. The differences in diameter will not be visible to the naked eye, but you will see it in how the shafts fit. When wrapping the shafts to make them fit, putting on a full layer that goes all the way around may make the outer diameter of the shaft too large to fit in the hole. In this case, use bits of tape on only one side--kind of like using shims.

   The cylinder can be pulled off the end of the shaft. This is one of the factors that make these heads salvagable; the shaft and stop plate are not permanently glued together, the way they are in regular Markland heads.

10. Remove the cylinder from the shaft, slide a paper funnel onto the shaft with the SMALL end toward the fletches, and put the cylinder back on the end of the shaft. Figure
    If you miss this step, it's no big deal. The funnel can be forced over the fletches, though I don't recommend it because they can be screwed up.

11. From the top surface of the cylinder, extending about 1-and-1/2" up the shaft, smear the shaft with a coating of Vaseline. Make sure the Vaseline gets in any edges or creases in the tape around the shaft. Figure
    I have proven to myself in my experiments that a thin coating of Vaseline works better than a heavy coat. But it must cover all the way around, and it must get into any creases in the fiber tape wrapping.

12. Run a glue bead around the outer edge of the top of the cylinder. This will hold the funnel in place and close its bottom end. Figure
     
13. Slide the funnel down till it contacts the top edge of the cylinder. Work the funnel into shape, if needed, to make sure you have good contact between the funnel and the glue bead all around. As closely as possible, make sure the small opening of the funnel is centered around the shaft. Figure
    If you hold the arrow up to a strong light, you can see the glue bead through the funnel and tell where it is or is not making good contact. You want a good bond between glue and funnel to seal the end of the cylinder and prevent foam from shooting out the front.

14. Hang the arrow point-down, as straight as possible, and let the glue dry. Make sure the funnel is not knocked off-center, or the glue on the high side will run down. If that happens, the edge of the cylinde will not be sealed and the arrow will be a little off-balance.

15. When the glue is dry, trim the funnel back to the top edge of the cylinder. You don't need a perfect fit between them, but remember that the cleaner the arrow's outer surface, the better it will fly. If there are small openings at the upper cylinder edge where the glue didn't quite meet the funnel, don't worry. Openings larger than 1/16" of an inch can be covered with tape before the next step. Figure

16. Cut the foam can filler tube in half, with a slight angle on the cut. Shake up the spray foam, insert the tube in the back end of the funnel, and GENTLY squirt foam into the funnel until it is completely filled. You may need to make a small slit in the funnel to admit the filler tube. Remember the foam will continue to expand for some time after you ease off the trigger, so do this slowly, a little at a time. Figure
    Excess foam will ooze out the back of the funnel, and any openings at the top of the cylinder. DO NOT try to wipe excess foam off the arrow while it is wet--let it dry and then chip it off.

    BE CAREFUL--this stuff is nasty. Make sure you do this step in some place where nothing important will be damaged if spray foam drips on it. Dropped foam can be cleaned away, while it is wet, with alcohol; excess foam on the arrows should be left till later.

    Once a can is used the contents may set inside the filler tube, so if you do just a few heads and then set the can aside, it may not want to work again and most of the contents would be wasted. Cutting the tube in half gives you another clear tube you can use later. It's a good idea to wait until you have a big batch of arrows ready and foam them all at once--it's less wasteful that way.

17. Set the arrow aside to dry for at least 6 hours. It can be simply laid down for this.
    The Vaseline will prevent the foam from adhering tightly to the shaft. This is the other factor that makes the heads recoverable; the shafts are not bonded to the foam. When the foam dries, if everything goes right, there will be a tunnel down through the foam where the shaft fits. There may be some adhesion, but nowhere near as much as there would have been without the Vaseline.

18. When the foam is fully dry, trim away any excess foam. If foam oozed out the slit where the filler tube was, trim the outside of the funnel smooth. Slide the palette knife down the outside of the shaft in several places, to break any adhesions that did form, and then the shaft can be pulled out of the head. Foam that does stick to the shaft should be chipped off with a thumbnail. Figure
    A thought of note when considering that arrow shafts come in different diameters: It is better to use a larger shaft when making these heads because this gives a larger tunnel through the foam. A small-diameter shaft can then be used with the resulting arrow head, with the outside built up with layers of fiber tape to fit the opening. If you make the heads with small-diameter shafts and then try to put larger shafts in them, they won't fit.

19. Glue the padding to the bottom end of the cylinder and trim it as needed. I use 1-and-1/4" squares, which I trim into octagons. The octagons fit the edge of the cylinder better than squares, it's easier to tape an object with sharp corners than to tape a cylinder, and an octagonal head flies perfectly well if everything else is done right. Figure
    It is acceptable to glue a piece of light leather to the business end of the foam. This makes more noise when it hits, so it's more likely to be noticed therefore accepted as a hit by the victim. You can make a 1-1/4" leather punch by getting a piece of steel tubing of the right inner diameter, and grinding a cutting edge. It has to be a good grade of metal; soft metal will dull too quickly and require constant regrinding.

20. Wrap the outer surface of the assembly with duct tape. Make sure the tape sticks well to the cylinder. MAKE SURE THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE PADDING DOES NOT GO BELOW 1 AND 1/4". Figure
    This taping helps protect the edge of the cylinder. Do NOT use fiber tape for this.

21. Tape the head to a shaft with duct tape. Tape it well enough to make darn sure it won't get knocked off if you draw the arrow too far when shooting. It's a good idea to use straps of tape that have ends firmly on the shaft and that run all the way over the striking end. Figure

    
      That's it. There are all kinds of ways to make warheads; I tried to come up with one that I thought gave me the best balance between time needed, number of production steps, and strength of the final products.

    Some thoughts brought up by other people's comments since I first wrote this:

           You could do without the cones, and just slant tape from the back of the warhead to the shaft for streamlining. Or, you could just glue the cones in place and tape them down, without bothering with the foam filling. Doing these things would be faster and easier. However, without that solidified foam, the backs of the warheads are more likely to be deformed or torn off in shipment or when kicked around the field, and that will destroy the streamlining. If you don't repair the damage between shots, subsequent shots will be less accurate and less powerful.

           If you are in a real hurry you can do without streamlining altogether; just glue the end of the shaft in the wood cylinder and shoot the arrow in that form. I would call this an emergency production-speedup method only. If the back of the warhead is not streamlined, the arrow will not fly as far and it will be less accurate, because of the partial vacuum generated by air flow over a sharp back edge.

           You can glue the shaft and cylinder together; that way you don't have to worry about taping the warhead to the shaft. But, to reuse the head when the shaft breaks you would have to put it in a drill press and drill out the full length of the shaft stub. This would be very tricky, to get the drill alignment just right. And it would be impossible to reuse the head on the field. The point of this design is that when someone steps on your arrow, you can quickly whip the warhead onto a new shaft and put it back into use.

    ---

    A long bow and a strong bow,
    And let the sky grow dark.
    The nock to the cord, the shaft to the ear,
    And a foreign king for a mark!

         -- Stolen from "The Song of the Bosonian Archers" --
                    by Robert E. Howard, who should be
                      the patron saint of Ansteorra