Recycling a Turkey to make it fly again
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Recycling a Turkey to make it fly again
While I enjoy compound bows and modern bowhunting, my first love is primitive bowhunting. Im a DIY'r and would rather make all my own gear than purchase it. I think this way of going about bowhunting is seeing a resurgence and for that I am glad. Sadly there are not a lot of mentors and fear of failure in many cases keeps people from trying something new. I enjoy passing along what I have learned in nearly 40 years of bowhunting. There may be a guy out there that has the desire to go traditional or even primitive but fears the unknown or doesn't know where to start.
Lets start with the feathers.
I enjoy making my own arrows. Ive been making them for as long as I have been hunting. I started with cedar, then aluminums and now carbons. While I enjoy compounds and recurves,, I also make my own longbows and my own broadheads to hunt with. I took a few pictures of the last batch of feather I am working on. This not the ONLY way to make arrows. Its just one way. There is more than one way to skin a cat and while I love cats, I can’t eat a whole one by myself but I digress.
We save the wings from the birds we kill so we can make them fly again.
I like to use the primary feathers but I also use the secondary feathers if they seem fitting for the purpose.
I trim away both ends that are less than useful.
Turkeys are dirty, smelly, oily birds so the feathers need a bath in warm soapy water
Even though this turkey died once, Its gonna get dyed again. This time red but sometimes green or yellow, etc. I use RIT dye, really hot water and a little vinegar.
After a rinse and air drying.
Lots of folks use a razor knife to split their feathers and I have done it that way for years but I find a 14 tooth very thin bandsaw blade offers more control and is a bit easier/safer.
I fabricated a holder that allows me to grind/sand the base and sides of the feathers. Nothing fancy but it works.
Then a trip on the drill press against a sanding drum with a wood spacer slightly larger in Diameter than the drum to allow for consistent spacing.
I don’t chop my feather although that is a perfectly fine method to employ. I tend to burn my feathers either in advance of fletching using a simple clamp I made from office supplies and a red hot wire.
Or I burn them after fletching (also using a hot wire)
I like to dip and crest my cedars in colors that match the feathers.
I have a few fletching jigs that date back pretty far but for a bit more helical I use this newer Bohning jig.
Here is another batch.
Couple that with a homemade broadhead and it makes for one very satisfying way to pass the time and a way to increase the level of satisfaction and accomplishment when you take game with a homemade bow and homemade arrows that are tipped with homemade heads.
Lets start with the feathers.
I enjoy making my own arrows. Ive been making them for as long as I have been hunting. I started with cedar, then aluminums and now carbons. While I enjoy compounds and recurves,, I also make my own longbows and my own broadheads to hunt with. I took a few pictures of the last batch of feather I am working on. This not the ONLY way to make arrows. Its just one way. There is more than one way to skin a cat and while I love cats, I can’t eat a whole one by myself but I digress.
We save the wings from the birds we kill so we can make them fly again.
I like to use the primary feathers but I also use the secondary feathers if they seem fitting for the purpose.
I trim away both ends that are less than useful.
Turkeys are dirty, smelly, oily birds so the feathers need a bath in warm soapy water
Even though this turkey died once, Its gonna get dyed again. This time red but sometimes green or yellow, etc. I use RIT dye, really hot water and a little vinegar.
After a rinse and air drying.
Lots of folks use a razor knife to split their feathers and I have done it that way for years but I find a 14 tooth very thin bandsaw blade offers more control and is a bit easier/safer.
I fabricated a holder that allows me to grind/sand the base and sides of the feathers. Nothing fancy but it works.
Then a trip on the drill press against a sanding drum with a wood spacer slightly larger in Diameter than the drum to allow for consistent spacing.
I don’t chop my feather although that is a perfectly fine method to employ. I tend to burn my feathers either in advance of fletching using a simple clamp I made from office supplies and a red hot wire.
Or I burn them after fletching (also using a hot wire)
I like to dip and crest my cedars in colors that match the feathers.
I have a few fletching jigs that date back pretty far but for a bit more helical I use this newer Bohning jig.
Here is another batch.
Couple that with a homemade broadhead and it makes for one very satisfying way to pass the time and a way to increase the level of satisfaction and accomplishment when you take game with a homemade bow and homemade arrows that are tipped with homemade heads.
The Joy is in the doing.
Re: Recycling a Turkey to make it fly again
Thanks for sharing even though I will be forced to do the dye now! You got me wanting to see your homemade hunting clothing.
Re: Recycling a Turkey to make it fly again
Great tutorial ron, you and carpdaddy make me envious of your talents. I really like you're feather shaping jig. I knew a guy that used a train set transformer for his
Burner and shaper combined, worked pretty well for him
Burner and shaper combined, worked pretty well for him
Re: Recycling a Turkey to make it fly again
your going to want to be careful how much you encourage me. I think I could crash this site with my pictures and build-alongs.Carpdaddy wrote:Thanks for sharing even though I will be forced to do the dye now! You got me wanting to see your homemade hunting clothing.
The Joy is in the doing.
Re: Recycling a Turkey to make it fly again
I have already tried Staysharp, done three bows on here, a feather build along, and a string build. Keep them coming, would love to see your entire get up, bows and clothing especially!Stay Sharp wrote:your going to want to be careful how much you encourage me. I think I could crash this site with my pictures and build-alongs.Carpdaddy wrote:Thanks for sharing even though I will be forced to do the dye now! You got me wanting to see your homemade hunting clothing.
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Re: Recycling a Turkey to make it fly again
Awesome thread! I have two turkey wing drying in the basement and you've just given me the encouragement to go for it. I really appreciate the pictures and homespun budget wisdom. Thanks for posting! Keep it up!
Aim small, miss small!