# Arrow straightening of Aluminium arrows who does it How?



## arc2x4 (Jun 4, 2007)

Hi All,

I know lots of folks have gone to carbon arrows these days.
For those of you who did shoot aluminium, or still do, how did you straighten arrows that were slightly wobbly or bent?

What tool did you use, how well did it work, what is the technique used with the tool, please describe in detail.

Anyone have a straightener that they are willing to sell at a reasonable price??

Thanks


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

arc -

There are a number or arrow dial-type straighteners on the market. They all work well providing you have the patience to take your time when doing it. Depending on the type of bend and it's location I can usually get most arrows back to near factory specs.

On a related note, there was an article by Mckinney (IIRC) a while back, about just how straight an arrow had to be to produce good groups at 50 yds or there-abouts. I believe he said that 0.010" TIR was all that was needed.

Viper1 out.


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## arc2x4 (Jun 4, 2007)

So what is your preferred piece of equipment? 
Last night I was able to straigten one arrow pretty good using my eye, a set of spinners that came with my arrow saw, and my thumbs. Almost perfect, refletched and its good to go!!

The second arrow was more problematic, bent in two places rather than just bowed.
I got pretty close on one end and then the other was way off.

I Broke the arrow in two trying to bend it, too far I guess, it was an old X7 1914, a blue one with the old swaged nock. Unknown how many miles or how old it was since I bought it used off AT.


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## VinZ (Apr 30, 2007)

Something like this will do very nicely. But is costly (140 euro).

Be aware that X7 aluminium is so hard that after you have made it straight again there is a good change it won't fall into a group anymore. I wouldn't straighten X7 more then 2 times.


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## Greg Bouras (Nov 17, 2006)

After many hours of attempting to straighten a bent aluminum arrow I have come up with a seven step 100% effective process!

1. Spin arrow to make sure it is bent.

2. Firmly grasp the arrow at the fletch end and the point end.

3. Swing arms down so that center section of arrow firmly contacts the knee.

4. If arrow does not break into two pieces repeat 3 step.

5. Remove point, insert and nock as appropriate.

6. Throw the two halves into the aluminum recycle container.

7. Pause for a moment of silence.


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## Warbow (Apr 18, 2006)

Greg Bouras said:


> 3. Swing arms down so that center section of arrow firmly contacts the knee.


Sounds dangerous 

I've got an Apple straightener, which is adjustable in much the same way as the straightener above, but has nylon washers that are less likely to dent the arrow (which it does on occasion). But, fancy as it is, arrow straightening with an expensive straightener is a skill that takes time to develop, as different kinds of bends (short, long, compound) take different approaches and you can easily make the arrow worse--especially since arrows are _tempered_ aluminum and you have to bend the arrow past straight in the opposite direction to get the arrow to take a set, and how much to do that takes experience to know. I'm getting better, but Greg's approach is still the most reliable, though expensive, method.


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## arc2x4 (Jun 4, 2007)

So I could wear my kevlar gloves and use my thumbs then?

Does anyone have experience with the greyling version?


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## Greg Bouras (Nov 17, 2006)

Warbow said:


> Sounds dangerous
> 
> I've got an Apple straightener, which is adjustable in much the same way as the straightener above, but has nylon washers that are less likely to dent the arrow (which it does on occasion). But, fancy as it is, arrow straightening with an expensive straightener is a skill that takes time to develop, as different kinds of bends (short, long, compound) take different approaches and you can easily make the arrow worse--especially since arrows are _tempered_ aluminum and you have to bend the arrow past straight in the opposite direction to get the arrow to take a set, and how much to do that takes experience to know. I'm getting better, but Greg's approach is still the most reliable, though expensive, method.



A portion of the moment of silence can/should be used to answer why the arrow got bent and then how to prevent reoccurance. 

An alternative approach to the coupe de' grau method mentioned above is to: 

1.) straighten the aluminum arrow by hand, thumbs work well for this.
2.) Put arrow in the small game hunting quiver. 
3.) Take quiver of bent arrows and recurve bow on a outing for Mr. Cottontail.

This is a very good use for a bent but shootable arrows, and you will have a much better time than will otherwise been had by trying to straighten.


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

I straighten arrows all the time. The JOAD program I work with and almost every other large group I work with uses Alu arrows. Mostly x7. Some jazz and some xx75's

I use a modified Covy arrow straightener. It's very effective and I can straighten most arrows in about 10-15 minutes and they pretty much all spin test to about 1mil or .001

A picture of the straightener before modification








and a closer view of the main







.


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## Warbow (Apr 18, 2006)

dchan said:


> I use a modified Covy arrow straightener. It's very effective and I can straighten most arrows in about 10-15 minutes and they pretty much all spin test to about 1mil or .001


David's straightener is rather neat. It doesn't use a dial indicator, but instead uses a reference rod sticking out one end. You manually rotate the arrow and observe how much the arrow changes in distance from the reference point (wobbles)--which is what I find myself doing with the Apple straightener even with my dial indicator straightener, i.e. eyeballing or feeling the difference.

Also, the way David's straightener works gives it a great deal of leverage on the ends, much more so than the common 3-point press-style of straightener and is especially well suited to bends at the ends of arrows.

It is too bad arrow straighteners of this type are not still sold.


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