Building a Dagorhir Arrow

Special thanks to Scion d'Ur of the Dagorhir realm of Angaron for this incredible contribution in developing these pages, instructions, and splendid graphics. While this design is not the only one allowed or in use, it is a recognized standard highly recommended for safety and longevity.

This should work for wood, aluminum and carbon shafts.

The illustrations show carbon shafts.

(there are quite a few images so it may take a while to load.)

NOTE: Wooden shaft arrows need to be wrapped in duct tape.

Start with a bare arrow shaft about 31 or 32 inches long. That way, after the head is built, the bottom of the arrow will be the 28" mark. If the arrow still has a tip, REMOVE IT! They can be twisted off with a pair of pliers. Wrap the tip with a 1 to 1.5 inch wide strip of duct tape, flush to the tip, so that it's about the diameter of a penny.

Add a penny to the top and run strips of duct tape over it, strapping it down. Adding some epoxy to the bottom of the penny is recommended, but not necessary.

Add more strips of tape around and over top until there is NO WAY the arrowhead can push past the penny and through the tape and following applications of foam.

Applying contact cement to the arrow tip sides and top and to a strip of closed cell foam, wrap a layer of foam around the arrowhead, flush to the top. Cut out two discs of closed cell foam and adhere to the top of the arrowhead with contact cement.

Wrap the arrowhead once again with a strip of closed cell foam so it wraps around the first ring and the discs. Attach a 3 to 4 inch block of gray open cell computer packing foam. White couch cushion foam may be too soft. The open cell foam should have some amount of resistance to it, or else the open cell compresses too fast and the harder closed cell foam hits with almost the full 35 lbs of force.

Wrap a strip of duct tape around where the open cell joins the closed cell. Cover with yellow cloth and tape down the cover and bottom of the arrow head with more duct tape. It is important to test the arrow head to see if it wobbles.

While the arrow nock should be secured in place with some sort of adhesive, wrap a small piece of tape around the nock holding it to the arrow shaft.

Last, but not least, mark the 28" point along the shaft from the nock and wrap a strip of duct tape so that you cannot draw the arrow past that point. This is the "draw stop" and will prevent an arrow to be fired at greater than 35 lbs pull.

Here's an alternate design for adding the closed cell foam to the penny-wrap... (The yellow foam on top of the grey is softer couch cushon foam.)

-Scion d'Ur