Having made hundreds of atlatl darts and driven myself quite mad with all the hand fletching and straightening, I have worked out a quick and easy way to make a pretty decent dart.
You'll need: A bamboo pole about 6' long and as straight as you can find. The diameter is really up to you but about 12mm at the thick end is good. Fletchings and jute cord.
step one: cut a point in the thick end, a simple 30 degree or so bevel will work fine. cut from a node and make the point fairly short. Bind just behind the point with the jute cord.
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it's a shocking photo but you get the idea
step two: cut the nock end down to a node then hollow out a depression for the point of your spearthrower spur to go in. Bind with cord.
step three: take two feathers (any bird will do but primary flights will be better) and tie them onto the back end of the spear. Tie them on whole just like bushman arrows. The feathers should face different directions. You could also use duct tape and I have fletched darts with squirrel tails.
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it doesn't look pretty but man it works I was out throwing this dart today and it fared pretty well it went neatly into both 3ds and straw bales. Frustrating it out performed a hazel oak dart that took hours to make. The bamboo point doesn't like hard surfaces too much but at least when it breaks you can take the feathers off and make a new one.
You'll need: A bamboo pole about 6' long and as straight as you can find. The diameter is really up to you but about 12mm at the thick end is good. Fletchings and jute cord.
step one: cut a point in the thick end, a simple 30 degree or so bevel will work fine. cut from a node and make the point fairly short. Bind just behind the point with the jute cord.
it's a shocking photo but you get the idea
step two: cut the nock end down to a node then hollow out a depression for the point of your spearthrower spur to go in. Bind with cord.
step three: take two feathers (any bird will do but primary flights will be better) and tie them onto the back end of the spear. Tie them on whole just like bushman arrows. The feathers should face different directions. You could also use duct tape and I have fletched darts with squirrel tails.
it doesn't look pretty but man it works I was out throwing this dart today and it fared pretty well it went neatly into both 3ds and straw bales. Frustrating it out performed a hazel oak dart that took hours to make. The bamboo point doesn't like hard surfaces too much but at least when it breaks you can take the feathers off and make a new one.