This month the editor of The Bushcraft Magazine Steve Kirk shows you how to make an atlatl thrower and dart.
Part 1 will walk you through making the dart.
Again people I urge you to try these projects, and post your results here. There are to give you a small insight into the type of content in our magazine.
You will need a source of hazel sunshoots. You need to select one about 15mm thick and as tall and straight as you can find (up to 2 metres, not less than 1.5 m) and harvest it.
A selection of prospective darts. Don't worry if they are not dead straight.
Strip off the bark. I prefer to use flint for this as it does not bite into the wood as readily as a knife.
Sharpen the thicker end; no need to add a flint tip, it will only break the first time you hit a stone.
Now harden both ends in a fire. I used last night's embers. No need to char, particularly the end that will carry the flights.
Fletching is the fiddly bit. You will need a selection of large feathers. Also a sharp knife, all-purpose glue, thread-thin cordage. Coloured wool and beads are optional for your tribe's decorative style.
You will need to split two feathers. Feathers are asymmetric and have a wide side and a narrow side. Use two wide sides and one narrow for your flights.
On the underside of the feather a groove runs down the centre of the quill. Use this to guide the knife cut.
Put glue at the bottom end of the quill and hold it to the shaft at the narrow end of the dart until it stays independently.
Once you have three (at an angle of 120 degrees roughly) you can secure them in place with cord of some kind.
Then run glue along the underside of the cut quill - the white flat/slightly hollow edge that is going to press against the dart. Tie your thin cord/thread around the base and slowly rotate the dart so that the thread spirals up to the top, passing through the feathers at an angle and pulling the glued edge against the shaft.
Tie it off, glue it and bind it with decorative thread. Or sinew or whatever you like.
Bind and glue the end where the cut quills are. I also decorated mine by adding a bead.
By rotating the tip of a knife, put a dimple in the end to act as a nock for the little hook on the atlatl that you are going to make in a couple of days time.
The finished dart.
I like to mark mine with a bit of pyography using the tip of a red hot poker.
A selection of darts.
Hope you enjoy this project, and look forward to seeing what you guys make.
Making the atlatl thrower will come in a few days time.
Part 1 will walk you through making the dart.
Again people I urge you to try these projects, and post your results here. There are to give you a small insight into the type of content in our magazine.
You will need a source of hazel sunshoots. You need to select one about 15mm thick and as tall and straight as you can find (up to 2 metres, not less than 1.5 m) and harvest it.
A selection of prospective darts. Don't worry if they are not dead straight.
Strip off the bark. I prefer to use flint for this as it does not bite into the wood as readily as a knife.
Sharpen the thicker end; no need to add a flint tip, it will only break the first time you hit a stone.
Now harden both ends in a fire. I used last night's embers. No need to char, particularly the end that will carry the flights.
Fletching is the fiddly bit. You will need a selection of large feathers. Also a sharp knife, all-purpose glue, thread-thin cordage. Coloured wool and beads are optional for your tribe's decorative style.
You will need to split two feathers. Feathers are asymmetric and have a wide side and a narrow side. Use two wide sides and one narrow for your flights.
On the underside of the feather a groove runs down the centre of the quill. Use this to guide the knife cut.
Put glue at the bottom end of the quill and hold it to the shaft at the narrow end of the dart until it stays independently.
Once you have three (at an angle of 120 degrees roughly) you can secure them in place with cord of some kind.
Then run glue along the underside of the cut quill - the white flat/slightly hollow edge that is going to press against the dart. Tie your thin cord/thread around the base and slowly rotate the dart so that the thread spirals up to the top, passing through the feathers at an angle and pulling the glued edge against the shaft.
Tie it off, glue it and bind it with decorative thread. Or sinew or whatever you like.
Bind and glue the end where the cut quills are. I also decorated mine by adding a bead.
By rotating the tip of a knife, put a dimple in the end to act as a nock for the little hook on the atlatl that you are going to make in a couple of days time.
The finished dart.
I like to mark mine with a bit of pyography using the tip of a red hot poker.
A selection of darts.
Hope you enjoy this project, and look forward to seeing what you guys make.
Making the atlatl thrower will come in a few days time.
