LIGHT BOWS & CROSSBOWS for shooting fiberglass shaft ammunition

• Light handbows measure a minimum of 20 pounds to a maximum of 30 pounds at 28 inch draw. Only light handbows may shoot fiberglass shafted arrows.
• Light crossbows measure a minimum of 400 inch pounds to a maximum of 600 inch pounds. Only light crossbows may shoot fiberglass shafted bolts.

Shafts

• The shafts of light combat arrows and bolts must be constructed of ¼ inch diameter solid pultruded fiberglass.
• Arrows - A fiberglass shaft combat arrow has a maximum length of 28 inches. This is measured from where the bowstring touches the nock to the base of the approved tip. The 28 inches length is the maximum length; a shorter length may be used for those having a shorter draw length.
• Crossbow Bolts - The maximum length of a fiberglass shaft combat crossbow bolt is 28 inches as measured from where the prod string touches the bolt to the base of the approved tip. There is no minimum length for a crossbow bolt. Past history has shown crossbow bolts around 14 inches fly well and work on most crossbows.

Tips & APDs (Anti Penetration Devices)

• The new Fathead Blunt produced by Baldar is the suggested tip for use on fiberglass combat shafts for use outside the Middle Kingdom
• The Asgard APDs (Anti Penetration Devices) produced by Baldar is the suggested (Anti Penetration Devices) for use on fiberglass combat shafts for use outside the Middle Kingdom.
• The only adhesive approved for securing either the Fathead Blunt or the Asgard APD onto the fiberglass shaft is either Plumbing GOOP or Marine GOOP adhesive.

Attaching the Fathead blunt onto the fiberglass shaft

1.  Prepare the fiberglass shaft for use.  Cut to length, lightly sand 1 1/2 inches of the shaft ends with medium grit sandpaper and wipe down with acetone.

This sanding will roughen the shaft and helps the APD and Fathead stay on better.   One end of the shaft must be very slightly rounded / tapered to aid in the 1/4" shaft going into the 1/4" inch hole in the core of the blunt.

2.  Measure the distance from the collar of the Fathead Blunt into the shaft hole until it bottoms out.  Mark this distance on your fiberglass shaft.  It is critical that the shaft bottoms completely out into the blunt shaft hole.  Repeat this process for each head and shaft.  This distance will be approximately 1 1/8 inch. 

3.  Inside the Fathead blunt is a UHMW core.  UNHM is short for Ultra High Molecular Weight.  It is a very dense plastic and has a 1/4" diameter hole into which you need to insert your 1/4 inch diameter shaft. The holes are exactly the right size.

Place the end of the fiberglass shaft that you tapered/rounded into the blunt shaft hole.

The blunt should be place on a hard surface suitable for hammering.  Pound with a hammer on the other end of the shaft until the shaft reference line you marked is even or just inside the collar of the blunt.

Attaching the Asgard APD onto the fiberglass shaft

1.  Prepare the Asgard APD for installation.

The shaft hole of the APDs must be roughened up for better adhesion of the adhesive.  Be sure to clean the shaft hole out afterwards

A small weep hole (1/16) must be drilled in the back part of the APD shaft hole to allow excess air and glue to escape

Cut off the nock on the back of the APD and sand flat if you are using it on a crossbow

Leave the nock on the back of the APD if you are using them on a bow

2.  Measure the distance from the collar of the Asgard into the shaft hole until it bottoms out.  Mark this distance on your fiberglass shaft.  It is critical that the shaft bottoms completely out into the APD shaft hole.  Repeat this process for each APD and shaft.  This distance will be approximately 1 3/4 inch plus.   

3.  Put a generous amount of GOOP adhesive over the shaft hole of the APD.  You can also use the end of a strap-lock to push some of the adhesive around the inside of the shaft hole wall.  The Asgard fits the 1/4 inch diameter shafts very snugly.  So snugly, that the shaft will push all the glue to the bottom of the shaft hole.  You must push the shaft in hard enough and twist to get the glue to distribute between the shaft and the APD the length of the shaft hole.

Push the APD onto the shaft until it touches the bottom of the hole and the glue oozes or spurts out the APD hole and weep hole at the other end.  Wipe off the excess adhesive  and check the reference line on the shaft.

After gluing, let the shaft and APD set for at least seven days without moving it in a temperature controlled environment (the room temperature is comfortable for you to be in it).    The adhesive needs to cure slowly to be stronger.  If you short cut this step you APD will not pass inspection because it will be loose.

Taping the Fiberglass Shaft

The fiberglass shaft must be completely covered from behind the blunt, to the front of the Anti-Penetration Device (APD), with fiberglass-reinforced tape (strapping tape).   Use a good grade of strapping tape and it needs to be 1 inch wide.  When finished the entire lenght and width of the fiberglass shaft must be completely covered with the strapping tape.  Electrical tape is NOT to be used for this application.

Cut a piece of tape the needed length.   Length will depend on whether you are making arrows or bolts and the length of the shafts.

Lay one long edge of the tape carefully lengthwise down the shaft.  Get that one edge of tape, the long edge, stuck on the shaft straight before proceeding.  

Roll the shaft a little and then push down the tape lengthwise.  Do this in increments.  Each time you push down thon the tape, you will stick a little bit more of the tape on the shaft.  Roll the shaft, push down on the tape lengthwise, roll the shaft, push on the tape, roll tape….

Do a single wrap of red electrical tape around the angled point of the ASGARD and the shaft.  This will better enable during inspection to determine if the ASGARD is loose on the shaft.  Construction Step added on 06-07-2010

The combat archery ammunition must have the owner’s name and Kingdom displayed clearly on a printed label about 1 inch down from the APD on the top of fiberglass shaft.  The label must be covered with clear tape.  If it is group ammunition, the group name must be used as the owner’s name.

Per Society Standards:  All unapproved weapons shall be marked with alternating bands of red and green tape totaling 6 inches in length. 

Middle Kingdom construction: The first wrap should be green starting at the base of the blunt.  The next wrap (leaving a slight gap) will be red, then green then red.

Taping the Fathead onto the Fiberglass Shaft

The Fathead Baldar is further secured onto the Fiberglass Shaft with red electrical tape.

Using a continual piece of 3⁄4 inch RED electrical tape start right below the Fathead Blunt collar and do a complete wrap around the shaft, stretching it slightly.

After the first wrap around start a slight spiral going from the shaft and onto the collar of the blunt using the same stretching it slightly technique.

There is a ridge/collar up from the end of the blunt.  Use this as the reference line in which you don’t go above it, but do tape around it at least a full turn.

Start a piece of crossover tape at the bottom edge of the tape you used for the first tape wrap around the shaft. You will take the crossover tape up from the bottom, over the top and down the other side to the same reference point.  You will fold one side of the bottom section of the tape edge of the crossover tape onto the shaft.  Repeat for the other side.

Repeat the process to put on your second piece of crossover tape.

Take a piece of tape and do a wrap around the junction of the fiberglass shaft into the blunt. Do two tight wraps with the tape with one half the width on the shaft and the other one half of the tape width on the collar of the blunt.

	The entire length and width of the fiberglass shaft must be covered from behind the blunt, to the front of the Anti-Penetration Device (APD), with fiberglass-reinforced tape (strapping tape).   Electrical tape is NOT to be used for this application.   Roll the shaft a little and then push down the tape lengthwise.  Do this in increments.  Each time you push down thon the tape, you will stick a little bit more of the tape on the shaft.  Roll the shaft, push down on the tape lengthwise, roll the shaft, push on the tape, roll tape….
	Cut a piece of tape the needed length.   Length will depend on whether you are making arrows or bolts and the length of the shafts. Lay one long edge of the tape carefully lengthwise down the shaft.  Get that one edge of tape, the long edge, stuck on the shaft straight before proceeding.
	Roll the shaft a little and then push down the tape lengthwise.  Do this in increments.  Each time you push down thon the tape, you will stick a little bit more of the tape on the shaft.  Roll the shaft, push down on the tape lengthwise, roll the shaft, push on the tape, roll tape….
	The tape job on the finished shaft should be smooth and will be the more experience and practice you get.
	New construction step:  06-07-2010 Do a single wrap of red electrical tape around the angled point of the ASGARD and the shaft.  This will better enable during inspection to determine if the ASGARD is loose on the shaft.
	Caution: There is a trick to using electrical tape.  You need to have gentle pressure to stretch the tape but not enough to over stretch it.  Use a good grade of Red 3⁄4 inch electrical tape to tape the Flathead onto the fiberglass shaft.  Using a continual piece of 3⁄4 inch RED electrical tape start right below the Fathead Blunt collar and do a complete wrap around the shaft stretching it slightly
	After the first wrap around start a slight spiral going from the shaft and onto the collar of the blunt using the same stretching it slightly technique.
	There is a ridge/collar up from the end of the blunt.  Use this as the reference line in which you don’t go above it, but do tape around it at least a full turn then cut the tape.
	What the first step of the taping will look like when you are done.
	Start a piece of crossover tape at the bottom edge of the tape you used for the first  tape wrap around the shaft.
	Take the crossover tape up from the bottom, over the top and down the other side to the same reference point.  You will fold  one side of the bottom section of the tape edge of the crossover tape onto the shaft.  The photo shows one side done and the other ready to be done.
	This is how the first piece of crossover tape will look like.
	Repeat the process to put on your second piece of crossover tape.
	This is how the second piece of crossover tape will look like upon completion.
	Take a piece of tape and do a wrap around the junction of the fiberglass shaft into the blunt. Do two tight wraps with the tape with one half the width on the shaft and the other one half of the tape width on the collar of the blunt.
	You will do two tight wraps with the tape being one half on the shaft and the other one half on the collar of the blunt.
	All combat archery ammunition must have the owner’s name and Kingdom displayed clearly on a printed label in English covered with clear tape on the shaft. If it is group ammunition, the group name must be used as the owner’s name Put your printed label or required information about 1 inch down from the APD on the top of fiberglass shaft. Note: The Avery White Return Address Labels 5267 are 1/2 inches by 1 3/4 inches work well.
	Shot showing the printed label wrapped around the shaft, covered with clear tape that wraps completley around the shaft to protect the label.
	For those of you who made this style of combat arrow or bolt during the experimental testing, not to fear. Remove the tape and you can still use them outside the Middle Kingdom.

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Inspection Standards for Fiberglass Shaft Ammunition & Equipment 

Light Bows & Crossbows

• Use the same inspection standards for checking light bows and crossbows that you do for heavy bows and crossbows.  These inspections standards are located on this site.
• The only differences in the inspection standards are the poundage standards are different and you don’t have to have red marking tape on the prod or bow limb because the equipment is light and the red tape is for marking heavy equipment.
• Light handbows measure a minimum of 20 pounds to a maximum of 30 pounds at 28 inch draw. Only light handbows may shoot fiberglass shafted arrows.
• Light crossbows measure a minimum of 400 inch pounds to a maximum of 600 inch pounds. Only light crossbows may shoot fiberglass shafted bolts.
• Comment: Due to the slight variance that there may be in bow poundage gauges, use some discretion on checking poundage.  A little under is O.K., a little over is not. 

Ammunition Inspection – Experimental Weapon Type

Light Combat Archery Ammunition - Fiberglass Shaft

• You need to be familiar with the construction standards for the type of fiberglass shafted combat arrows / bolts.  This will make inspection much easier to perform.

Tips & APDs (Anti Penetration Devices)

• The new Fathead Blunt produced by Baldar is the suggested tip for use on fiberglass combat shafts to be used outside the Middle Kingdom.
• The Asgard APDs (Anti Penetration Devices) produced by Baldar is the suggested (Anti Penetration Devices) for use on fiberglass combat shafts to be used outside the Middle Kingdom.
• The only adhesive approved for securing either the Fathead Blunt or the Asgard APD onto the fiberglass shaft is either Plumbing GOOP or Marine GOOP adhesive.

	WARNING ! Check to ensure the blunt is the approved "Fathead (the photo to the right) and not the earlier protoype that is the photo to the left and NOT legal. The prototype is two pieces while the approved "Fathead" is three pieces, bottom, center and top. Updated May 16, 2010
	WARNING ! Check the ASGARD APD (Anti-Penetration Device) to insure the shaft opeing that the fiberglass shaft goes into has not cracked or split out. This picture shows a properly seated fiberglass shaft into the ASGARD opening. The below photo shows the ASGARD that has split and cracked. Updated May 16, 2010
	WARNING ! This photo shows an illegal modification to the ASGARD APD.  This modification was made to enable use on a roller nut release crossbow.  While the fiberglass shaft is less than one half an inch beyond the back of the ASGARD it is illegal because the Society Rules only permit three modifications to the ASGARD and this is not one of them.  Updated May 16, 2010

Shafts

• The shafts of light combat arrows and bolts must be constructed of quarter-inch diameter solid pultruded fiberglass.
• Arrows - A fiberglass shaft combat arrow has a maximum length of 28 inches. This is measured from where the bowstring touches the nock to the base of the approved tip. The 28 inches length is the maximum length; a shorter length may be used for those having a shorter draw length.
• Crossbow Bolts - The maximum length of a fiberglass shaft combat crossbow bolt is 28 inches as measured from where the prod string touches the bolt to the base of the approved tip. There is no minimum length for a crossbow bolt. Past history has shown crossbow bolts around 14 inches fly well and work on most crossbows.

How to INSPECT fiberglass shaft ammunition:

Remember, all fiberglass shaft combat archery ammunition are single shot / use. The ammunition is inspected and then shot ONCE.  It may not be gleaned, inspected by the combat archer and re-shot.  After being shot the ammunition must be re-inspected by a qualified marshal before it may be reused.  This inspection is done after the battle.

• You are to inspect the ammunition to ensure that it passes inspection guide lines.  The ammunition is shot once then re-inspected to ensure that it still meets the guidelines.
• There are some differences you need to be aware of to better understand the inspection standards.  For this experimental weapon (fiberglass shafts with approved Asgard APD and Fathead Blunt the ) the “NO MOVEMENT” standard will be used.  This is subject to review after / if the ammo is approved for general use. 
• The following is the standard for checking for movement.  The idea is NOT to break the head or APD loose from the shaft.  Let me repeat that, the idea is NOT to break the heard or APD loose from the shaft.  The inspection is to see IF the head or APD is ALREADY LOOSE on the shaft. 
• Hold the blunt or APD with your thumb and two fingers to check for movement.  This will help you avoid over torque-ing the blunt and APD while doing the inspection. 
• To inspect for movement you take the Fathead blunt in one hand and the Asgard APD in the other.  You do a gentle tug (not a hard yank) in opposite directions, to see if either the APD or Flathead has any movement off the shaft (laterally on the shaft).  Any movement is a fail.
• Next, still holding the Fathead blunt in one hand and the Asgard APD you do a gentle twisting motion to see if either is all ready loose on the shaft.  Any movement is a fail.   Your inspection is NOT to see if you can break the tape or glue loose causing movement.  You inspection is ONLY to see if they are all ready loose.

• New inspection check:   06-07-2010 When you do your gentle twisting motion to see if the ASGARD is loose on the shaft it may seem to move.  This is because The ASGARD is made of flexible material.  Turn it over and look at the angled point of the ASGARD and the shaft.  The electrical tape should be form fitting around the point.  When you gently twist and the point does not move the formed tape, it is fine.  If the point moves under the tape you know it is loose.

The following inspection check list is the minimum (but not maximum)

• Using a bow gauge check the poundage for the bow or crossbow to ensure it is within the minimum and maximum. 
• Comment: Due to the slight variance that there may be in bow poundage gauges, use some discretion on checking poundage.  A little under is less of a concern and O.K. while  a little over is more of a concern and not O.K.
• No movement of the Fathead blunt or Asgard APD using approved testing method described above.
• The entire length and width of the fiberglass shaft must be covered from behind the blunt, to the front of the Anti-Penetration Device (APD), with fiberglass-reinforced tape (strapping tape). Electrical tape is NOT to be used for this application.  
• The combat archery ammunition must have the owner’s name and Kingdom displayed clearly on a printed label about 1 inch down from the APD on the top of fiberglass shaft.  The label must be covered with clear tape that wraps completley around the shaft to protect the label..  If it is group ammunition, the group name must be used as the owner’s name.
• Per Society Standards:  All unapproved weapons shall be marked with alternating bands of red and green tape totaling 6 inches in length. Middle Kingdom construction: The first wrap should be green starting at the base of the blunt.  The next wrap (leaving a slight gap) will be red, then green then red.
• Check the 3/4 inch RED electrical tape securing the Fathead Baldar to the shaft. 
  • Ensure there are there two pieces of tape crisscrossing the head of the Fathead Blunt in an “X” pattern
  • If more than 1/2 of the width of any piece of electrical tape is cracked or broken that piece of ammo is to be failed.  Once retaped it can be re-inspected.
  • Ensure there a tight and secure wrap of electrical tape around the shaft at the junction of  the shaft and the Fathead collar.  One half of the tape is on the collar and the other half is on the shaft. 

Master Erik Erikson the Scout
 Deputy Earl Marshal for Combat Archery
Middle Kingdom
Revision February 23, 2011

Reference Sources:
Society for Creative Anachronism Marshal's Handbook revision date 2 Nov. 2008
The 35-Foot Spear: Combat Archery Resources http://www.havenholde.net/35footspear/