• You must commit and complete all twelve hours worth of coaching sessions.
• If you cannot attend the first two sessions then you will not be eligible to qualify for completion and must withdraw from the course.
• If you miss any one of the remaining 4 sessions you can arrange a “catch-up” individual session with one of the coaches at your own expense.
  This is likely to be a Thursday evening at the coach’s discretion.
  Just ask on the appropriate night.
• Remember your booking fee is non refundable –
  except for the following condition:-
  • If you find you cannot attend for any reason, in advance of the course beginning, you must advise me or one of the coaches
    at least two full weeks in advance to give us a chance to fill your place with another attendee.
  • If your place can be filled you will be eligible for a rebate.
  • If you cannot complete the course, already started, due to illness you will be given special dispensation on a follow-up course.

Course booking, duration and attendance criteria:-

• Courses run each Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 9:00 with a mid term break, and for six consecutive weeks.
• The cost for the course is £50.00 per person payable in advance.
  Cheques made payable to ASSHETON BOWMEN must be posted to:-
  Bob Moodie, 45 Alexandra Road, Sale, Cheshire, M33 3EF
• Due to Child Protection requirements do please note -
  If a Junior attends a course a Parent or Guardian must also attend the same course.
  If a Junior joins the club then a Parent or Guardian must also join
• Upon completion of the course the lead coach issues a pass certificate where he deems you’ve successfully completed the course.
  You are then eligible to join the club as a fully qualified archer.
  Club membership for juniors starts at age 9 however 8 year olds may start a beginners course provided their birthday falls a couple of months after the course starts
• The club also has a Child Protection Officer as requires by the CPA, and will be on hand at the start and completion of each course. Her job is to guide the juniors and parents through registration and other legal requirements. Also on a day to day basis (on club days) to act as confidant for all juniors, and handle any problems or fears they have.

CLICK HERE TO CONFIRM YOU ACCEPT CONDITIONS

A brilliant day……a big thanks for all the helpers, visitors & guests that donated to a worthy cause

LAA Coaches are holding their Annual Coaching Clinic at Assheton on the 24th March 2012

Course costs £15 Per Person for a full day.

The Church contains an early 16th Century stained glass window commemorating the safe return of a body of archers from Middleton who, under the command of Sir Richard Assheton, were instrumental in securing a victory for the English King at the Battle of Flodden Field.

A compound bow is a modern bow that uses a levering system, usually of cables and pulleys, to bend the limbs.

The limbs of a compound bow are much stiffer than those of a recurve bow or longbow. This limb stiffness makes the compound bow more energy-efficient than other bows, in conjunction with the pulley/cams. The compound bow has its string applied to pulleys (cams), and one or both of the pulleys have one or more cables attached to the opposite limb. When the string is drawn back, the string causes the pulleys to turn. When the draw commences, the archer has reduced mechanical advantage, but during the draw, as the pulley cams rotate, and the archer gains mechanical advantage over the bending limbs, more energy is stored, in comparison to other bows.

The use of this levering system gives the compound bow a characteristic draw-force curve which rises to a peak weight and then “lets off” to a lower holding weight.

The compound bow is little-affected by changes in temperature and humidity and it gives superior accuracy, velocity, and distance in comparison to other bows. The compound bow was first developed in 1966 by Holless Wilbur Allen in Missouri, and a US patent was granted in 1969. The compound bow has become increasingly popular. In the United States, the compound is the dominant form of bow.

For more information, please see Ian Cottam at the club

Information on arrow making is available below:-

MAKING WOODEN ARROWS

To make your own Arrows & shoot them from a Bow that you have also made is probably one the greatest delights in Archery.

We are fortunate at AB that we run courses to teach members the skills that are required to build Bows and Arrows.

Why pay £75/100 for a set of arrows, when, if you apply our skills correctly you can make arrows that will FLY TRUE. Fancy arrows that don’t fly well are worse than useless.

It is our intention to assist you in building your own arrows. This is not to say that our way is either the best or only method.

The method we use will allow you to make arrows that are accurately spined & weighted & will fly true. We would suggest that, unless you shoot many competitions, that you make arrows in sets of EIGHT. This way you can make 2 sets of arrows for different conditions. e.g. 4” fletchings for short distance, 2½” for long distance.

Before we start there are a number of items that you need to ensure that your arrows will be well made & fly true.

1)      Grain scales.(to ensure that all your arrows are the same weight)

2)      Spine Jig. ( to ensure that your arrows are the same spine)

3)      Taper Cutter. ( to cut the tapers for the Nocks & Points)

4)      Fletchings ( Type, length, colour)

5)      Fletching Jigs ( many different types)

6)      Points ( Type & weight)

7)      Nocks ( type & weight)

8)      Glue ( Fletching & Point)

9)      Decals ( very Individual)

10)    Crestings ( many different Colours)

11)     Sandpaper (120, 250 & 320 grit)

12)    Varnish ( Rustins is very hard finish & easy to apply )

13)    Sharp Knives, Side Cutters, Scissors, a small Guillotine & Latex gloves

14)    Shafts (between 8 & 12)

15)    Feather Burner

16)    Shaft cutting jig.

17)    Cresting Jig

18)    Sanding Sealer.

19)    An arrow holding block.( a 3”x2” wood block with 12 holes in it)

20)   Arrow speed Chronograph.

Whilst all the equipment is necessary, the Spine Jig, Shaft cutter, Cresting Jig, Feather burner, Chronograph are expensive to buy & you may borrow these to avoid the expense of buying.

Grain Scales

SHAFT WEIGHT. This is measured in Grains.

Begin by weighing all shafts & select between 15 & 18 that weigh within 5 to 10 grains of each other. The closer the weight the better the arrows will be.

SPINING is the amount that a shaft bends under an 880gram or 2lb load.

We then spine our shafts to obtain a set of shafts that are within ONE spine of each other. The more accurate the better.

ACCURACY does have a down side. The higher grade of Arrows that you choose to make the more expensive it will be in both time, effort & the number of shafts that you need to check to obtain a matched set.

WEIGHING & SPINING is the most time consuming element of arrow building but if you  don’t get it right your arrows will not have been worth the trouble making.

If you can find someone who will supply arrows that are already spined & weighted this will save you a huge amount of bother.

WE NOW HAVE OUR SHAFTS Initially leave the shafts at full length but then cut the NOCK taper on all the shafts. At this stage we fit the NOCKS (tightly) BUT DO NOT GLUE THEM ON.

CRESTING COLOUR, select your colour cut your crestings to size, cut the crestings so that when an arrow is nocked you can immediately check your BRACING HEIGHT &  then stick them in position.( they are self-adhesive)

Select all your cock feathers & flight feathers.

Using the side cutters trim the TAIL of all the feathers, then trim the front of ONE FEATHER to length and use this feather to trim all the remaining feathers to the SAME LENGTH.

Select a shaft & your cock feather, decide how far down the shaft you want this to be (I suggest between ½” & 1”). Insert your shaft into the FLETCHING JIG & glue the fletching in place. I use SUPERGLUE (but considerable care is needed).

Complete all the remaining shafts.

Check & remove the NOCKS then glue them into position using FLETCHING glue (NPV) ensuring the correct alignment is obtained. (Now you know why we don’t glue them initially)

Now select your other fletchings & glue in position, again using SUPERGLUE. You will notice that all coloured arrows have a WHITE BASE LINE. Use permanent markers to colour this white line, the same colour as the fletchings. This is a good final touch.

At this stage you can BURN the feathers to any shape or size that you want, This is a very sticky skill to learn. However these of you who want to go along this line. We will teach you.

When all your Fletchings are complete, TOP & TAIL THEM. This means putting a DAB of NPV glue on the front & back tips of all the feathers.

DECALS  are numbered 1 to 12 with your Initials & the AB Club Crest on.

We can now put the decals on. They are water based.  You cut to around the outline & then soak in water for about 45 secs. until the decal slides. They are then carefully slid onto the shaft below the cock feather. Carefully remove any bubbles & excess water & leave to dry for about 30 minutes.

SHAFT LENGTH

The shaft length is your draw length plus at least 1 ½”. Remember that you always shorten your arrows but you can only lengthen them by making them into footed arrows. (Yet another skill that is worth attempting. Instruction is available)

Cut your arrows to size using the SHAFT cutting jig, and then cut the point tapers.

Clean your points in a degreasing agent; cleanliness is vital to ensure that the POINTS adhere properly to the shafts. Using a TWO PART EPOXY RESIN to glue the points on; allow to dry for 20 minutes.

FINISHING

Sandpaper your shafts using the 120 grit paper, clean off, sand with the 250, clean & then the 320 grit. Clean off & thoroughly COAT the shafts with Sanding sealer. By now your shafts will be very smooth.

VARNISHING

Always wear Latex Gloves. A BRUSH is preferable to apply the Varnish which is Rustins two part. This is a very hard & high gloss varnish.

Lightly apply a coat varnish, allow to dry (20 minutes) lightly sand with USED 320 grit. Varnish again, allow to dry, sand again. Now give your shafts the THIRD & final coat of varnish, allow to dry. Using buffing cream applied with a cloth & buff all your arrows. Your ARROWS should now be HIGHLY polished & very smooth.

TESTING YOUR ARROWS.

F.O.C .  Forward of centre (what is this & why we check it?) This is basically the balance point of the arrow. This should be between 8% &10% beyond the centre of the arrow, towards the point  For most purposes this is about 1.4”

For a set to be truly matched the F.O.C. should be the same for all of your Arrows.

Shoot all your arrows through a speed chronograph at 10 yards. Ideally they should all register the same speed. Any speed over 100mph is good for Wooden arrows

Try all your arrows from 20 yards. They should all fly true.

Peter Carr