Cresting is the process of marking ones' arrows, making them individual. It makes them easier to locate in a busy boss full of assorted arrows, and even more so if they've "tunnelled" into the grass. It's not compulsory, though.

Cresting machines can be bought for around £200, but it's not a massively complicated thing to build. Especially if you have 40-year-old Lego and kids who have been through that phase and given it back...

The arrow's held between free-turning wheels (the top bit hinges) and above a piece of paper with the pattern marked on it as a guide. The whole structure's held down with a pump clamp.

At the other end we find a powerdrill with a variable speed and trigger lock, with an arrow offcut plugged into a piece of rubber pipe with a 5/16 inner diameter. The arrow pile goes into that, and presto we have revolutions.

The paint is good old Humbrol gloss enamel, laid on with a 1/4" flat-ended brush as the arrow turns. Getting nice straight bands takes a bit of practice, so save some bust arrows for testing this when you're learning.

My crest is green, then white (for my colours), then blue and yellow (for Cheshire). The white band is 1" wide, the others are all 1/2". Then a crimson fine line to make a border around each band. I do all one colour on each arrow, then go back along with another; on any night I try not to do colours that touch, so tonight was green and blue, next will be white and yellow, and finally the red borders.

Some Coldspell again tonight, and a nice cool Hobgoblin to encourage me along.