I just purchased my first woodsman broadheads. I am now in the process of sharpening them. I have read the posts and watched the videos on the subject, but I am not having much luck. I have painted the edges with a sharpie and am trying to get a uniformed edge with a bastard file but it is taking forever. Is this normal?
Chris, you may need to clean your file, try a wire brush and some brake cleaner if the teeth are clogged with metal. I read a thread a while back about using a belt sander and some 120 grit paper. I have to get a new 120 grit belt and I'm going to try that out next.
I just posted a couple days ago about having trouble sharpening snuffers. The post is titled Dull Snuffers. With some helpful tips I was able to figure out how to get them shaving sharp.
Reaper could be right about your file being clogged up with filings. My Dad always used a wire brush to clean out his files. If your file still don't seem like it's cutting I'd suggest picking up a new one. I bought mine from Sears.
Good luck I hope you'll be able to get those heads sharp.
you can take a flat stone and run it back and forth on that.Go ahead and paint your edges again so that you get an even edge all the way around. test your edge by pushing it through a piece of paper. It should make a clean cut and there should not be any paper fibers on the edges.
a file cleaning might do the trick. im not sure how your using the file, but i would recomend finding a single cut wide file and lay it on the table and push the head down the file with moderate pressure.
If your file isn't a brand new one it problably needs to be. A brand spanking new file should make very short work of that job.
I use a flat stone to sharpen my Woodsman Elites....I screw them onto a 6" piece of arrow shaft to help me get a better hold, then I apply moderate pressure and slide the head forward across the oiled stone. I do 5 strokes on each side before going to the next side. When all 3 sides have been hit I do 5 more strokes per side rotating the broadhead between strokes. Then I switch to the med stone. On the med. stone I rotate to the next side after each stroke ( usually about 10 strokes per side), then to the fine stone. On the fine I do about 15-20 strokes per side rotating sides between each stoke and I lighten up with the pressure I apply in the last 5 strokes....They are VERY SHARP when Im done. This is what I do when the head's been shot into foam, if its got real bad you might have to hit it with the coarse stone more
I have a brand new file. The problem seems to be that the edge of the broadheads are not consistent. They almost seem to be concave. I am only getting the bottom of the broadhead and the tip touching on the file.
You'll have to keep working those high sections down until the edge is uniform and the concave area is gone.
QuoteOriginally posted by ALwoodsman:
I have a brand new file. The problem seems to be that the edge of the broadheads are not consistent. They almost seem to be concave. I am only getting the bottom of the broadhead and the tip touching on the file.
that's it, that's yer problem - not getting the blade edges dead straight.
it CAN be done with a file (new one!) with a WHOLE buncha elbow grease.
but i'd rather use a sanding station belt, or belt sander, and 120 grit abrasive. makes super quick work of evening out the blades, and taking off that needle nose point - you wanna "chisel" that a bit.
there ya go - have at it and get those killer woodsman shaving sharp in less time that it took me to type this post up! :wavey:
I thought that was the problem. I will try the belt sander at work. I just didn't realize how much work it would be using a file. Especially when it is 100 degrees in the garage!
be carefull when using a belt sander
keep the head cool or ya may loose the temper
and end up with soft cutting edge
I use a mill bastard file to do the initial work, then a mill smooth file to finish. Once done with the files, I strop the head by pulling it across a piece of paper. Wicked sharp when Im done.
I've always used a file to get the edges even, but that hasn't been much of a problem with the last few heads I've gotten. The Woodsman "Elite" has been especially easy to get true. Newer heads also have the needle point nocked down out of the box.
Are you working on some older heads? They definitely took some elbow grease, and a little care to get true from the box. Some of the first ones I had a few years back left a lot of fillings on the bench by the time they were ready for stones...
When you buy a new file use a piece of chalk on it before using it on any metal. This prevents "pinning" which is when steel shavings wad up between the teeth and smooth out your file. Nicholson and Grobet are about the best out there. I can take new woodsmens or snuffers and get them shaving sharp with the file in a short time. If you get to the point where the edges look clean but not shaving sharp use a lighter touch.
I know this will sound like heresy to some people, but why bother getting the blades flat when sharp is what we are after?
I use a 6 inch chain-saw raker file and the sharpie marker comes off in less than 20 strokes per side. I then reduce pressure to almost no pressure at all and use a "count down" -- 8 strokes across a pair of blades, then 7, then 6, etc.
After the "count down" I finish the edges with very light strokes with the side of the raker file (the sides of these files have no teeth) as if I was using a sharpening steel on a butcher knife.
Shaving sharp in no time. Yes, the blades may be a little dished in, but who cares if they are razor sharp, and they still spin true?
And, raker files are really cheap at the hardware store. I make little wood handles out of 3 inch pieces of thin tree branches, and I put them on all my raker files. I always have a raker file in my pack.
This is an inexpensive and sure way to get a Snuffer or a WW shaving sharp every time.
Give it a try.
Joe
There is also a big difference in the quality of files. It's well worth the money to get a good one.
I use the grinder then a flat file. Just for the heck of it I tried sharpening one with my hollow ground files that I use on my two blades, pulled them through three times each and hit them lightly on the crock sticks and they were unbelievably sharp, the hair jumped off my arm.
I've gotten the woodsman flat with just a bastard file...but it took a long time. once I did, however,i was able to get it shaving sharp with just the file, if you went light enough.
Just have patience!
I got my new 120 grit belts about a week ago and put my belt sander in the vice upsidedown. This method removes material so much quicker and easier than my file. These Woodsmans are already sharper than I have ever been able to get them with a file. I'm going to try some light strokes on my finest grit stone next. Then strope on some cardboard. I have my fingers crossed.
I'm not saying that this is the situation with any of you fellows, but I see so many guys these days that simply don't understand the basics of producing a cutting edge. They don't seem to understand what I call "burr technology":^)
I do mine like Jake said file them get the edge straight then go to super light strokes to finish the edge to shaving sharp
'Initial Sharpening' is done on the belt sander for me....the goal is to get them sharp...and the best way to to that is to get ALL the bevels the same and FLAT....NOT concave to a level surface like most come.
Once the Bevels are equal and flat....it s cinch to get them sharp on most diamond stones, soft stone, ceramic etc....
QuoteOriginally posted by Gary Logsdon:
I'm not saying that this is the situation with any of you fellows, but I see so many guys these days that simply don't understand the basics of producing a cutting edge. They don't seem to understand what I call "burr technology":^)
Bingo!
I coach self-procaimed "sharpening challenged" people everyday and I find that the issue is almost never a lack of hand-eye co-ordination or manual dexterity, the majority of sharpening failure is due to a lack of understanding of the process. Knowing what the goal of each stage of the sharpening process is, and being able to recognize when that goal has been achieved is far more important than anything else.
The most important tip I can give as to sharpening any type of blade is this: 90% of sharpening anything is accomplished at the coarsest stage, be that a file, belt sander or your coarsest stone. If we don't get the blade sharp (and I mean very sharp) right at stage one, then moving on to finer grits will only polish the bevels, it will not get the blade any sharper. (translation- your coarsest stone or file is your best friend).
Ron
Hey Mr.Ron i have a kme and love it. Im am trying to sharpen 4blade deltas on it. I can work around the bleeders but i have to run the stone length ways of the blades i can barely get it to shave will this get one poppin hair sharp? im wandering if im goin past the edge like im sharpening too much? Thanks to all
Terry's deal works.The belt sander takes the work out of it.After the sander I hit just a few strokes with good file and then the diamond stone for a polished edge.
good luck
I got the blades flat on one, but man it took alot of metal off. I tried a different way of sharpening where, instead of pushing or pulling 2 of the blades down the file. you run a file across 2 of the blades while the head is on an arrow. I had one shaving sharp in about 3 minutes with this method.
Ron's right . . . hey, that sounds kinda catchy!!
I use a 6" file but use it as Dale shows in his video on how to sharpen the woodsman. I ride out the bend in the head so I don't remove as much metal. Just another way of doing things.
back up,
question on the sanding belt, when you initially even out the grind, are you placing the WW perpendicular to the belt? Or Paralell.
I'm assuming light pressure.
1. Do you mount the head to a small secton of shaft.
2. Hold it with Pliers
I've got a dozen originals, and I'm liking the belt sander idea more and more...
QuoteOriginally posted by Rob DiStefano:
QuoteOriginally posted by ALwoodsman:
I have a brand new file. The problem seems to be that the edge of the broadheads are not consistent. They almost seem to be concave. I am only getting the bottom of the broadhead and the tip touching on the file.
that's it, that's yer problem - not getting the blade edges dead straight.
it CAN be done with a file (new one!) with a WHOLE buncha elbow grease.
but i'd rather use a sanding station belt, or belt sander, and 120 grit abrasive. makes super quick work of evening out the blades, and taking off that needle nose point - you wanna "chisel" that a bit.
there ya go - have at it and get those killer woodsman shaving sharp in less time that it took me to type this post up! :wavey: [/b]
Cha ching! Rob nailed it. :thumbsup:
I'd only add that whenever we're sharpening or filing any kind of blade, if we go 5 minutes without making
very noticable progress... that means whatever stone grit or file we're using isn't coarse enough.
I'd also use a 50 or 60 grit belt (zirconia, or silicon carbide) to quickly flatten the heads without generating a bunch of heat. Once all the ink is gone and you've got a nice burr running tip to tail on all 3 blades it's all over but the shaving.
Ron
QuoteOriginally posted by Gator1:
back up,
question on the sanding belt, when you initially even out the grind, are you placing the WW perpendicular to the belt? Or Paralell.
I'm assuming light pressure.
1. Do you mount the head to a small secton of shaft.
2. Hold it with Pliers
I've got a dozen originals, and I'm liking the belt sander idea more and more...
Mitch, hold the BHD parallel with the tip pointing the same direction that the belt is turning. I don't mount the head on a section of shaft but you could. I've personally never had a BHD catch and get thrown but it certainly could happen. Gotta be very careful with power tools. If you're not comfortable with it don't do it. Call me if you need help.
Ron