Ok guys, I need some help. There has to be some element that i am missing. I have tried everything from a Jewel stick to KME. My latest try and the one I thought I had it nailed PLEASE someone lend me some advice.
Start off with 200 grit sandpaper with the KME then move up to 400,600,800,1000, finally 2000 and then wet 2000 then I finish it off with a leather strop.
The heads are sharp.. Just not sharp enough for.. well.. my moose hunt.
Someone please lend some advice.
my best suggestion is, as you progress to the finishing strokes, go at it with a lighter and lighter touch. THEN WHEN YOU'VE GOT IT SHARP>>>STOP!
Its all about the angle you have the edge at(must maintain it)and as mentioned above go slower and less pressure toward the end of the sharpening phase.Try it without hitting the strop and see how sharp it is. In the final steps of sharpening the key is to remove the rolled edge.
Are your heads single or double bevel. Look in the "How to" section Charlie Lamb does a good follow along.
Doing so many steps you may be rounding the edge over in the process.Try a coarse and then a fine stone.
The biggest mistake people make when using an abrasive grit whether it be diamond or sand paper is as mentioned above, too much pressure. Also, make sure you are traveling the edge the distane of the sharpening stone. In other words short strokes makes it harder to sharpen.
If your diamond stone is 6 inches long, use all of it you can, and rotate sides between strokes unless using a file. But what ever you use efinately lighten up each times you change sides and decrease licks, or use very light pressure cause the new sharpening blocks,stones, files, etc..., are extremely hard and to much pressure causes the edge to be dulled instead of sharpened.
God Bless
If using a KME, you don't worry about the angle because you can't change the angle you're holding the blade because the jig keeps it the same angle throughout.
It's probably got to do with the amount of pressure you're putting on the blade as you're sharpening. Don't wanna use too much pressure. Also, I've never used sandpaper as my stone. I only use a course stone and a fine Arkansas stone.
I don't even use leather and still I get my 2-blade heads shaving sharp on my KME broadhead sharpener.
What AWPForester said as well.
:thumbsup:
If you have a KME, do yourself a favor and call Ron at KME. He makes an awesome product, and will walk you right thru it. When your off the phone with him, you will be looking for all kinds of things to sharpen.
Call RON, x2!
He will get you mthru the process.
I've had the same woes. I'm hoping Ray Hammond can teach me next weekend. :bigsmyl:
If you watch even a good person, you will learn faster than on your own. It got me going very well
It sounds like you are using to much pressure. The only pressure that is applied downward should be from the weight of the broadhead.
I don't know about the KME, but I had some trouble also, until I watched Charlie Lamb work his magic with a large file and a 6" file. NOw thats all I sharpen my broadheads with. As you get closer to the finish lighten the strokes until only the weight of the file is all that you are applying. Hope this helps :wavey: :campfire:
Likely too much pressure
Could be pressure but do yourself a favor and buy a quality stone(s). I had issues getting a finished edge with sandpaper, some guys can sharpen a blade on almost anything but some guys need quality tools to do a quality job.
A good Quality 10-12" Mill file and then an Accusharp,I've done thousands,Zwickeys ,Bears you name it .With the File get aggresive,BUT maintain the proper angle with every stroke,40-45 strokes with the file on each side ,then the Accusharp.Good enough to shave hair.
I'm listening here as well!
If you're using sandpaper be sure you use double sided tape and stick it to a flat surface. If it not taped down it will just lift up in front of the cutting edge as you push it over and ruin it.
I think you're also going way overkill on the number of grits you're using. I usually go from a medium grit to a fine stone and then strop it, the course grit only get used if there are heavy nicks in the edge. Starting with an undamaged edge I have no problem getting a shaving edge with just 2 stones and a strop. I've actually used my knife to clean my face at work on several occasions when I missed a spot with the razor in the morning. :)
Caleb,
What brand of heads are you trying to sharpen? They need to have good steel for starters.
Caleb,
What brand of heads are you trying to sharpen? They need to have good steel for starters.
Call Ronnie at KME...he will walk you through the sharpening process. If you can't get those heads sharp with KME...well.... :dunno:
Look into this. I'll be getting one soon.
http://www.worksharptools.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=90
I bought one of the work sharp tools. Lets just say I'll sell you mine real cheap. I wasn't impressed.
Sand paper will work better than most anything, IF, you glue it to a piece of glass with contact cement. regardless of what you're using your angle must be consistent and the pressure must decrease as you move through the grits. towards the end of the sharpening process you should be using little more pressure than the weight of your hand, if that.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mike Vines:
If you have a KME, do yourself a favor and call Ron at KME. He makes an awesome product, and will walk you right thru it. When your off the phone with him, you will be looking for all kinds of things to sharpen.
I second giving Ron a call. KME is the best product and has the best customer service.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mike Vines:
If you have a KME, do yourself a favor and call Ron at KME. He makes an awesome product, and will walk you right thru it. When your off the phone with him, you will be looking for all kinds of things to sharpen.
I second giving Ron a call. KME is the best product and has the best customer service.
DID YOU STOKE THE FIRE BEFORE YOU STARTED :readit:
Alot of good advice here and I dont have anything to add except, I could give you a hand next time Im down. I would like to see and help sharpen the head that you will STICK A BIG OLL MOSSE WITH!!!!! :archer:
QuoteOriginally posted by Mike Vines:
If you have a KME, do yourself a favor and call Ron at KME. He makes an awesome product, and will walk you right thru it. When your off the phone with him, you will be looking for all kinds of things to sharpen.
Ron is a heck of a nice guy.
Give him a call.
Yep, I also suggest you call Ron at KME. But also heed the advice about using too much pressure. Having spoke with lots of guys who have the same problem, I would say 9 times out of 10 they are using too much pressure when they sharpen broadheads.
Sent you an email... hope it helps.
Caleb,
Lots of good advice here but I haven't heard anyone mention that the most important stage of sharpening anything is step 1. You need to get your blade very very sharp with the coarsest grit you have. If not, all the finer grits can do is to polish the bevels of the dull edge. Finer grits will make your bevels nice and shiney but unless the blade was sharp before going to them, finer grits can't make the blade any sharper. Translation: your coarsest grit is your best friend.
What type BHDs are you sharpening? If they are any of the laminated tip glue-on type heads (Zwicky, Magnus, STOS etc.) then 200 grit is way too fine for a first step. I use 80 or 100 grit to quickly set the bevels and raise a burr. After this initial step, it's all over but the shouting. Remember, you're attempting to change the shape of a piece of hardened steel. Maybe only by a few thousandths but changing the shape none the less. Don't ask a fine grit stone or sandpaper to do this. Set the bevels, create a true intersection of the bevels, and raise a burr with the coarsest thing you have... THEN polish and refine the cutting edge with as many finer grits as you like. Give me a call if you need some help. I'm much better at yackin' than typin'. Thanks!
Ron
Good luck on your moose hunt btw!
Thank you everyone for your advise! I have received a few Pms and emails. Just another reason why tradgang is an amazing resource! I plan on giving the heads another shot tomrrow night.
PS for those who have asked. They are Muzzy Phantoms.
Thanks again!
QuoteOriginally posted by Caleb Andes:
Thank you everyone for your advise! I have received a few Pms and emails. Just another reason why tradgang is an amazing resource! I plan on giving the heads another shot tomrrow night.
PS for those who have asked. They are Muzzy Phantoms.
Thanks again!
"Muzzy Phantoms"...That's a very important bit of information right there. Simple answer is you're very likely pushing way too hard. That long blade with the huge vents will flex if you look at it too hard! Phantoms, more than any other BHD need to be sharpened using a very light touch. Try this:
Put the Phantom in your KME and then place the sharpener and BHD on your sharpening surface. Don't move it but get down to table level where you can see under the sharpener (side view, from the rear of the ferrule). Now without any movement, slowly start applying downward pressure to the sharpener like you would if you were sharpening. Just an ounce or so at first and keep your eye on the trailing edge of the blade the whole time... then slowly add more pressure until you see the blade flex. When you see the blade flex, that's twice as much pressure as you should be using when sharpening.
It's amazing how little pressure it takes to flex the blade of a Muzzy Phantom and if the blade is flexing while you're sharpening, then the sharpening angle is changing all the time and without holding a consistent angle it will never get sharp. BTW, your 200 grit paper is fine for staring these heads. Let us know how you make out,
Ron
I suck and sharpening things too. VPA terminators are so easy I can get them shaving sharp in no time. That is the main reason I choose them as my broadheads. I have just ordered some land sharks for turkeys and hope I can get them sharp enough to suit me. Might have to look into one of those KME's.
I'll just add that I learned a lot by eavesdropping on this thread. Esp. Ron's last about the importance of the coarse first step. Thanks, guys.
X2 paddymac said, good info.
What broadhead? 2 blade? single or double bevel? Three blade? fixed four blade?
There is a lot of great info in this thread!!! :thumbsup:
Took Ron countless times to hammer into my thick, PA German skull that whole thing about "get it sharp on the course stone/grit or it will never be sharp!"
But, repitition is our friend... and after hearing it often enough and enough berating for being an idiot, it stuck!
Have both the Knife and BH shapeners. Just did up a couple knives and danged if I didn't have to almost start over...didn't get the 'wire' on the one side full length on a good knife with the coarse stone... and then when I did...BAM! Toot Sweet!