I thought I would have a go at making wood arrows a while back and to save money, I bought a simple taper tool. It is a pencil sharpener type, not the Wood Chuck. It does the nock end just fine, nice round cut, the nock following the cut just right.BUT, when I taper the point end, there is always an irregular pattern to the cut, sort of a scalloped effect. Any ideas from those of you who make wood arrows?
David
What type of wood you cutting?
Thanks for the response Rob. I have cut Spruce, Doug. Fir, and Cedar, all with the same results.
Any chance that your shafts are not perfectly round?
Guy
What grey Taylor said.
AND are you sure you trimmed your shafts off square before you tapered?
I've noticed some tools will really follow any angle to the cut off.
Or possibly the tool is made for a shaft larger in diameter than your arrows?
oh..don't push too hard. Just let the blade do the work.
Doug fir will most definitely chunck out like that in a pencil sharpener....99.9% of the time, from what I have seem. Cedar, you can do ok with....alot has to do with pressure and being patient. Dont use a ton of force, jamming that cedar shaft into the pencil sharpener type tool. Try to remove a little at a time with less pressure and you will get a somewhat uniform taper on cedar.
HANDS DOWN, the absolute best way to taper any woods, is with the power tool. I have never used the woodchuck....but I do use the taper block jig with my belt sander/disc sander combo. You can get precision, smooth tapers this way! There is nothing like it for wood! I know its an investment .....but 100% worth it if you are a wood shooter. And if you get the belt sander/disc combo, you can use it for so many other things!
The bearpaw tool is the best taper tool I've used.
I had the exact same problem until I got the bearpaw taper tool.......
I have a tru center, and the only time I have had any issue is when the blades needed sharpening or replacement