Does anyone remember what issue of Traditional Bowhunter covered how to make a shaft tapering tool out of angle iron, sand paper, and a drill?  Anybody have their own ideas on how to taper shafts at home?  Thanks!

Ben

I don't remember which issue, but I made one.  I ended up not using sandpaper, but got a couple of files and epoxied to the angle iron.  The sandpaper wore out too quick for me.  I gave up on it as I didn't get consistant results.  I buy my tapered shafts form Mike at The Nocking Point and have been happy with them.

http://www.tradgang.com/taper/

Sand paper wears out quick,  that is correct, but  Files clog easy with the wood and have to be cleaned too often or you get gouges in the wood.   Sand paper    works the best I use 180 grit

AWESOME.  Thank you!

I taper in a more "low-tech" way.  I take a carpenters pencil with a wide lead and "color" the shaft from the nock to 10 inches up the shaft.  Then take my cabinet scraper and remove the lead marks on the shaft. Long strokes and try not to repeat scraping where the leas in already removed.  Then take up your pencil again and "color" 7 inches of shaft. Remove that coloring of lead the same way.  Then to 3-4 inches of shaft and remove the lead the same way.  A bit of sanding and it give a pretty good taper.  maybe not as precise as the tapering jig, but they fly well.
2 cents worth.

QuoteOriginally posted by kpete:
I taper in a more "low-tech" way.  I take a carpenters pencil with a wide lead and "color" the shaft from the nock to 10 inches up the shaft.  Then take my cabinet scraper and remove the lead marks on the shaft. Long strokes and try not to repeat scraping where the leas in already removed.  Then take up your pencil again and "color" 7 inches of shaft. Remove that coloring of lead the same way.  Then to 3-4 inches of shaft and remove the lead the same way.  A bit of sanding and it give a pretty good taper.  maybe not as precise as the tapering jig, but they fly well.
2 cents worth.

Very interesting!