I need a tapering tool.Need to decide between the Bear Paw Delux and the Tru-Center.They look to be designed nearly the same.Is there any advantage of one over the other?

Absolutely love the BearPaw Deluxe.  No experience with the Tru-Center...

well if this is something you're planning on doing for awhile, I'd buy the woodchuck, or if you already have a disc sander I'd build one!!!   I'm very pleased with mine!

I tried the tru-taper,didn't care for it,the tolerences was so tight I couldn't taper a shaft after I put the finish on it.Bought a woodchuck,have had it for 15 years and still working great.It cost more but I can move the motor the slightly change the taper for a perfect fit.I have done over 30 dozen arrows.If you are going to do a couple of dozen I would get a pencil sharpner,if you plan to do alot I recommend a woodchuck.

QuoteOriginally posted by BobW:
Absolutely love the BearPaw Deluxe.  No experience with the Tru-Center...

I'm the exact opposite...

For a few bucks more put the Woodchuck on your Xmas list!

Probably can't swing a Woodchuck for a while guys.Too many other things to buy.

I use the True Center with no problems.

Personally, I'd rather try to train a buck-toothed beaver to taper shafts than go back to a True-Center. Maybe the Bear Paw is better...
I'm sticking by the Woodchuck.

Guy

I've had both and the Bear Paw is hands down better in my experience.

well if you do go with a TC taper tool....you might try chucking the shaft up in a drill to turn them...cuts much nicer.  buddy of mine in Anchorage showed me this trick.   I also have the tc and havent used mine in quite awhile....and no I'm not getting rid of it just in case I need it.

A sharp pocketknife works pretty good, too.

Hey ya'll....is the Bear Paw adjustable for the length of taper like the tru-center?

It depends on what kind of wood you will be working with. If you are using cedar anything will work. If you are using fir, ash, hickory, or any other hard wood a tool with a grinding disc will work best. If you try to taper any hard wood shaft with one of the pencil sharpener type tools you will quickly become discouraged.
Jack

Jack,

Respectfully, I disagree.  I use my BearPaw (deluxe) on walnut foots, and as long as you have a sharp cutter in, it is simple, precise, and fairly quick.  I even think there is a cordless drill option somehow with them, but i really see no need as it takes a whole whoppin 30 to 45 seconds to cut a taper with it by hand.

I consider the "pencil sharpener" type products an emergency tool for a couple uses, and then toss away.  The whole design of them is not making you precision tapers.

Unless you are doing high volume production, I see no reason for the high dollar investment of a power taper tool.

The main advantage of the Woodchuck for me is that it is easier to keep the tapers straight. With hand tools, it's easy to get started wrong, and a crooked taper is an abomination! It literally ruins the arrow, unless you have enough length to cut it off and start over. I always do the nock taper first, for that reason. It's the most critical of the two. If the point taper is a bit off, field points may still shoot well, but you can't use the shaft with a broadhead. Many, if not most wood arrow "fliers" are the result of tapers that are not perfect.

Since the Woodchuck is not in your budget, go with either one of the better hand tools. The cheap little grade-school pencil sharpener types are about worthless, IMO. The most important part of using the hand tool is to start with very light pressure until you're sure that the taper is going to be straight. I make sure that the end of the shaft is cut perfectly square before starting, to improve the odds of getting it right.

I recommend the WoodChuck or even a home-built sander jig. You then never have to mess with shafts that are too tight or too loose in a TC or Bearpaw. I'm really fussy about point and nock taper angles and I do not care to deal with grain tear-out...my jig gives me total control in getting accurate taper angles.