Using a dremel for cutting down wood arrows

[frank bullitt]

Now, I most often use pruning shears . Go slow  and turn the shaft as you would rolling under the knife and then snap!

[hitman]

I use a scroll saw, works great.

[AkDan]

forgot, one thing about the dremel, if you use the fiber cut off wheels and do it free hand WEAR SAFTEY GLASSES!

I don't know if its the wheel or the wood, either way its throwing it in your face.   I'd hold the dremel to the shaft, mark a line for cut off.  This part is harder to explain than do, I'd slowly turn the shaft than plunge the bit to finish the cut.   I do cut just shy of the line when I free handed, and cleaned up on a disc sander.

Sounds like its a lot of work, its a few seconds in entirety.   Before I'd taper I'd make sure the tip of the cut off end was 90 to the shaft.  

I used the disc sander to create a lip or shoulder on the point taper.  You get this right and you'll never taper any other way!  get it wrong and it will screw with your sanity!   Best method is to have 2 wheels if you do a lot of shafts..one for 11/32 one for 23/64 and leave them alone!   For nocks I used a jig on my big disc sander.   Yup that makes 3 wheels (2 woodchucks and one disc).  You can use one woodchuck but I found setup is a royal pain when trying to get the shoulders and swap shaft sizes.  I never did use my woodchuck for nock tapers.  the big disc worked great.

If that tips not perfectly flat, when using the woodchuck it will bind on the stop pin as you turn the shaft...or can.   If you're experiencing binding, the first thing I'd do is bump the end of the shaft on a disc so its perfectly 90.    I found the tips would ramp up (bind) on the stop pin, made for inconsistent tapers on the shoulders.

[frassettor]

A lot of great suggestions, thank you gentlemen

[Biathlonman]

Isn't the splintered part getting taken off when you taper?  I use whatever is handy with wood, usually generic miter saw or pocket knife.

[frassettor]

A lot of great suggestions, thank you gentlemen

[AkDan]

splintering CAN be taken off...but what I've found is the stop button on the woodchuck (anything with a pin for a stop for length adjustements) will bind...or tear on poc in particular.  I've ripped the taper portion on a few POC shafts over the years....really stinks when you're trying to get a close matched set and you twist the end of a taper right off.

If that nub or any nub is sticking out, its going to bind at a minimum, chuck the shaft up in a drill (true center taper tool style) and you'll rip the taper to shreds before you realized it happened..   I also fill my tapers in the points full length (which for me was roughly 1 3/16" for a 23/64 field point), anything extra had to be taken off.   Probably not needed to be so long, but I preferred them that way.  It made alignment much easier and personally I believe it helped with strengthening the bond between the taper and the shaft...more surface area.    

Its just so much easier to bump a disc for 90 and than taper on a disc...once you do it you'll likely never go back to pencil style sharpeners.     When you freehand with a dremel you are going to end up with a nub.  If not every time, very very regularly.   You could bump them on the side of the cut off wheel, I did this for awhile and it sufficed.  I didn't learn the binding part as its not as obvious on a shaft that's smooth, but not 90 to the shaft.  Once that became obvious, it was a simple fire adjustment and no more issues.  


Now saying that, I will NEVER sell my true center taper tool...its a pretty sweet piece when done right.  I haven't used mine in years so I likely don't even remember the nuances to setting it up.  Doing arrows by the dozen after dozen you'll tear your hands apart doing it by hand.   I never did get the extensions, wish I would have.   Oh well....  I got tired of the thing when I was doing shafts for a shop up here.  I already have gorilla hands lol.

[MO Bow]

Originally posted by Grey Taylor:
I've had the best results just using a utility knife and rolling the shaft under the blade. Once it's scored almost all the way through I just snap it off.
Cheap, fast, and way easy.

Guy

Never had a problem doing it this way with cedar or douglas fir.  You just need a sharp blade in there and let the rolling do the work.  I've gone through hundreds of douglas fir shafts this way without a problem.

[Butch Speer]

If you use a miter box, just wrap a piece of masking tape around the place to be cut. Keeps it from splintering.

[tecum-tha]

Japanese mini saws like these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CED1OQ?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

[Jon Stewart]

X 1 on what Grey Taylor wrote.  Been using a utility knife for about 50 years now.  Place on your mark, press down and roll the shaft.  will snap off at the cut.

[LittleBen]

Japanese pull saw. Crosscut blade. Very light pressure.

I cut just beyond my mark,

Then to the disc sander.

1 sander with a jig clamped to the table. The jig has 90 degree in addition to whatever the point and nock angles are. I will clean the cut end down to the line using the 90 degree guide on the jig on the disc sander. Then I can just go and taper them like on a woodchuck.

Cost nothing to build from a few 4" squares of 3/4" ply scrap.

[AkDan]

Youre gonna make me post my hodg podge cut off saw wheel i built lol.  Its just to dog gone easy and clean!    I need to add a rest, maybe i will do that this weekend.  

Its just scrap plywood.  I think i saw the plans here.

[last arrow]

Dan post your picture, I picked up a dremel at a yard sale and wan t to build a cutoff with it so I can do any material.

[AkDan]

Will do. Its pretty red necked but works great!   At work right now.