Cutting carbon arrows?

[Jake Scott]

This may be a dumb question.  Is there a DIY way to cut carbon shafts?  The closest archery shop to me is a couple counties away, and as you may well imagine that can make bare shaft tuning quite tedious, as they don't have a range on site (it isn't much of a shop).  I don't have it in the budget for a cutter like they have listed at 3 rivers.  You guys are a creative bunch, any ideas??

Like always, thanks in advance


Jake

[JRY309]

Due you have a dremel tool,you can make up your own cutting jig.Or you can get a Harbor Freight mini chop saw that will cut carbon arrows.

dremel tool with cutoff blade, or something similar.  check this out.

http://www.harborfreight.com/variable-speed-rotary-tool-kit-68696.html

[McDave]

A Dremel tool with a cut-off blade cuts as well as the tools that are designed specifically for carbon arrows.  What it doesn't do as well is align the shafts for a 90 degree cut and fixed length.  With a little ingenuity, you could probably mount a Dremel on a board with some adjustable stops that would accomplish both of those things.

[bigbadjon]

If you go the diy route I'd recommend buying an arrow squaring device, well everyone should probably use one anyway. G5 makes one and 3rivers sells another that looks about the same. They will set you back about $45.

[huntmaster70]

harbor freight 2" cutoff saw-7800rpm-about $28.00 works great!

[Jake Scott]

My redneck engineering wheels are spinning....

Thanks guys

Jake

[jrchambers]

I use a cheap hand miter box with a fine tooth pull saw. the miter box has clamps that hold the shaft.

[Jake Scott]

Now there's an idea!!  Say hello to Kenai, I have friends there, one of my favorite places!

Jake

[Jake Scott]

Now there's an idea!!  Say hello to Kenai, I have friends there, one of my favorite places!

Jake

[Gdpolk]

I use a Dremel cutoff tool freehanded by holding the tool steady and rotating the shaft into the cut.  When that's done, I have a small  4x4x4 block of wood that I cut at my papaws shop and ensured it was squared on both cut sides.  I put it on the drill press and made a nice 90* hole through it.  Then I drop arrows down through the hole onto some fine grit sandpaper to give them a few spins to true up my cuts.  

Arrows come out great every time and the cost was only about $1 in the end of a spare piece of 4x4 block and a few minutes of my time.  Since I live in an apartment, space is at a premium but I can keep ALL of my arrow building kit (not including Dremel, which is a multi-use tool) in a plastic box the size of a shoe box this way along with all my spare points and tabs.

[Alexander Traditional]

I use an aluminum tube cutter like you would cut aluminum arrows with. It works great.

[Jake Scott]

Thanks a lot fellas!!!  Great stuff!!

Jake

[Bobby Urban]

A small pipe cutter will work but just go slow and easy so you do not crush the shaft.  Barely turn the adjustment, spin and repeat until it is cut.  Clean up with light sand paper.  

Get a good one like a Rigid and not a cheapo - they are cheap enough as is and a good one will have a much better cutting wheel.

[JamesKerr]

I will chime in with my opinion. I do a lot of testing with with different shafts and bareshafting so I though an arrow saw would be a necessary tool for me. Well I splurged and bought one from 3rivers. After I got it in and looked it over really good I realized they really would not be hard to make. The hardest part is getting a cutting tool (which I found out from here and trying it myself that a high speed dremel tool with a cut off wheel works great) and mounting that tool at a perfect 90 degree angle to your base. That step really isn't as hard as it sounds just use a large block of metal and you can literally zip tie it or use a t bolt clamp which is more sturdy and put it in place. There's really not much to the arrow saws just what I said above and an adjustable piece for different arrow lengths.

[Craig_H]

Most arrow companies say use a high speed cutter, not hack saw, ect. As below

" Cutting For All Shaft Types

   Cut shafts to length using only a high-speed abrasive wheel cut-off tool designated for arrow shafts. Never use rotary tube cutters, a hacksaw or methods that can damage the tube and leave a rough cut. "

[BOWMARKS]

Check out the components classifieds someone did a great make your own he is selling for $50.00TYD,and you can get the fiber wheels for cutting aluminum and carbon. Nice job!!!

[BOWMARKS]

[reddogge]

I mark mine to length, clamp and cut with a dremel tool 1/8" longer then grind to size on a bench grinder.

[Dog Walker]

Here's the one I made this fall.