Try this to sharpen Rocket Pathfinder points
06-24-2004, 11:36 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,994
Try this to sharpen Rocket Pathfinder points
Awhile back someone posted their tecnique on sharpening the pathfinder tips, involved using the tip of a marker somehow, can't remember for sure.
Anyway, I just tried something that worked really really well. I suspect it will work for any chisel style chip that has a curve to it.
For the pathfinder, I took a sheet of 600 grit sandpaper, a section of double stick tape, and a yellow highlighter marker. Color probably doesn't matter, but it's the one I had.
The trick is to find a cylindrical object whose's circumference matches up well to the curve of the tip. The highlighter I have is made by stanford, but really anything else that does what I described will work.
I took a section of the double stick tape, about a 1.5" x 2" rectangle, and put in on the back side of the sandpaper, near a corner to conserve the bulk of the sheet, cause well, I'm frugal (shut up Todd)
I then cut the sandpaper around the tape border, and removed the covering to expose the other sticky side. I placed this on my desk, sticky side up, and carefully placed the marker on it lengthwise, then rolled back and forth to stick it to it.
Once ready, I simply ran the marker back and forth several times in each of the three concave cutouts of the pathfinder tip. I had noticed several burs and the tip was a bit dull with a burr off to one side. Came from Rocket like this. I was gonna remove the blades as a safety factor, but I remembered they were Rockets so I was worrying about nothing and simply deployed them and let them swing out of the way.
After I was done, the tip was very sharp needle sharp. The three cutting edges were also plenty sharp for the intended purpose, much improved over stock condition.
5 more to go... Try it, you'll like it Best thing is I scrounged up all the materials so I didn't have to spend a penny
Anyway, I just tried something that worked really really well. I suspect it will work for any chisel style chip that has a curve to it.
For the pathfinder, I took a sheet of 600 grit sandpaper, a section of double stick tape, and a yellow highlighter marker. Color probably doesn't matter, but it's the one I had.
The trick is to find a cylindrical object whose's circumference matches up well to the curve of the tip. The highlighter I have is made by stanford, but really anything else that does what I described will work.
I took a section of the double stick tape, about a 1.5" x 2" rectangle, and put in on the back side of the sandpaper, near a corner to conserve the bulk of the sheet, cause well, I'm frugal (shut up Todd)
I then cut the sandpaper around the tape border, and removed the covering to expose the other sticky side. I placed this on my desk, sticky side up, and carefully placed the marker on it lengthwise, then rolled back and forth to stick it to it.Once ready, I simply ran the marker back and forth several times in each of the three concave cutouts of the pathfinder tip. I had noticed several burs and the tip was a bit dull with a burr off to one side. Came from Rocket like this. I was gonna remove the blades as a safety factor, but I remembered they were Rockets so I was worrying about nothing and simply deployed them and let them swing out of the way.
After I was done, the tip was very sharp needle sharp. The three cutting edges were also plenty sharp for the intended purpose, much improved over stock condition.
5 more to go... Try it, you'll like it
Best thing is I scrounged up all the materials so I didn't have to spend a penny
06-25-2004, 06:35 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Warren PA USA
Posts: 1,512
RE: Try this to sharpen Rocket Pathfinder points
Great tip, Range. Thanks. I like to sharpen my Muzzy's, but I just use a flat stone and put a nice edge on that way. I may have to try the marker trick though. For what it's worth, you need to have a cylinder of the same or greater diameter than the diameter of the concave....otherwise you'll end up just hitting a tangent point inside the radius and never actually sharpen anything....or at least not all of the surface you want to hit.
Color is very important.....who want to shrpen their broadheads with a pink hi-lighter?
I don't shoot any Rocket heads, but you'd think with as many complaints as I hear about sharpness issues they'd do something about it.
and a yellow highlighter marker. Color probably doesn't matter, but it's the one I had.
I remembered they were Rockets so I was worrying about nothing and simply deployed them and let them swing out of the way.
06-25-2004, 07:21 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
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Join Date: Feb 2003
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Posts: 2,994
RE: Try this to sharpen Rocket Pathfinder points
For what it's worth, you need to have a cylinder of the same or greater diameter than the diameter of the concave....otherwise you'll end up just hitting a tangent point inside the radius and never actually sharpen anything....
The trick is to find a cylindrical object whose's circumference matches up well to the curve of the tip.
06-25-2004, 09:04 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Warren PA USA
Posts: 1,512
RE: Try this to sharpen Rocket Pathfinder points
Sorry, I'm an engineer and deal with people all of the time that wouldn't be able to grasp that simple concept. I sometimes forget who I'm explaining the obvious too....I'm sure the fine folks at HNI didn't really need an all-out picture drawn!! At least not twice!
At least not twice!
06-25-2004, 09:52 AM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: East Yapank NY USA
Posts: 3,457
RE: Try this to sharpen Rocket Pathfinder points
Good Tip Range - just make sure of one thing.
File the point so it is centered - if it not it will wobble when spun - then it impossible to tell if its just an offset tip or an alignment problem.
File the point so it is centered - if it not it will wobble when spun - then it impossible to tell if its just an offset tip or an alignment problem.
06-25-2004, 01:10 PM
#7
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lehigh County PA USA
Posts: 12,157
RE: Try this to sharpen Rocket Pathfinder points
I remembered they were Rockets so I was worrying about nothing and simply deployed them and let them swing out of the way.
If you believe that then I have this bridge on the East coast......
06-25-2004, 01:49 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,994
RE: Try this to sharpen Rocket Pathfinder points
You are supposed to sharpen them prior to using them to hunt.
I'm flinging the titanium meteorites, blades are .05, so they have some beef that could hold a fine edge