Cheap way to cut carbons?
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Little Elm TX USA
Posts: 47
Cheap way to cut carbons?
Is there a cheap way that I can cut my own carbon arrows? I've seen the >$100 cutters, but that's not worth the investment for me right now. Since it is recommended to use a high speed cutter, I didn't know if using a Dremel would be OK? My main fear is that the uneven cut would be bad.
#2
RE: Cheap way to cut carbons?
my neighbour cuts his carbons with a small pipe cutter
Just be careful tho and make sure it is square carbons cost too much to mees them up.
He did practice on his old carbons before cutting his new ones
Just be careful tho and make sure it is square carbons cost too much to mees them up.
He did practice on his old carbons before cutting his new ones
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,413
RE: Cheap way to cut carbons?
I've cut mine on a table saw that had an abrasive blade in it. I made a small arrow holder that I could hold against the saw's sliding miter. I put a piece of masking tape around the arrow where it was to be cut and marked the exact length on the tape. The tape will keep the end from splintering.
I'm sure you could rig up something similar on a miter saw or a radial arm saw.
I'm sure you could rig up something similar on a miter saw or a radial arm saw.
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Grand Forks ND
Posts: 258
RE: Cheap way to cut carbons?
A guy on EBay is selling aluminum jigs for cutting arrows with a Dremel. $10 I've been thinking of buying one myself. A jig of some sort is definantly needed to cut them straight, and the Dremel does cut them well.
Hey, my first post from my Palm. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
Hey, my first post from my Palm. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington State
Posts: 382
RE: Cheap way to cut carbons?
My hunting buddies use a Dremel tool and a really steady hand to cut their arrows. I tried on an old carbon and couldn't get a straight cut to save my soul. I bit the bullet and bought an Apple high speed arrow cutter. It is sooooo simple to use. Perfect cut each time. But, I will have to cut a lot more arrows to make it pay for itself.
The risk you run with an imprecise cut is that the insert may not fit squarely against the rim of the shaft. This may or may not affect how well your tips or broadheads fit on your arrows. Spin check to see if you have wobble in your heads. You also may get splintering of the carbon fibers in the shaft if you are not careful when you cut.
The Mouse
The risk you run with an imprecise cut is that the insert may not fit squarely against the rim of the shaft. This may or may not affect how well your tips or broadheads fit on your arrows. Spin check to see if you have wobble in your heads. You also may get splintering of the carbon fibers in the shaft if you are not careful when you cut.
The Mouse
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Woodstock GA. USA
Posts: 9
RE: Cheap way to cut carbons?
Hi, I sell the Cut off Jigs on eBay. I make them myself and put more time in them then I get back selling them. I started out to make one for myself and since I had everything set up in my shop made some more to see if anybody else wanted something like that. I may cut 1 doz arrows a year to replace the ones I mess up or lose. I didn't want to spend $150 for a new 3" cut off saw. There are some folks selling mini cut off saws on eBay. They are getting $35+ plus shipping. You can buy the same saw at Harour Freight Tools for $29.99 and last month they had them on sale in the stores for $22.99. I bought one and it does work. But still has some problems. The Main one to my mind is the idiot designers did not make the work table flat all the way across. Another is the material clamp is hard to set and keep accurate. So anyways I had the goal of using my Dremel to cut arrows but wanted some way to insure a clean cut. So I came up with the Jig I made. It allows you to hold the arrow in place with out crushing it. At one end is the cutting face which is notched at the top to allow passage of the screw on the mandrel that holds the wheel. By lining up the wheel with the face of the jig you can get a consistant cut. I have found that I get better control using my flex shaft because I can hold the "nose" closer to the cutting wheel. Also I get best results with a 1 1/4" dia wheel. Smaller doesn't cover the cutting face of the jig, bigger seems to "jump" around to much. This Jig will NOT do the cut for you, but it will help you do a better cut. You still need to practice. I have Three left on eBay, after that I may make some more later this summer. They are of weldable iron, not aluminum. If anyone has any questions please feel free to email me.
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 520
RE: Cheap way to cut carbons?
I have used 3 things, very fine blade hack saw, table saw as mentioned, and an angle grinder. One thing I don't like about the table saw is that is provides a lot of dust, since the wheels are 1/8" thick, that stuff is bad for you and your electrics: Ask the Serbs about nato's carbon chaff.
I now use one of those small hand angle grinder units, I think they are 4". A local shop sells abrasive wheels for these that are about 1/32" thick. I set up a 2x4 with this thing clamped to it, and with a moveable stop for the nock end. Whether using this unit or the table saw, a key factor is to feed the tube to the wheel so that the nock end lags, or at least is no more than parallel to the contact point. If the nock is in line with say the center of the wheel, then as you push the cuting end on the wheel, it will jam up the futher you push it in, you will also have a sholder that isn't square. I just touch the tube to the wheel , then spin it to cut and nip the fibers all arround, and keep spinning until the waste drops off.
I wouldn't use a pipe cutter, but I imagine that if you did, it would only work with shafts that have an Al core like ACC?
I now use one of those small hand angle grinder units, I think they are 4". A local shop sells abrasive wheels for these that are about 1/32" thick. I set up a 2x4 with this thing clamped to it, and with a moveable stop for the nock end. Whether using this unit or the table saw, a key factor is to feed the tube to the wheel so that the nock end lags, or at least is no more than parallel to the contact point. If the nock is in line with say the center of the wheel, then as you push the cuting end on the wheel, it will jam up the futher you push it in, you will also have a sholder that isn't square. I just touch the tube to the wheel , then spin it to cut and nip the fibers all arround, and keep spinning until the waste drops off.
I wouldn't use a pipe cutter, but I imagine that if you did, it would only work with shafts that have an Al core like ACC?