I need some trade point help

[monterey]

Here's my question;  I want to mount some trade points on a set of big game arrows.  Woodies of course! I have made them and mounted them on the grandkids arrows for small game.  I find making the points to be fairly simple but it's the mounting that stymies me.

How do you cut straight and centered channels into the shafts so as to get well aligned head's?

[fujimo]

this is what i did...
two pieces of flat bar maybe 3/4" thick 3" wide, maybe  6" long
 took an angle grinder, with a zip disc , and just scored lengthwise down the face- on a nicely scribed line- on both pieces. then lay the pieces on top of each other and welded around the edges( more on this later.
 i now have a piece of steel- 1.5" thick by 6 by 3 with a "pilot hole" down the center- the two zip disc shallow cuts.
 then proceeded to drill it till the required size- to take my shafts- pilot hole makes that easy.

now when you weld dont weld the one short edge, and about a 3/4" down each side .
 so now you have an unwelded "guide slot" to run a hack saw down and get a perfectly centered slot.
 iffn you had a milling machine- you could rebate that area on each side before welding- and make it thicker than the one hacksaw blade width.

so now i can push the shaft up. and cut a single hacksaw width slot- perfectly centered. and widen the slat as needed- use the same jig for my self nocks.
 if its all a little confusing- will get some pics taken.
just make sure the hole is a nice snug one for the shafts- and rather sand the shafts just a smidge- than the other way around, where they are too loose
 cheers
wayne

[fujimo]

could do the same with hard wood, might not be as durable, welds might not stick- but would be quicker and easier.
i wanted something to last a lifetime- dont like buying tools twice!!

[monterey]

Wayne, thanks and I do need pictures to understand it.  Nothing wrong with your explanation, I'm just slow on comprehending.

[JEFF B]

Buddy i just use a small hand saw and a small rat tail file but first i make a line down the centre of the arrow and then cut it real slow oh btw a file is a( jewelers file very small indeed) then i press fit the head if it fits first time all good if it don't i then take the file and take a little out until it fits then epoxy it in and put sinew around it. and thats it.  

[Thumper Dunker]

I just use my band saw.

[Sam McMichael]

I bought a jig designed for this purpose. It is a vise with guide grooves that keep the saw aligned. It comes with a couple of hacksaw blades glued together to make the nock cut.

[Pat B]

I taper the point end first then free hand a bandsaw cut, flip it over and another back saw cut. This will center the slot. I then add pitch glue and spin the shaft to see it spins true. If it does I sinew wrap then spin again. If it wobbles a little heat on the point will soften the pitch glue for resetting the point. Once it is true I seal the sinew wrap.
 I like using pitch glue because a little heat will soften it for resetting.
 

[Jack Skinner]

Bandsaw then widen with two hacksaw blades taped together. Use jb weld to hold head to shaft, as it cures I place the shaft on a spin tester and point the tip of the arrow head at a grid. As I spin I fine tune the trade point to the shaft by watching the head. If it moves right or left on the grid I adjust until the tip spins as good as I can get. After the jb weld cures I shape the arrow point and I add sinew wrap and epoxy or glue to seal.

[monterey]

Thanks for the tips    

I played around on my new (to me) band saw and that and the needle files gave good results.