glue on points on wood arrows

[wharvey]

I've been making wood arrows for a while and on annoying issue is that there is always a gap between the glue on field point and the shaft. It doesn't matter how long I make the taper.

The cover on a new bag target catches this gap making it hard to remove.  I am using 11/32 field points with 11/32 shafts. Is there any solution or do I have to just live with the beast?

[Jim now in Kentucky]

Pretty much live with it. Since the socket of the point has to taper to some finite thickness at the edge, that is that much of the shaft taper that doesn't match the outside diameter of the point.

The only other ways to avoid that would be to have a smaller diameter arrow or a larger point.

Measure the diameter of the shafts and see if it actually is 11/32: about .344"

It if is larger, that would account for the uncovered taper. The arrows will actually pull from a target easier if the body of the arrow is a little large for the point.

Btw, the length of the taper won't change anything. The shaft is stopped when its taper meets the inside taper. If you cut off all but the biggest 1/4" of the taper and it would still bottom out in the same place.

Reparrow man

[Frank V]

Could your taper actually be too long? Seems if it were too long it'd leave a gap. Just a thought. Frank

[flungonin]

if you glue around the shaft at the place where the shoulder of the field tip stops you won't have a problem with targets pulling your tip off. I had went and recut, retapered my shafts cause I was having the same problem. All I ended up doing to fix the problem was filling the gap and making a smooth transition from field tip shoulder onto the shaft. I used expoxy not glue for this.

[wharvey]

Thanks for some of your ideas. I though about getting some smaller points but would like to be able to use what I have.  I'll give the glue to build up the gap a try.

However, just had a brain fart,( err, I mean storm). I'm going to try pulling a few of the points and putting a "reverse" taper on the out side of the point where it meets the shaft. That way even if the gap is still there, there would be a ramp of sorts to go through the target.

[2Knives]

I have started using epoxy instead of hot melt to put my points on.
I also use a little too much so I can kinda creat a smooth transition between shaft and point...it seems to be working so far.
I don't shoot wood shafts all the time so its still a work in progress.
Yes, it annoys me when they hang up on the bag targets also!!!!

[Orion]

Reparrow explained the cause of the gap.  A lot of wood shafts aren't exactly the size they're supposed to be.  Some are a bit larger than 11/32, some are a bit smaller.  Likewise, not all points are ground the same.  Some are a little larger than 11/32 inside diameter, some are a little smaller.  The same relationships holds true with 23/64 size components.  When everything is sized as it should be, there is no gap.  But often, that's not the case.  It's a minor annoyance.  A good glue will hold the point on.

[DesertDude]

I bevel the end of the point. A quick spin on the grinder and no more lip........

[toddster]

I found that I set my taper up, to where I can coldly put a field point on, and still have an 1/8" gap between point and sealant.  when heated and hot melt on, I quench in cup of water, then snap any excess hot melt off, and walla.

[wharvey]

I tried chamfering the edge of the point by chucking it into my drill press and using a file. Still get a hang up but nothing like I do without it.  Do have to be careful not to chamfer too much because the metal is a bit soft and the file will start chewing the edge instead of cutting.

Below is one of the ones I did.
 

It does look like the point is bigger than the shaft. I've had the problem with several batches of shafts from different suppliers so I know it isn't just this particular shaft.

I might try a few with 5/16 points since I have a few old ones that I used to build up some arrows for my daughter some years ago.

[Old York]

I just miked-out an assortment of 23/64" diameter field points. The older ones come in at 0.359" [exact for 23/64"] and the newer ones come in at 0.374" - that's about a 64th inch over-size. The newer points are stamped "23/64 - 125" and yes, they catch on the target face when one pulls the arrow out.

I guess I'll make my target thinner...  

EDIT:
HA! I just spoke with KustomKing and they said to use an 11/32" point on a 23/64" shaft and then carefully cut a shoulder into the shaft....viola - Bob's yer Uncle!   :D