Cutting & fletching Grizzly Sticks

[Otto]

Hey all

I got a half a dozen Grizzly Sticks yesterday and have been bareshafting them.  Cutting off a half an inch at a time and finally a quarter inch at a time till I reached the length/spine I wanted.  I'm using a high speed abrasive cutoff saw (Harbor Freight model, no complaints) to cut them.  I then stuck in the insert and a point and shot them into an Ames pillow target stuffed with plastic sheeting.  One thing I noticed was a few tiny fiberglass hairs coming off the shafts.  At first I thought it was plastic smeared on the end of the shafts from the plastic sheeting in the target.  But it's not.  The hairs originate from the end of the shaft where the insert is installed and they're about 2 inches long before they end and come off the shaft.  It looks like just some hairs that popped up when I cut the end of the shafts.  Anybody else observe ever this??  Did it stop or will I continue to see some hairs pop up?  They're so small they are hardly noticable.  I just want to know if they'll continue as is, stop, or even get larger.

One last item...I'm going to use Fletch Tite Platinum to glue on the feathers...just like I use on any other carbon shafts (successfully I'll add).  Any prep work other than wiping down the shaft with acetone?

Thanks for any input.

[Orion]

Your saw blade might be a little dull and is lifting the carbon fibers as it cuts.  Regardless, it's a good idea to wrap one thickness of masking tape where you're going to cut, then cut through the tape.  The tape will keep the splinters from forming.  Finally, take some very light sandpaper, say 220 grit, and very lightly champfer the inside and outside edge to round off any splinters that might be forming.

[Paul Mattson]

I have never had that happen, something is going on with your cut.  Blade could be to thick and not going fast enough.

I clean my shafts with de-natured alcohol, acetone may soften the poly finish that is on the shaft.

[JRY309]

How are you cutting with the Harbor Freight saw,are you just cutting straight down through the shaft?I use a Harbor Freight saw for my cutting also.I made an adjustable stop for my saw and drilled a taper in it with a chamfer bit.I use the taper to keep the nock end of the arrow centered and then bring the saw blade into the shaft and then rotate the shaft as I cut it.This will give you a cleaner and square cut.This is how the more expensive saws cut arrow shafts,by rotating the shaft once the blade starts cutting it.

[Otto]

Thanks for the input guys.

Saw runs at about 7000 rpm.  It's an abrasive wheel so sharpness is what it is.  Blade is 0.030 thick.  Shafts are held in a small vise that holds the shaft perpendicular and square to the saw blade.

I'll try the masking tape and see it that works.

Thanks for the heads up on the use of alcohol vs. acetone.

[drewsbow]

you need to rotate the shaft in the saw period !!!

[Tater John]

Otto,
 I used masking tape when I cut some 'sitkas'. Once around with a little overlap, at the cut mark and use that as the reference. Freehand with a dremel, cutoff wheel about as thick as .30 maybe the next size down. Its a pretty thin wheel. I haven't noticed any carbon lifting, yet.

Rusty