Tapering 1/4" Kids shafts?

[Kentucky Jeff]

I'm building some 1/4" Ramin kids arrows for my little girl and was looking for a 1/4" taper tool and nobody I can see carries one. I was thinking of just wrapping the shaft with some painters masking tape to build it up enough to use in my Bearpaw tool for 11/32 shafts.

Anyone else have a better way?

[Grey Taylor]

There's a 1/4" guide bushing available for the Tru-Center taper tool but I wouldn't use that piece of droppings if you payed me.
If you don't have access to a sanding-type tool then shimming with masking tape will work fine. Although, I would rather shim to a 5/16" tool than an 11/32" tool, it probably won't make much actual difference.

Guy

[scedvm]

I have made them for my daughters using tape and a 5/16" taper tool and using a small 2-hole manual pencil sharpener.  The pencil sharpener works fine just have to go slow and eyeball different tapers for nocks and points.  Maybe not the best method but I have been able to get straight arrows and rarely do they lose a nock or point.

[reddogge]

I used the 5/16" tool and wrapped them. They turned out fine.

[Jack Denbow]

3 Rivers sells a 1/4" bushing for the Tru-Center Taper Tool.

[Rusty Snuffers]

I actually tapered some 1/4 birch last night.  (After trying like the dickens to straighten them)  I was able to taper them well enough using tape and my cheap 5/16 "Traditional Only" from 3R.  I actually just finished putting the points on and didn't have any problems getting them spinning straight...  well, as straight as the arrows are.

Has anyone tried to straighten the 1/4 birch shafts from Kustom King?  I realize I only spent $5 for the dozen but some of them look like they came from a curly willow.   :D

Rusty

[Jim now in Kentucky]

Watch for used small disk sander at yard sales, Craig's etc. and make a fixture for point and nock tapers. No other way does anything like as good a job and a sander will do ANY size in the V grooves of the fixture.

 

[CurlyMcFletch]

A little trick I learnt was to use the plastic bic pen tube...the 1/4 inch shaft should fit perfectly in tube and then it fits into the taper tool acting as a shim...too easy!!

[Pete W]

A short section of carbon arrow also works as a guide/shim.
 Pete