Home made broadhead alignment jig?

[reddogge]

Has anyone ever made their own broadhead alignment jig.  I'd like to make one for two bladed broadheads.

[geno]

There was a post about two yrs ago. It used little roller bearings like you would on a cabinet drawer if you search it you might still find it. It had good pics. G

[Bill Carlsen]

Here's what you are looking for:

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000027

[reddogge]

Thanks guys.  That may work.  The one at 3 Rivers costs $40 plus shipping and it trues the broadhead by spinning it while the glue is still hot while you push it into a metal piece with a centered dimple in it so it centers it while it cools.

[Fletcher]

Here's a pic of the fancy hi tech jig I made years ago.  There is a small dot on the target board where the tip goes with a 11/32 shaft, but the vertical alignment works with any dia shaft.  I don't use it much now that I have learned to grind precise tapers, but once in a while I'll get a head with a sloppy ferrule or grind and this jig makes the alignment very quick and easy.

 

Yeah George, normally I just spin them on the table before dunking in the water.

[reddogge]

George, I know the hand trick and use it as well as spinning point first on the table but a jig will tell you which way to push when trying to align a sloppy fit.

Fletcher, that is pretty simple and looks like it would work.

[amicus]

With a jig you can see and correct the slightest wobble.  I don't think you can get the same trueness by spinning on your hand. At least not at the same level as with a jig. Not sure if it matters much if they are off a little. But I would rather use a jig. Just my .02.

Take care

Gilbert

[JimB]

Amen,Amicus.I have spun broadheads for 40 something years.I bought a spinning jig a few years ago and recently built another one because that one didn't work as well with some externally footed carbons.

I went back and checked some of my older arrows that I thought were well aligned by the old method and found they were off.

Spinning in the hand,you are looking for wobble in the shaft.Spinning on a jig,you have a stationary,pinpoint dot as a reference.With that,you can see any minute variance,probably down to thousand's of an inch.

Personally,I can't get it that fine,spinning in my hand.Using a jig,I had to admit that my broadhead alignment wasn't as good as I thought it was.

That bothered me a little but now that I am using the jig,I have never had better broadhead flight.I have always known I am not the quickest learner,but I guess"better late than never".

I'm not a target shooter.I'm a bowhunter and I don't take that responsibility lightly.I love old bows and old ways but if I can improve arrow flight,arrow sharpness,lethality,broadhead alignment,I owe that to the game I hunt.

It is tough at this age to try new things but I have always known that to not try new things,closes the door to any chance of improvement.I have never been real comfortable with the term"it's good enough".

I don't know when alignment jigs were first used but I do know that Jack Howard used them in the early 1970's.That was before most of today's"Trad" archers became Trad archers.

Maybe everyone can see minute shaft wobble better than I can.The jig makes it more precise for me.That is important to me and the game I hunt.I have enough human error.If I can eliminate equipment flaws,I do it.Kind of like tuning arrows to a bow for proper arrow flight.

[Killdeer]

This is the stand for a Tri-hone sharpener. You also will need the kitchen counter, if your workbench is buried, like mine is.

 

It was jiggly so I reinforced one end with a piece-part that was in my cigar box full of such truck. I use this to straighten shafts with, too, so I needed a little more strength. Mere spinning wouldn't require any augmentation.

 

Line the point up with something on the counter. Spin and align. It is handy having the sink right there for cooling the glue.

 

Killdeer

[reddogge]

I've been using my homemade spine tester to straighten arrows and I put a cardboard box in front of the broadhead to detect misalignment but it is not that precise.  Now I have a couple of ideas for one so I'll start tinkering.

My only design issue is to use the jig with the point of the broadhead against a board as a reference or put a little cone on the board and use it as a centering device similar to 3 rivers.

Well, off to the basement to tinker.  Thanks to all that contributed.

[JimB]

This is the one I built this year.I think you could make one out of wood.I would want the part where the reference dot is,to be attached to the same base as the "V" blocks or rollers.

I used a good,straight field point to establish my reference point.

[JimB]

Forgot picture.
 

[reddogge]

I like that one.

[amicus]

The one I have is a dixon bh aligner. It works great. I have hard time using it to align my 3" grizzly bhs. For installing bh steel inserts, Ron from KME gave me some info on how he does it and 9 out of 10 times the alignement is perfect.

Place your broadhead in a vise clamp it down. place your adapter in a short piece of arrow to act as a drill bit and place in your drill. Now glue up your adapter and slowly spin it into the bh with a little force. The spin should automaticly align the broadhead. It works for me and is very fast. You can check it with your aligner. Take care

Gilbert

[Apex Predator]

I don't spin them on my palm to look for mis-alignment.  My eyes aren't that good!  I can feel the slightest out of center wobble though.

[lpcjon2]

You can get the bearings out of any old skateboard wheel or scooter. very nice spinner and cheaper than the 40.00 models you would have to buy.

[South MS Bowhunter]

JimB,  Where did you get your pars...bearings etc...
also does the BH self align?  What the process to getting them true?  I must spend 30 minutes or more on mine at times and it drive me crazy!

[JimB]

My bearings came with my arrow saw.They were supposed to sit on the rail of the saw but they were loose and there was no place to orient the tip on.I coulcn't figure that out so used the bearings to build one.

I first establish my reference point with a field tip.I then put the arrow,with broadhead,on the jig,broadhead in the horizontal position.I look down on the point and see if it needs to go right or left and line the point up with the dot.

I then turn it 90 degrees,so the blade is vertical.I look down on it again and move it right or left to line it up with the dot.

I double check it in the horizontal position to see if anything is changed.

If it lines up with the reference dot in vertical and horizontal,it is done.

Some go quick,some take time to get them right.I just sit down and play with them till they are on.for the few stubborn ones,it is worth the extra time.

[South MS Bowhunter]

Thanks, JimB

[Rob DiStefano]

easy enuf to whip up a point alignment jig using the wheels for a sliding door track (home despot) and some scrap wood ...