woodsman initial sharpening

[ALwoodsman]

I just purchased my first woodsman broadheads. I am now in the process of sharpening them. I have read the posts and watched the videos on the subject, but I am not having much luck.  I have painted the edges with a sharpie and am trying to get a uniformed edge with a bastard file but it is taking forever.  Is this normal?

[Reaper TN]

Chris, you may need to clean your file, try a wire brush and some brake cleaner if the teeth are clogged with metal.  I read a thread a while back about using a belt sander and some 120 grit paper.  I have to get a new 120 grit belt and I'm going to try that out next.

[Recurve50 LBS]

I just posted a couple days ago about having trouble sharpening snuffers. The post is titled Dull Snuffers. With some helpful tips I was able to figure out how to get them shaving sharp.

Reaper could be right about your file being clogged up with filings. My Dad always used a wire brush to clean out his files. If your file still don't seem like it's cutting I'd suggest picking up a new one. I bought mine from Sears.

Good luck I hope you'll be able to get those heads sharp.

[atatarpm]

you can take a flat stone and run it back and forth on that.Go ahead and paint your edges again so that you get an even edge all the way around. test your edge by pushing it through a piece of paper. It should make a clean cut and there should not be any paper fibers on the edges.

[karrow]

a file cleaning might do the trick. im not sure how your using the file, but i would recomend finding  a single cut wide file and lay it on the table and push the head down the file with moderate pressure.

[Charlie Lamb]

If your file isn't a brand new one it problably needs to be. A brand spanking new file should make very short work of that job.

[Onlyaspike]

I use a flat stone to sharpen my Woodsman Elites....I screw them onto a 6" piece of arrow shaft to help me get a better hold, then I apply moderate pressure and slide the head forward across the oiled stone. I do 5 strokes on each side before going to the next side. When all 3 sides have been hit I do 5 more strokes per side rotating the broadhead between strokes. Then I switch to the med stone. On the med. stone I rotate to the next side after each stroke ( usually about 10 strokes per side), then to the fine stone. On the fine I do about 15-20 strokes per side rotating sides between each stoke and I lighten up with the pressure I apply in the last 5 strokes....They are VERY SHARP when Im done. This is what I do when the head's been shot into foam, if its got real bad you might have to hit it with the coarse stone more

[ALwoodsman]

I have a brand new file.  The problem seems to be that the edge of the broadheads are not consistent. They almost seem to be concave.  I am only getting the bottom of the broadhead and the tip touching  on the file.

[slivrslingr]

You'll have to keep working those high sections down until the edge is uniform and the concave area is gone.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by ALwoodsman:
I have a brand new file.  The problem seems to be that the edge of the broadheads are not consistent. They almost seem to be concave.  I am only getting the bottom of the broadhead and the tip touching  on the file.

that's it, that's yer problem - not getting the blade edges dead straight.  

it CAN be done with a file (new one!) with a WHOLE buncha elbow grease.  

but i'd rather use a sanding station belt, or belt sander, and 120 grit abrasive.  makes super quick work of evening out the blades, and taking off that needle nose point - you wanna "chisel" that a bit.

there ya go - have at it and get those killer woodsman shaving sharp in less time that it took me to type this post up!    

[ALwoodsman]

I thought that was the problem.  I will try the belt sander at work.  I just didn't realize how much work it would be using a file.  Especially when it is 100 degrees in the garage!

[KHALVERSON]

be carefull when using a belt sander
keep the head cool or  ya may loose the temper
and end up with soft cutting edge

[Autumnarcher]

I use a mill bastard file to do the initial work, then a mill smooth file to finish. Once done with the files, I strop the head by pulling it across a piece of paper. Wicked sharp when Im done.

[Easykeeper]

I've always used a file to get the edges even, but that hasn't been much of a problem with the last few heads I've gotten.  The Woodsman "Elite" has been especially easy to get true.  Newer heads also have the needle point nocked down out of the box.  

Are you working on some older heads?  They definitely took some elbow grease, and a little care to get true from the box.  Some of the first ones I had a few years back left a lot of fillings on the bench by the time they were ready for stones...

[Running Buck]

When you buy a new file use a piece of chalk on it before using it on any metal. This prevents "pinning" which is when steel shavings wad up between the teeth and smooth out your file. Nicholson and Grobet are about the best out there. I can take new woodsmens or snuffers and get them shaving sharp with the file in a short time. If you get to the point where the edges look clean but not shaving sharp use a lighter touch.

[smokin joe]

I know this will sound like heresy to some people, but why bother getting the blades flat when sharp is what we are after?

I use a 6 inch chain-saw raker file and the sharpie marker comes off in less than 20 strokes per side. I then reduce pressure to almost no pressure at all and use a "count down" -- 8 strokes across a pair of blades, then 7, then 6, etc.

After the "count down" I finish the edges with very light strokes with the side of the raker file (the sides of these files have no teeth) as if I was using a sharpening steel on a butcher knife.

Shaving sharp in no time. Yes, the blades may be a little dished in, but who cares if they are razor sharp, and they still spin true?

And, raker files are really cheap at the hardware store. I make little wood handles out of 3 inch pieces of thin tree branches, and I put them on all my raker files. I always have a raker file in my pack.

This is an inexpensive and sure way to get a Snuffer or a WW shaving sharp every time.

Give it a try.
Joe

[bolong]

There is also a big difference in the quality of files. It's well worth the money to get a good one.

[Builder]

I use the grinder then a flat file. Just for the heck of it I tried sharpening one with my hollow ground files that I use on my two blades, pulled them through three times each and hit them lightly on the crock sticks and they were unbelievably sharp, the hair jumped off my arm.

[Jake Diebolt]

I've gotten the woodsman flat with just a bastard file...but it took a long time. once I did, however,i was able to get it shaving sharp with just the file, if you went light enough.

Just have patience!

[Reaper TN]

I got my new 120 grit belts about a week ago and put my belt sander in the vice upsidedown.  This method removes material so much quicker and easier than my file. These Woodsmans are already sharper than I have ever been able to get them with a file.  I'm going to try some light strokes on my finest grit stone next.  Then strope on some cardboard.  I have my fingers crossed.