Frusterated with the Wenssel Woodsman

[NoCams]

Guys,
I am with JC and the rest of the pro Woodsman crowd on this one ! It is a great head IMHO. I am quite sure I will never need to buy broadheads again, as long as I do not lose them once they pass thru the animal. Easiest head I have seen to sharpen and also SHARP. I could shave my face with mine. Hate to sound like a broken record, but here are the keys....

1) New 12-14" Nicholson Mill Bastard file
2) Sharpie to blacken edges
3) File with med pressure till Sharpie marks cleaned up all around.
4) Light pressure like JC said using less and less strokes till you get down to one stroke before rotating to next two sides.
5) fine diamond or oil stone if you prefer one stroke per side dragging backwards.
6) Leather dragging backwards as above.

I am a busy man, but just about would offer to sharpen heads for anyone who cannot get them sharp. I actually enjoy sharpening this head that much !!! I have never been able to get a knife as sharp as I can a WW. When they say hair popping sharp they mean it !!!

nocams

[Jerry Jeffer]

I have no trouble getting the WW sharp. I have no trouble with flight/wobble. I did have to clip the tip due to curling. Have not had a chance to kill any thing with them yet. (well, had a chance but passed). I'll see how I do this year.

[pseman]

I would love to try them, but I know that I am "sharpening challenged" so I just use a head that is already sharp from the factory. I use two blade heads so that when they do need re-sharpening, I can put them in the Lansky(a great purchase for the "sharpening challenged").

[Nook]

I took five deer with the same WW last year.  150 gr screw in from 3-Rivers.  File sharpened as above, then a crock stick.  Not surgical razor sharp, but will shave.  I find ultra sharp blades dull quicker.  IMO Best head on the market.  
Here is Number five.  She never heard a thing.

 

[Talondale]

Mine were wavy.  If you set them on a flat surface they rock from front to back.  I'm going to use a table belt sander as soon as I pick up a fine grit belt.

[Crash]

Sounds more like a quality control issue than a sharpening issue.  Does Magnus still make them or did 3 Rivers take over that also?

[Ted A. Young]

Pastor Steve,  PM sent.

[Mr.Magoo]

I bought a pack last year that had "weld gaps" on them, the replacements I was sent had "wavy" blades and by the time I got them flat there wasn't much left ... so I've stopped bothering with them.

However, just a few general tips.  Make sure your file is sharp and clean.  Many times if you're having trouble it's because your file (or stone) is dull.  Secondly, at least half of sharpening is knowing when to stop.  The 3 blades won't feel as sharp as a  2 blade (at least not to me), but it will still shave hair and pass the rubber band test.

[Terry Green]

Yep...the bevels aren't very even....I use a belt sander to get them even.  Once you do that, they are a cinch to sharpen....on a flat stone, file, diamond stone, or 'crock stick' type sharpener....and yes, mine DO feel sharp....like razor blades.

The key is getting thos bevels even before you attempt to get them sharp.

I usually pyramid the tip to make it stronger...easy to do while sharpening by simply raising up the rear of the head about a quarter inch while sliding them backwards on a stone, flat diamond stone, or file.

Snuffers are the same way...'wavey' and can be sharpened to a razor blade feel in the same manner above.

Never had a noisy one either, but mine are all mounted straight....I don't buy them with adapers already in them, I do them myself.  

They do penetrait well, and are a great 'all around head' IMO....once you do your part.

[Ray Hammond]

you can also take a pc of 4 inch PVC tube and attach pieces of successively finer sandpaper, the wet/dry kind up to say 800 grit or finer, and that will give you a hollow ground edge on your WW or Snuffer taht works very well when I shot them. It was easy, could do it in the living room while watching the tube..as long as I got the blades flat first.

Did that on a belt sander...or a big 14 inch nicholson single cut flat bastard.

[NoCams]

Terry,
what do you guys prefer for gluing in adaptors ? I have hot melt and 5 minute epoxy. I was thinking the epoxy would be stronger and give me time to spin it true before the glue sets up ?

nocams

[SOS]

NoCams,

If you don't mind setting up an arrow for a particular shaft, I like the epoxy.  That way I don't ever worry about them pulling off when pulling them out of practice targets.

Steve

[Roger Norris]

NoCams  - I like JB Weld.

[Shawn Leonard]

Shoot a Snuffer, WW's are great heads but it seems people have trouble gettong tem sharp, a Snuffer is easy to sharpen. Shawn

[indianalongbowshooter]

I use a belt sander first w/120 gr. belt, set them on it nice and flat w/light pressure, just till marker is gone and they are shiny, then I just take a 1200 grit diamond stone and use it like a file, 40 strokes per side, then 20, then 10 and then 5 very light strokes w/just the weight of stone, they are very very sharp after this..It takes about 5 min. ahead once you get the hang of it.

[Terry Green]

Epoxy.

[robtattoo]

Originally posted by Shawn Leonard:
Shoot a Snuffer, WW's are great heads but it seems people have trouble gettong tem sharp, a Snuffer is easy to sharpen. Shawn

I just can't understand how folks can sharpen Snuffers but not Woodsmen?? I use exactly the same procedure on both & can't honestly say that one is easier than the other. It's exactly the same job, done in the same way. Getting the initial angle on the bevels is a bit time consuming, say 5 minutes per head, but once that's done it's just a case of giving 'em a few light strokes on a whetstone. I don't bother with a crock stick or leather, 14" mill file (or worn out belt sander, if I'm in a hurry) & then a fine, 600 grit whetstone, usually 10-15 stokes per side. Like Terry suggests, I also pyramid the tips & in my, admittedly limited, experience they fly, cut & penetrate beautifully. I use a fast-set epoxy to set 'em on 75gn adapters.

[BD]

I use power bond for the inserts as it is heat reversible if needed.

[TaterHill Archer]

Funny thing is. I'm not sharpening challenged.  I can get them sharp.  It just takes forever to sharpen them.  I have followed all the instructions here and I've used a belt sander.  By the time I get the waves out of them I've whittled them down to nothing, it seems.

I like the head, when its sharp, but I"m tired of trying so hard.  I was hoping to get the "new and improved" version of the head, but it doesn't seem like its going to happen.  Its only been 10 months.

[bayoulongbowman]

Terry , nailed it ...get them even...and that works!