Using any system, what you are doing is cutting both edges down until you reach the actual edge. This causes formation of a bur or slender thread of metal along the edge.
Some things that tend to go wrong, that you can adjust and correct are: (everybody please add more)
too much pressure. You need pressure from the very start, but as you get closer to right, you need to back WAY off, and I mean way. This is for many reasons, such as bending or deforming the metal along the edge, also, more pressure makes it more difficult to hand hold an angle (see next).
Inconsistent angle. This is where the jigs come in great. If you can't hand file a fairly systematic angle, you will have a hard time getting that edge right.
Not going far enough. You need to actually get to the edge and get the edge done. Many times we THINK we are going far enough, but never actually got there. If you can see any shiny line when you look at the actual edge, there is too much metal there.
Work out the roughness. A file can get em sharp, and some folks (Fred Bear, Howie Hill, and others) never went beyond the file. But for me, progressively finer materials help get them sharper.
Polish. Find a way to strop or polish the edge. Cardboard, ceramic stick, whatever. Polish the edge when finished. At home, I use a cloth wheel on my bench grinder and oh what a difference it makes.
more ?
Chuckc
Topic: Broadhead Sharpining (Read 263 times)
