DIY Arrow Cut Off Saw

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Wow! Great job. Puts my little jig to shame. I went for the minimalist approach, but with less of everything.
I can see that you really enjoyed making that.
 

wingate_52

Active member
I have the tools to make tools. The "tailstock" is a 10mm bolt with the head rounded and drilled to 10mm, leaving a pointy recess, ideal for my XBusters and X 10's. Nocks, points, bare shafts and pins fit centred. It cuts really square, the arrow sits on the tape covered alloy angle, and you just rotate the shaft one revolution as the 60mm Diamond coated (thin) blade cuts through the arrow tube wall. I have trimmed 2 sets of X 10's and 15 X busters over the weekend. Now for some fletching!
 

Mike47j

Member
I've used the ordinary Dremel cut off discs, and it only takes about 3 arrows to wear out a disc.
Clearly I need to get a diamond disc.
 

wingate_52

Active member
Invest ?2.39 on ebay for a 60mm disc and mandrel. Thin cutting disc, no wear after 3 doz arrows, both ends cut on the X10's. It took 3 weeks to arrive from China, so I made the removable safety guard as I waited. I have had discs and even a wheel on a Best Arrow Saw blow up in my face. Wear goggles and a mask.
 

towser

New member
Why not use a plumbers pipe cutter, just like the one sold at your good old local DIY store , probably not too good on carbon though
 
Plus 1 for the pipe cutter idea. Been using that on Ali arrows for years. Slow and steady is the trick, but you can do really accurate length cutting with a little practice. No good on carbon, or carbon wrapped, as they tend to splinter I've found. If your cutting X7's, XX75's, Jazz's etc, spot on!
 

wingate_52

Active member
I found that the pipe cutter pinched and rounded over the cut end a little. I am presently cutting carbon and carbon alloys so the saw works better, but it really is a case of use what you have. I made a block of wood with exact holes to the diameter of the arrow shaft and used a very fine flat not wavy junior hacksaw to cut my arrows a while ago. Held in the vice, this did a good job, but an arrow saw is faster and gives a better, finer square ended cut, and 36 shafts end up the same length with no measurements.
 

Mike47j

Member
Easton does not agree with that. Their tuning guide says "Never use rotary tube cutters, hack saws or other methods that can damage the shaft or leave a rough cut."
 

wingate_52

Active member
Arrow saw that cuts around the periphery of the wall. Not some of the "cut-off saws as displayed in DIY builds, esp from the U.S. They may not always give a square cut.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Would it help, to plug the end of the shaft so the cutter doesn't change the shape of the tube as it cuts? It would support the shaft on the inside ,too. Reduces the risk of internal splinters. I would mean cutting the shaft by going all round, not sawing straight across the end. That way the plug remains in one piece so it can be removed.
 

carl7

New member
Only problem I have with Dremel cut off disks is they are so fragile! I broke one just by very gently brushing against it with my finger. Somewhere in this mess called house I have a Foredom tool which I'll start using when I find it.

Carl
 

Foobs

New member
That looks very nice. I've got a Dremel 3000 (with a flex shaft), which I have had the idea to do something similar...I just need a way to clamp it, move it in/out of position and keep it straight. Any ideas?
 

wingate_52

Active member
Clamp the hand grip to a wooden block that is cut into a V, fasten it down with a pair of U-bolts or nylon cable ties. Be careful!
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter


This is the first stage in my set up. It requires a plate to be made with a hole cut out for the threaded end of the handle. I have removed the collet and the threaded end cover. Once the plate is on, the cover is screwed on to hold the plate to the drill handle. The plate is used to clamp the drill in a vice.
If you are OK with making that plate, the other parts are simple enough.
 

ThomVis

Active member
I'm building my own with a Dremel, and use the same type of plate as geoffretired, mine's just a lot thinner. I addition I have and exhaust clamp (48mm) to go around the housing to secure it to a base plate. Now if I only could find the time to finish the damn thing.
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
Maybe a daft question... Has anyone tried spinning the shafts up against an abrasive cutting edge?

Mount the shaft in a normal drill, and present it to a fixed cutting edge. It sounds so obvious (though I can think of some complications) that I'm kind of surprised I can't find anything mentioning it as an approach.
 
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