Traditional Archery Discussions on the Leatherwall


Help me find a good taper tool. Please!!

Messages posted to thread:
fdp 09-Oct-18
2 bears 09-Oct-18
RymanCat 09-Oct-18
4nolz@work 09-Oct-18
KDdog 09-Oct-18
George D. Stout 09-Oct-18
M60gunner 09-Oct-18
Glunt@work 09-Oct-18
hookman 09-Oct-18
Longcruise 09-Oct-18
arlone 09-Oct-18
2 bears 09-Oct-18
Rigs 09-Oct-18
jimwright 10-Oct-18
neuse 10-Oct-18
Nemah 10-Oct-18
MF 10-Oct-18
flyguysc 10-Oct-18
Eric Krewson 10-Oct-18
nybubba 10-Oct-18
David Mitchell 10-Oct-18
Kelly 10-Oct-18
Eric Krewson 10-Oct-18
Longcruise 10-Oct-18
cvarcher 12-Oct-18
KDdog 12-Oct-18
Seahorse 12-Oct-18
MF 12-Oct-18
jk 12-Oct-18
Longcruise 12-Oct-18
MAGICMAN 15-Oct-18
vthunter 15-Oct-18
From: fdp
Date: 09-Oct-18




Go buy you an inexpensive bench top sander and make a jig for it. You can probably pick one up at a pawn shop. Once you star grinding tapers with a power tool you'll never use another hand held taper tool. And they will work on any shaft material. I use one on Oak shafts all the time.

From: 2 bears
Date: 09-Oct-18




I do it like fdp. Already had the sanders. The V block was easy. Actually the lath should do a good job. Is it just hard /slow to use or what? >>>----> Ken

From: RymanCat
Date: 09-Oct-18




Get the Bear paw that's machined and you can hook up a drill to it also. I never hooked up the drill I didn't have to. I have a brand new Woodchuck in the box and never used it. I found my Bear Paw more than sufficient. Its heavy and tooled and like that in my hand . Pencil sharpeners to me are garbage.

From: 4nolz@work
Date: 09-Oct-18




Woodchuck is awesome

From: KDdog
Date: 09-Oct-18




I'm with Nolz, I picked up a used woodchuck in the classifieds awhile back. It kicks butt.

From: George D. Stout Compton's Traditional Bowhunters
Date: 09-Oct-18




If you're going to do a lot of arrows over time, the Woodchuck is a good investment and it doesn't take much room.

From: M60gunner
Date: 09-Oct-18




Have to agree, Woodchuck works best for me. I found my Tru-Tapers seemed to like only Cedar. They didn’t like Fir or hardwoods. I even bought attachments for them to use with a electric drill. Now the blades are not available cause they have a new model.

From: Glunt@work
Date: 09-Oct-18




Some local guys are liking The Perfect Taper Tool from Traditional Archery Products. No experience with it myself.

From: hookman
Date: 09-Oct-18




I have had the woodchuck and could never get a good taper. The sanding wheel leaves an uneven line at the back of the taper. The nocks or points never look good. Try the perfect taper tool that runs on a drill.

From: Longcruise
Date: 09-Oct-18




If you purchase or make an angle jig it will give good results using a table saw with sandpaper glued to a blade. Might be even simpler to use an abrasive wheel?

From: arlone Professional Bowhunters Society - Associate Member
Date: 09-Oct-18




I picked up a Woodchuck on the classifieds last year and like it. Found out not to feed it into the disk too hard and fast. Seems to make better tapers than my True Taper Tool I used to use. Thumper, it looks like hookman or Rymancat have one to deal??

From: 2 bears
Date: 09-Oct-18




Thumper that is what I thought. Thanks.>>>----> Ken

From: Rigs Compton's Traditional Bowhunters
Date: 09-Oct-18




Tim's Taper Tool with a disc sander is the bomb...All I've used for years with good results.

Happy hunting, Jason

From: jimwright
Date: 10-Oct-18




You mention you shoot cedar and fir. With cedar I used to get excellent tapers with the inexpensive disposable taper tools from 3 rivers. Fir however, which is about all I ever use took a woodchuck for me but if you order Surewood's excellent douglas fir, they will taper both ends for a nominal fee.

From: neuse
Date: 10-Oct-18




I bought the wood chuck a few years ago, it hurt the pocketbook, but now it's paid for and works good.

From: Nemah
Date: 10-Oct-18




Get an inexpensive disc sander. The Woodchuck taper tool has way too much play in the shaft. Richard

From: MF
Date: 10-Oct-18




What does the woodchuck give you that the cheaper tools don't? I use the handheld pencil sharpener type. The tapers look fine, broadheads spin true, good flight and impact. What am I missing?

From: flyguysc Compton's Traditional Bowhunters
Date: 10-Oct-18

flyguysc's embedded Photo



Got this from Harbor Freight,works great,youtube has instructions on how to.

From: Eric Krewson
Date: 10-Oct-18

Eric Krewson's embedded Photo



I had an early small motor disc taper tool similar to a woodchuck, it worked but not all that well.

When I started making bows I bought a small Delta benchtop belt disc sander, made a simple taper jig for it and never looked back, it makes a perfect taper every time.

The sander pictured above is $79 on ebay, half what a Woodchuck costs and gives you much more versatility for other jobs with the small belt sander.

Here is my current simple taper jig affixed to a 6X48 Griz belt sander, perfect tapers every time.

From: nybubba
Date: 10-Oct-18




I'm getting one from harbor freight as well. The 5" disc and 1x30 belt combo. Amazon has knife sharpening grade belts and leather strap for the 30" belt sander. I never had room for it but My new insulated drywalled garage will be started Friday. Hahahahaha, my loving wife will only see me for coffee and dinner this winter. Nybubba

From: David Mitchell
Date: 10-Oct-18




I have used my Woodchuck for years and love it. As arlone said, you don't want to feed the shaft into the grinding wheel too fast. Just gently turn the shaft as you feed it into the wheel.

From: Kelly
Date: 10-Oct-18




In order to get perfect tapers one needs to be sure the shafts are straight especially at the ends.

Then don’t force it, go slow and let the tool being used do the cutting/removal of material.

If you are getting a ridge at end of taper you have your jig too close to the sanding disc.

From: Eric Krewson
Date: 10-Oct-18




I made my taper jig with a narrow board on the bottom to fit the miter slot on the table. I can take the jig off and on the table and have it perfectly aligned every time.

I adjusted the angle on my jig by attaching the bottom 1/4" plywood piece on the base with one screw as a pivot on the leading edge. I marked a 5 degree taper line to start, clamped everything together and made a test taper.

I inserted the fresh taper in a new, uncleaned field point to see how much crud showed on the taper. At first crud was only partially shown on the taper. I pivoted my angle slightly and did more tests until the crud covered the taper completely. At this point I put another screw in the jig to lock the angle in place.

I used the same procedure to adjust the nock taper but not having any dirt in the nock to show on the taper I adjusted for a very tight fit with no slop side to side.

From: Longcruise
Date: 10-Oct-18




Just a heads up on tapering jigs. I tried using mine on a Rigid belt sander and while it can be done, the belt wants to pull or push the shaft depending on the direction of the feed. It can work but it's tedious.

From: cvarcher
Date: 12-Oct-18




Bear PAw deluxe, the machined one--excellent!!

From: KDdog
Date: 12-Oct-18




RMSG has sandng discs for it.

From: Seahorse
Date: 12-Oct-18




I tried several "pencil sharpeners". Never got one to work well.

Make your own V-groove jig and clamp it to a disc sander. Perfect tapers and no dull blades.

From: MF
Date: 12-Oct-18




seahorse what do you mean "Never got one to work well" ? I have a pencil sharpener type from Kustom king, I think a Bearpaw. As I posted the tapers look fine.

From: jk
Date: 12-Oct-18




Harbor Freight sander with skinny belt (you need one: a thousand uses) and disc (for tapers).

add this: https://www.3riversarchery.com/arrow-taper-guide-block-for- wood-arrow-building.html You'll want good small clamps to lock the guide to the sander.

From: Longcruise
Date: 12-Oct-18




Those plastic bearpaw and whiffen taper tools are catch as catch can.

I think it's the molding process. some make a straight taper and others not so much.

From: MAGICMAN Compton's Traditional Bowhunters
Date: 15-Oct-18




I have had nothing but great result with the 3rivers model. They redesigned it a year ago or so and it works great. I too was struggling with other pencil style tape tools. Plus it's priced right.

From: vthunter
Date: 15-Oct-18




Look at the one on this months trade.





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