Using a small lathe as a Arrow Cutoff tool

[pipcount]

Below is a nice little idea for folks thinking about investing in an arrow cutoff tool. A little Sherline lathe beats arrow cutoff tool hands down in my view- I get perfect cuts, and have a tool I can use to modify or build a ton of other archery or home gear. Make pens, fix stuff that breaks in home, build tools and inserts for Warfing risers, etc etc. A lathe is the most awesome tool in the world, until you have one you cannot imagine what you can do. If I had to choose between my table saw and my lathe I would maybe get a bit crazy...

Idea: cheap cutoff wheel suggested by Rick off Leatherwall thread on chop saws for arrow cutting. Standard arbor. "5 min wood collet" drilled out to be very snug fit to arrow OD, then simply cut by hand with a dremel. It was my "test collet," heck the whole setup was.. so little care spent on build- works great, likely to last forever. I might upgrade screws to thumbscrews... Set tailstock out to length desired for cutoff. Register arrow to tailstock to get exactly same length each time. Then register wood collet to face of cutoff wheel. Then cut. Each cut takes a minute amount out of collet, but it doesnt matter since each time you register on tailstock you get a "new" face and length. Not shown- mask and shopvac held up to each cut to prevent carbon dust in lungs.

Last shot is my Myford. They dont make little lathes like these any more. Was not a bargain, but complete kit of everything I could ever want except a dividing head. Scrounged up an old super seven cross slide, top slide and have a great little lathe. Someday I have to get my South Bend 9A and Emco 10" up and running, but ... I mainly do small stuff. I think I should just pass them on to some younger fellow with time and love of tools.

I am posting old work of mine here to try to boost me to a point I can IM folks on this site. Thank you! Dont want to be a "troll"

I put images in attachments, hope that works.

[WildThings]

very cool

[kmitchl]

Nice Myford. You don’t see too many of these on this side of the pond. More common in the UK.

[pipcount]

Thanks fellows. Had a GREAT day out at Spring Creek Parks range today. Graduation party for one of the boys.. BBQ and archery is hard to beat for good, clean fun.

[pipcount]

Recently I was making some target arrows with those break off points you glue in. I was grabbing one side of the break off area with vise grips, the other with a pliers to snap the extra weight off. It was frustrating, and time consuming, and I bent two enough that I had to pound them straight on anvil.

That was it, done, find a better solution: chuck up a piece of 1/2" steel, drill down center JUST a bit bigger than inserts, then part off just a bit shorter than where the break off area is. Put this in vise, insert point from bottom, grab top with pliers and twist... point drops to bottom in a cup, start over. Ran 14 through PERFECTLY. Way faster than using the vise grips, dead simple. I suspect I may already have saved myself the time it took to do the drill and parting.

I make something on my lathe just about every weekend. Crazy what you think of once you have one.

[SJP51]

Looks like it works! Congrats. That's a complicated, but precise set-up. I use a Drimmel tool with cut-off wheel. Not nearly as perfect as your, though.

[pipcount]

It actually goes super fast, since I only have to measure ONCE when I set up initial tailstock position. After that it is just "push arrow through collet until it hits tailstock" and "register on blade."

Hardest part of the whole thing is finding where I put the screwdriver down. I need to make a thumbscrew.