Banding Steel Trade Points

[bowtarist]

Sting, I was thinking the same thing PatB said as I read your post.  Cut em big.  I like the single bevel broadhead design.  That's what Iuse and it's a lot easier to get them the same then the usual two edge design.  I'll try to post some pics here in a minute.

[bowtarist]

Circular saw points.  I don't have a scale...yet.  I also use old bandsaw blades.  Makes a thinner point, but are they ever sharp.  I've been making knives out of circ. saw blades too.  Got 5 I'm working on, will post in prim. skills w/ finished.  Still can't get my pics in focus.

[bowtarist]

oops, hit the button too quick.

[crooketarrow]

   I use old saw mill blades 1095 steel good blade steel 1/8" thick. But you have to aneal then reharden ad temper. Temper in the oven 400 for and hour 2 times. Makes it about 58 or 59 rockwell hardest much harder than the ones you buy. Harder and takes longer to sharpen  but once sharp there sharp for the season. I make 2 styles of points that come in at 150 gr. and 175 gr. But you can make them any weight you want.  I don't have any problems finding them at flea markets. Have even got a couple old ones at saw mills.

[mullet]

 I like diamond saw blades. the steel is thinner than circular saw blades but very strong. I'll rough cut the outline with a chisel then finish up with a Dremel and those little cut-off blades. I then clean it up with a file without messing the temper up.

[Prarie Bowyer]

I haven't read all posts but I'll weigh in anyway.  Banding will be really light.  You'll need to add weight I think.  The above pic is a great idea.  If you are worried about them crumpling on impact in longer designs consider fluting them.  It's super simple. 

Take an old mason chisel and round it over so it's not sharp, grind the corners off also.  I ground mine to a shallow arc.  Cut out your head and then draw a center line down it.  Possibly a few lines will be necessary.  Play with their arrangement if necessary.  Lay the metal on a medium density piece of wood and line up the chisel.  Strike it sharply with a hammer.  Start light to get a sense of how deep you are creasing it.  Run that line the length of the blade and try to be consistant in depth.  This will give you a sort of creased/bent blade.  Turn it over and use the hammer and chisel to chase in the line down either side.  This will flatten the metal back out and give you a clean ridge down the middle.  That ridge will add allot of strength.

My guess is that the saw blades are better but if you are set on the banding that is how I would do it.  Fluting adds strength with out adding weight.  Infact Armorers used fluting to reduce harness weight and INCREASE strength.  Plus it looks neat.
http://www.lightlink.com/armory/goth.html