Home-made tie on head questions

[VicNova]

For anyone that has experience with making steel tie-on heads, I have a few questions.

1. When choosing the metal to use, what is the best thickness?

2. What is the best way to cut out the arrow head from the metal?

3. What kind of tools do I need for a project like this?

[Dictionary]

Most guys are going to come in and tell you to get a couple of power tools. But there may be a few who tell you that it can be done with a hammer, cold chisel, anvil, and a number of other hand tools like files or even hacksaws.

.040 has been recommended to me before. Not sure about the heat treatment of metal though. Still havent gotten past that part.

[kevinsmith5]

There are some good build alongs on YouTube. Haven't followed any yet, but ive seen em

[Pappy]

I use 50,000 bandsaw blade and cut them out with a drimmel  with a thin cut off blade or lately a metal band saw we now have in our shop. Never tried the hammer chisel method but I know some here that do it that way. 
   Pappy

[Stalkingfox]

If I get out to the shop today Ill post a video on how I do it, I havent figured on a way to glue and tie em on yet but shaping them is the part I know.

[bowtarist]

I trace my faves from the past with a sharpie, then cut on the outside of the line to start.  I cut em big w/ a cold chisel on a heavy piece of steel, single bevel on a pedestal grinder, then finished w/ a file. no heat treat, don't get em hot, when you're grindin em, as soon as they start to change color, pull em off and dip  in some water, take it easy, don't wear gloves, finish w/ a file.   I use whatever circularsaw blades I have laying around or find. Get yourself a simple scale set up and use some of your old faves for an estimate on weight if your interested in that. have fun, ....look up trade point in the search too, dpg

[osage outlaw]

I use old bandsaw blades from work.  They are thin, but very strong tool steel.  I can use a chisel to score them and then snap them with a vice and pliers, but I have found that a cut-off wheel on an angle grinder is easier.  I smooth them out and get them to final shape with a tiny bench grinder.  Then I take a file and put an angle on the cutting edges.  I use a Lanskey sharpening system to get them razor sharp.  I make a triangle shape with no tang.  I use a hacksaw and a chainsaw file to make notchs on both sides.  To attach it to an arrow I cut a slot in the shaft and glue the point in it.  I wrap it with heavy outdoor thread and soak that in superglue.  It is rock solid.  I can post a picture tomorrow if you want to see one.

[VicNova]

I would love to see pics

[osage outlaw]

Here is the raw blade, finished point, and one hafted to a bamboo shaft.  It went through a doe and is still rock solid.  I experimented with several shapes and designs before settleing on this one.  It's single bevelled.

[killir duck]

how wide/long are those?

[osage outlaw]

1" wide and I think 2" long.

[triphammer]

Band saw blades are a great cutlery steel. Probably L6. Easy to heat treat, too. HEat to a medium to bright red & let cool as slowly as possible. Work your broadheads to shape while the steel's butter soft. Once you've got your shape, put a rough edge on, not too thin. heat to medium red, quench in oil. It'a glass hard now & brittle. Heat wih a propane torch to a light blue  & finish sharpening. They'll be tough enough to hold a good eadge & strong enough to not turn when you hit solid bone.
  Any medium to high carbon stel will act the similarly.