Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: sulphur on September 17, 2009, 04:30:15 pm
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I got this idea from some guys on the Leatherwall. Not exactly primitive but certainly alot cheaper. I hammered some spoons flat and shaped them on my belt sander. I got the weight to around 140-150 grns. I also left about .5" of the handle to fit into my shafts. I epoxied them in and wrapped them with cotton string and soaked that in super glue. they fly awfully well and penetration is consistent with my other store bought broadheads. super simple idea!!
(http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww279/sulphur7/DSCF2429.jpg)
(http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww279/sulphur7/DSCF2430.jpg)
(http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww279/sulphur7/DSCF2428.jpg)
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I have read about spoon points but never tried them. Looks like they should work fine.
Primitive is using what you have available for what you need. These then would be primitive in my book! 8)
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very nice 8) 8)
now when ya say spoons,ya mean like what i eat my capn crunch with right?
if so, i am buying the wife some new silver ware lol
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yep plain ol tea spoons. the smalller ones have less metal to remove. thicker work well if you need more weight. i bought a bunch at wally world for about 1.50 for 3.
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I've tried them and when they hit something modestly hard they will fold over.
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yeah the metal is still soft. however the first two i made were experiments. I shot them at an oak tree and they did bent a little but not as much as i thought they would.
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cool idea 8) -josh
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I think I'm gonna try that. It's a real coincidence that befor I read this post I just ground a point from a butter knife.
Marlin
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Outstanding idea, it occurred to me last time i withered away a large obsidian rock, that should a cataclysm happen and we were reduced to primitive living again there would be metal around for hundreds of years, providing plenty of material for tips, spoons are almost free at a thrifty store, I imagine they can be tempered by heating and quenching also
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yeah, about heating and tempering. thats what i was thinking. i know there are some bladesmiths on here. is there any way to temper a spoon?
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Go to anything else or build alongs Madcrow is the knife builder he has lots of info
on tempering and quenching he da man. 8)
Thanks Leroy
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thanks for the comments guys. I don't think tempering will work. kind a like trying to polish a turd. the metal just isn't that good. i have tried stamping ridge down the middle to stiffen em up and i think that will work. I need to make a metal jig to do that right though. that will be the next ones i make. the biggest thing for me is that there cheap. I don't think they'll have problem killing a deer. i'll let you know in 2 weeks hopefully.
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I think you are right, not enough carbon. You could try to get creative with serrated edge work.?
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Do they take an edge?
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zen, they do take a good edge. although after quite a bit of practice i'll need to freshen it up a bit. easily done with the soft metal though.
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Buy them at the Goodwill for about a dime each. In fact, buy some forks and do the same thing. Then you can hit any forkin' thing you shoot at. piper
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;D Mr. kieth, if thats the case, you, ian, and myself need to start raiding the goodwill. :P
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For goodness sake, stay out of the wife's good silver. :o It is way too soft for this kind of thing. ;D
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Could you use a circular saw blade instead of the spoons? It should be harder.
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i think alot of people use circular/bandsaw blades. much harder, i think.
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the problem i have with saw blades is the cutting them up. i don't have a plasma cutter or anything like that. I do have a hi speed cut off tool thats pneumatic. and i can always put a metal cutting blade in my band saw. I may see what kind of metal stock i can find tomorrow. i'm in the mood for more experimenting.
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Looks good to me,should do fine if you stay off the bones. :)
Pappy
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Sulphur, You can use a cold chisle and anvil to score the outline of the points and break them off along the score marks. Your pneumatic cut off tool should do the job nicely too. If you are searching for other metal to use be sure it has a good carbon content.
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in the never ending saga to spend less money, this is what i came up with today. made from 16 gauage steel sheet i bought a lowes for $6 (12x18). i just copied one of my zwickey's. it was a little hard on my metal bandsaw blade but i finally came up with something i think will work great. takes a much better edge than the spooons. i can honestly say i may never buy a broad head again.
(http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww279/sulphur7/DSCF2434.jpg)
(http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww279/sulphur7/DSCF2435.jpg)
the one on the left is my template the rest are junk.
(http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww279/sulphur7/DSCF2437.jpg)
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Sulpher,
As far as circular saw blades, they're working well for me. Just shot one into a concrete block, from about 30 feet. It was on my first arrow. I hardened and tempered it to straw, so don't know how it would work, straight up. But it didn't break, or bend, and it went in about 3/8". Cut it out with a cut-off blade and pnuematic grinder. There's a pic of it, under 'very first arrow' on the first page of the thread, if you're interested. I'm a carpenter, so free blades, forever, for me. ;)
dogleg
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I have had good luck cutting circular saw blades with metal cutoff wheels for an angle grinder. One of these I jury rigged onto my bench grinder after taking off one grinding wheel and using a bunch of washers. The other tool that works well is a wet/dry tile saw with an angle grinder cutoff wheel.
I have played around with hardening these points as well, but they seem hard enough for most purposes as is. Heat treating them can substantially harden them, where this is not so with things like spoons.
SOM
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The stainless spoons should be harder than the 16 gauge mild steel from Lowes. I use tablespoons for the ones I've made. They are bigger and usually thicker too. Goodwill has them cheap and so do yard sales sometimes. I'd be surprised it the 16 gauge holds up as well if it is regular hot rolled mild steel. If so...it too has too little carbon to harden w/ heat and quench. Circular saw blades work good too. The two you made both look good though, nice work, dp