Paper grinding wheels to sharpen vpa?
Equipment
Has anyone used those paper grinding/sharpening wheels to sharpen a 3 blade head like the vpas? I suck using stones so was wondering if this system might work for me....
As long as you can set it to a 30' angle you should be fine. I use a work sharp on solids and they come out razor sharpe.
Craig
consider using a Japanese Whetstone to polish and then a strop with compound to finish off.
Simply use a strap to touch up during a hunt or hunting season.
By doing it this way I have found sharpening three bladed broadheads extremely easy.
Hit it with a medium grit file to raise a burr before hitting the stones. Than finish with strobing on something. Card board will work so it isn't a complicated procedure. Just be sure to finish on the file, than the stone, before strobing. When having trouble getting three blades sharp, it is usually due to not going far enough on the previous step. Good luck and God Bless
Follow the instructions on the link.
Evidently nobodies phone or tablet will spell the word strop or it's derivatives except mine;-) I don't think the paper wheel do a three blade unless it's hollow ground to start with. I'm sure if you talk to the guy at VPA he will give you the dope on sharpening them!
craig, I don't no about the paper wheel. I think it would be hard to keep your angle. The way I sharpen VPA 3 blade. mark all blades with a sharpie. Start with a 220 grit diamond stone ( wet)lay broadhead flat make 50 to 75 strokes turn until you have done all 3 blades. LOOK at the edge where you mark with the sharpie, make sure your edge is true, if you see sharpie you haven't got the edge true yet. after you get the edge true go to 600 grit wet diamond stone, about 50 to 75 strokes. get a diamond jewel stick from 3 rivers archery, put your broadhead on a arrow, make 21 strokes to each blade, it should shave . then I coat with the sharpie to keep from rusting. Forrest
You will have no issue setting the angle on a work sharp KO edition to 30 degrees. They keep the bevel excellent, you can then finish on a strop or price of cardboard
I would pass on the paper wheel on three blades. Too many variables IMHO. And only do two blades with the wheel spinning away from me. Lots of good info above, and there are a few diamond broadhead sharpeners on the market with set angles for different broadheads.
I use paper grinding wheels for 2 blade heads but never 3 blade heads. To me putting 3 blade heads on a grinder is a bit spooky. So, I used coarse and fine diamond stones to sharpen 3 blade VPA's then finished on leather strop. I was impressed with the factory angle on the VPA's. I was able to get them shaving sharp fairly fast.
Lay broadhead flat on stone with 2 blades touching the stone. Grasp the top blade between thumb and forefinger. Push broadhead along entire length of the stone. Make 20 strokes then rotate. 20 strokes, rotate. Repeat this until you see a burr on each blade. Do the same on the fine stone. Then strop the head on leather by laying broadhead flat and pulling towards you. For a strop I have a piece of leather that is glued to a thin piece of plywood. The leather is about 8" long and the wood is about 14" long. I use the extra 6" as a handle. You can sharpen heads in this manner while sitting in your mancliner watching TV.
put some flitz metal polish on the leather.
VPA 3 blades on a flat stone is stupid easy unless flat is too difficult an angle for a person to hold.
I will sharpen them for you for free... It's so freaking easy but I do recommend finishing touch with a jewelstick then leather strop with Herb's Yellowstone stropping compound...
did you see this ?
http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=445489&forum=2
NOOO!!! DON'T DO THAT!!!!! You'll be just about guaranteed to trash the heads. The key to the best edge on all pyramid designed heads is keeping the angles true and putting a finely honed finish on the sharpening surface. Power grinding tools will get you in trouble quick.
Follow this video. It is the best way to keep the angles true and get a finely honed finish. There are other ways yes, but they require more of "the touch" and many people just don't have it. With the bench stone method you will get a finely honed edge and the angles will remain true. Use plenty of honing oil and dont press down too hard. Let the stones do the cutting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTxDlks2FAQ
Forget the whole having to be able to easily shave hair thing. There are thousands and thousands of dead animals that never had an idea that they were shot with pyramid heads having sharpening angles that weren't as easy to shave with. I will be the first to tell everyone you will shave much easier with blades from replaceable blade heads have a much narrower sharpening angle. Narrow angle is, afterall, the definition of sharp. The narrower the sharper. Razors, as well as blades found in replaceable blade heads and on most 2 blades typically have 14-20 degree sharpening angles. Knives will typically have 18-25 degree sharpening angles. Pyramid designed heads all have a 30 degree sharpening angle by nature of the design. No matter how fine of a hone you put on them they will still have 30 degree sharpening angle and 60 degrees total. They will not feel as sharp as a narrow shapening angle replaceable blade head. Thats because they aren't. However, when it comes to being tough the wider angle is stronger with the same metallurgy. . The narrower angle will damage or break quicker than the wider angle. Not a big claim. Its math.
Rayzor - I only disagree in that I do get the VPAS very shaving sharp, as good as any replaceable blade. It is very important to maintain the integrity of that 30 degree angle you have to do same on each side lest it gets messed up..
I know you can get them to shave but personally put little importance on that. Whoever came up with that as a measure of whether or not you should take a head hunting should have kept that opinion to themselves. You wouldnt believe the time I've spent in the last few years on the phone, emails and posts thanks to it. People tend to take it as a rule. Keep the angles true and put a decent hone on them and they will work fine regardless of whether you can easily shave the hair of your arm with them.
I didnt post the link to the sharpening video correctly last time so I'm reposting
Follow the video and you'll see the shave the hair from your arm thing to show it can certainly be done...and relatively easily.
Could work with the right touch..... keep a good size box of assorted band-aids close. Maybe a roll of gauze, tape.... a tourniquet....
Craig all you need is a 3 sided jewel stick. The angle is already perfect. Just a few strokes starting on the roughest side than work to the real fine side of stick. You need nothing else and it will make them so sharp your eyes will bleed if you look at them! Shawn
So far I'm not having luck sharpening them either. Seems no matter what I do they are dull as crap. I'm about to give up and just shoot my Magnus.
my issues was not putting enough pressure on the file work... use the sharpie and hit it until all sharpie mark is gone. go less pressure with the following stones and then hone it...
3 blade heads are ridiculously easy to re sharpen. There is almost no way to go wrong by laying a flat file on 2 edges at a time and lightly stroking, then rotate and repeat. If you use too much pressure the edge will ruin every time. Additionally, files need to be cleaned to work properly.
I completely agree with Rayzor's point about the mentality that dictates everything broadheads needs to be "shaving sharp" - a mindset that has destroyed the effectiveness of more heads than any of us will ever know.
Guys no file is needed, they are not Snuffers. The angle is already fine, as I said a jewel stick. Push the head point first not from back to front. Crazy easy to sharpen just get a good diamond bonded jewel stick! Shawn
deerman406 nailed it, easy peasy
Shawn, I have the Jewel stick as well and it works ok, but the file removes burrs, minor damage and gets the head sharper. Use what your comfortable with.
As others have stated - DO NOT TRY IT WITH A PAPER WHEEL!!! I use a paper wheel for sharpening 2 blade heads like Magnus Stingers. For them, it excels. Its impossible to get an angle on a 3 blade head with the large wheel diameter.
Use diamond stones and simply lay flat. Some say to stroke the head backwards, others say stroke it forwards. Experiment. The factory edge should be based on the head laying flat and with new heads or ones shot into foam, they should come around fairly quick.
Count the strokes, do the same on each flat. Oil stones like Arkansas, etc. may take longer. With diamond stones, start with a medium and finish up with a fine one. There are many combinations that can & will work.
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Guys I think Craig may be talking about sticky back sanding discs which are basically round pieces of sand paper with an adhesive back. I use them at work and if you stick one on a piece of flat glass they will do the trick on a 3 blade head. They can be had in all kinds of grit sizes down to 400 or 600 grit.
Roger thats fine, maybe for you it gets it sharper but for me all a file does it create more work. Shawn
I think roger is talking about needing to remove material to repair a damaged/used edge. In which case I would agree with him.
If these VPA's are as good as people say then I could see the jewel stick being an excellent tool for sharpening a new head.
tradmt, yes, you are correct. As stated previously I have files and the Jewel Stick. If the edge never becomes the slightest bit damaged(this never happens for me because I actually practice with broadheads) then the Jewel' works fine. Having said that, a file will do the same for touch up and repair edges, so it's an 'all in one' type tool for me.
For the record, I never said they were Snuffers and don't tell folks what they need, either.
do not shoot anything but broadheads and I agree if they get a bit damaged than a file may be needed. But even ones that have passed through deer and stuck in the ground rarely need a file. Shawn
Don't shoot groups with broadheads. Smack 2 pieces of steel together at a couple hundred plus feet per second and you are pretty much guaranteed to have some sort of damage. Damaged tips or cutting edges shouldnt be a surprise but it amazes me how often it is. Then there is the chopped vanes, broken nocks, and damaged shafts. Nothing is indestructable. Like anything else, take care of your gear and it should last you a long time. Abuse it and it won't.
If you shoot spots instead of groups it sure would save a lot of work trying to fix edges, replacing chopped vanes etc. It may save your wrist or hand if you hapen to damage a carbon shaft an dont notice it until you have a bunch of new piercings. Makes your targets last a whole lot longer too. All that adds up to money better spent elsewhere or saved.
I bought 1000 each rolls of 3" round Pink and 3" round Orange stickers. I also by rolls of both 1" and 1 1/2" black round stickers. I put either a 1" or 1 1/2" black sticker in the center of 3" Orange or Pink Sticker and put them in 6 different places on the target and shoot 1 arrow to each. They make for an easy to see aiming point. Consistently keep them on the black and its no different than shooting a 1" or 1 1/2" group. Keep it on the color consistently and its a 3" group and smaller than the heart of most any big game animal. Stickers are cheap compared to trashing your gear.
