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Pencil sharpener on a lathe....

Nige52

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Here's a simple question that I'm sure a lot of members will know the answer to...
Apart from my pens, I make a lot of spindle type objects, purely for fun. Just recently I added a string to my hobby by making wooden arrows for my brother, an archer. The point and the plastic nock at the feathers end are both simply glued on a taper. The way most people achieve the 2 different angle tapers on the wooden shaft is to use a purpose built 'Pencil sharpener' tool which has one blade set at 5 degrees and the other at 11 degrees, as these are the inside tapers of the point and nock, dead simple to use but........after I've sharpened just one arrow shaft, I get cramp in my fingers and also the blades blunt very quickly meaning yet another sharpener must be bought...
Surely I can sharpen these on my lathe? Any ideas on how to make a simple jig which will produce consistent results every time? Just like my (Thanks Ed Oliver) Sorby Pro Edge does to my chisels? I'd thought about setting up an angle using wood, and then running the shafts against a disc or belt sander, twisting the shafts by hand, but a lot of better people than me have attempted this approach and had at best mixed results.......
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
Nige
 

Grump

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Have I got this wrong or what??
Are you trying to turn tapers on the shafts or looking for a jig to sharpen the blades?
I made a simple blade sharpening jig from an old door hinge that works incredibly well iniit?
You could easily use this on your (Thanks Ed Oliver) Sorby Pro Edge.
http://www.palleteer.uk/projects/idea/mustav/

If you want a jig to turn tapers to a set angle then make a tapered jam chuck to the angles you want and hold them in the appropriate jam to turn the other end.
I usually simply put a Jubilee clip around the tool shaft and tool rest at the angle required simples init?
 

Nige52

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Yes grump, I just want to taper the 2 ends just like using a pencil sharpener. I have a decent chuck, so putting the shafts in nice and true is the easy bit, offering a chisel up to the end is what I can't fathom out, I need ideas for some sort of jig to put the chisel in at 2 different degrees, 5 degrees and 11 degrees..?
 

Grump

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Then you have answered your own question, make a box up with a blade in it at the required angle and slide it up and down the ways init?
Strap a stop across the ways so you can't cut to far enuf.
 

Nige52

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I see what you mean Woody, but I'm trying to get away from the pencil sharpener idea due to the cramp I get in my fingers. Ideally I want to put the wood shaft in my lathe, then offer up a flat chisel to taper the last 3/4" into a point, but with a jig of sorts to maintain the exact degrees...
Thanks all for your suggestions so far, appreciated
:winking:
 

21William

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A belt or disc dander is another option using suitable jigs to hold the shafts at the right angle.
 

Lons

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Why not just make up a couple of wood wedge shaped templates one for each end to the correct degree, use it to set your tool rest against the shaft and turn it parallel to the rest, shouldn't be difficult and repeatable.:thinks: if you want exact then make a clamp on guide for your chisel which you can run against the back of the tool rest.
 

Dalboy

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I see what you mean Woody, but I'm trying to get away from the pencil sharpener idea due to the cramp I get in my fingers. Ideally I want to put the wood shaft in my lathe, then offer up a flat chisel to taper the last 3/4" into a point, but with a jig of sorts to maintain the exact degrees...
Thanks all for your suggestions so far, appreciated
:winking:

Hold the shafts in a cordless drill and use what Woody has shown. The two at the bottom should not take much to make. Either that or hold the shaft in a vice and hold the sharpener, if home made you can make handles large enough to overcome getting cramp
 

Nige52

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Some good ideas there, thanks lads :thumbs:
The shafts are 5/16ths, but they come bigger if needed, 11/32nds and 23/64ths, the commonest 5/16ths though.
 

chas_41_uk

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I've seen Archery suppliers at Re-enactment fairs with a pencil sharpener type tool mounted in an electric drill.
Sorry I don't know where they have got them from. I only have the hand held version
 

Grump

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Had a play with it today, so easy to do it took all of about 20 minutes.
Drilled a 17mm hole 30mm deep in a block of wood and hammered a taper init, stuck it in me tailstock and drilled a hole in the other end, reamed a taper in the hole.
The only reamer I could find was a !MT so not much of a taper to show but no reason why this idea should not work for you.
Cut the blade size out of the block just to the top of the hole and screwed a blade on the side.
Didn't have a dowel to fit the hole so turned down a bit of square, put me jig in the tailstock and wound it over the turned wood, worked a treat init?
I got a bit of smoke when it bottomed out so I knew it weren't going in any further duneye?
I have 10 of these blades all used but still plenty of life in em if you want em Pm me, hope it helps.

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