DIY – How To Cut Carbon Arrows Step By Step

Cutting your carbon arrows does not sound like the most reasonable thing to do as a bow hunter. But believe it or not, there are several reasons why cutting your carbon arrows is a good idea. For starters, while cutting carbon arrows can be costly and time-consuming, it allows you to customize your arrows to suit your specific needs. But if you are not yet convinced of the need to cut carbon arrows, consider this; arrow length has a direct impact on arrow flight. In this regard, shortening your arrows can increase their accuracy and speed.

While most archery shops offer arrow cutting services, not everyone lives near an archery shop. Thankfully, there are several DIY carbon arrows cutting methods you can use to shorten the length of your carbon arrows. And in this article, I will be taking you through how to cut carbon arrow shafts.

What You Need To Know About Cutting Carbon Arrows

So you have decided that you want to cut your carbon arrows, but there is one problem, how to cut arrows for the compound bow and for other bows such as recurve, long bow or the hunting crossbow for deer hunting. Before answering this question, it is important that you get a better understanding about cutting carbon arrows.

Below are some useful tips on the best way to cut carbon arrows.

Attention: It is worth mentioning that if you need a great crossbow scope for your hard cash crossbow and carbon arrows then I advise you make some spare time and check this review about the best crossbow scope for hunting and shooting.

how to measure arrow length

Well, to begin with, always measure the carbon arrow from the end of the nock to the front of the shaft. This will give you the exact length of the arrow.

When measuring the arrow, use a ruler. Alternatively, you can use the measuring tape on your carbon arrow cutter. Some arrow cutters come with measuring tapes for ease of use. However, such types of arrow cutters tend to be pricey. Thus, if you are short on funds, you can stick with the simple ruler.

how to cut carbon arrow - using ruler

Secondly, use an carbon arrow cutter. However, if you do not have access to an arrow cutter saw, there are several home based alternatives available. One is a bench-grinder. You can use a bench grinder to cut a carbon arrow. Alternatively, you can also use a rotary composite blade.

Best Carbon Arrow Cutter

Below some are the best carbon arrow cutter which will ease your task. Have a look on this item


Last update on 2024-03-28 / Please note that Prices and Availability Are Subject To Change /Paid links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

N.B: If you are a pro archer then you must need a arrow rest that will ensure a quality smooth shooting without fletching the arrows.

An abrasive chop saw, or a Dremel can also be great alternatives to using an arrow cutter saw. Most importantly, never cut the nock side of your arrow shaft. The nock side is always the slimmer side of an arrow shaft. In this regard, only cut the thicker side of your arrow shaft.

What Do You Need?

Before I get to how to cut arrows, let me first give you an overview of the tools required for cutting carbon arrows.

Important Tools

  • A table or work station
  • Rulers for marking
  • Clamps for holding the arrows in place
  • An arrow cutter, which will make the whole process effortless
  • Sandpaper for giving the cut arrow a uniform finish

Of all the above stated tools, the one that is most important to the whole process is the arrow cutter. Ideally, I recommend using a high-speed cutter with an abrasive wheel with 5000 RPM minimum. Some bow hunters use tube cutters and hand saws such as the best bow saws to cut carbon arrows. However, I advise against using the two especially if it is your first time cutting arrows. The reason being that hand cutter and tube saws can damage the carbon fiber material used to make carbon arrow shafts.

Safety Gear

Apart from the above stated tools, you will also need to arm yourself with protective gear. This will include glasses, dust masks, gloves and safety goggles. Whether you are cutting carbon arrows with an arrow cutter or with a hand saw, you will be exposed to carbon fiber dust. The dust is harmful to your health, and thus you should take safety precautions. Also, avoid working near electrical appliances or electrical circuits. This is because the carbon fiber dust is a conductor and can cause short circuiting of your electrical appliances.

If you were to type how to cut carbon arrow shafts on the Google search bar, you will get hundreds of different answers. However, the process of cutting carbon arrows is not as complicated as it sounds. Once you have all the tools I have stated above, then you can get started. Below is a step by step guide on how to cut carbon arrow shafts.

Step One: Measure the arrow or arrows

Different bows work best with arrows of varying lengths. Therefore, the first thing to do is to find out what is the best length for your arrows. To do this, pull back the arrow on your bow to get the best draw length. Once you have gotten your bow’s draw length, measure the length of the arrow. Mark the exact point you want to cut the arrow using a masking tape and a ruler. This can be done by lining the arrow against a ruler to get accurate measurements.

finding arrow length for arrow cutting

image credit : http://www.3riversarchery.com/blog/tag/arrow-building/

Using a clamp and a yardage ruler can be an alternative. However, the problem with using clamps is that you will have to adjust the clamp if you are cutting several arrows. Therefore, using a simple ruler is easier and requires not adjusting. This is why I prefer this method of measuring an arrow’s length.

Step Two: The cut

If you are using an arrow cutter such as a Dremel, clamp the arrow down first. Using the saw, cut through the arrow shaft at the point you had marked. The benefit of using an arrow cutter is that you will be done with the cut quickly.

Step Three: finishing

After you have cut the arrow, use sandpaper to sand the cut part. Sanding the cut portion gives it a smooth surface. This step is important to ensure the arrow is ready to fix the insert and later on the arrow head.

arrow cutting material

How To Cut Arrows Without An Arrow Cutter Saw

In some instance, you may find an arrow cutter saw hard to come by. However, as I stated earlier there are several alternatives to using an arrow cutter saw one of which is a Dremel. When using a Dremel to cut carbon arrows, it is worth noting that the cut-off wheel on a Dremel is not as wide as that on an arrow cutter saw.

To cut a carbon arrow shaft with a Dremel tool, you will need a carbide cutting disc, a clamp, and a table clamp. To start, you will need to mount the cutting disc to the Dremel tool. Once you have done this use either a marker pen or a masking tape to mark the point you want to cut.

Take the arrow shaft and hold it vertically to the cutting blade. Once the cutting wheel starts spinning, slowly rotate the arrow away from you. Continue rotating the arrow until the cutting disk cuts through it.

Conclusion

Cutting of carbon arrows is a practice that is popular among bow hunters and is one of the skills you will have to master if you want to become a bow hunter or archer. That being said, there are various ways of cutting your carbon arrows as discussed above. In conclusion, I hope this article has been of great help. And that you will be cutting your carbon arrows soon.

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