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  1. #1
    Senior Member Cuffs's Avatar
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    Making marlin spikes

    Now that I have a supply of arrow shafts, I need to know how to finish them into spikes.

    What is the preferred length of spike?

    What is the best tool/blade to cut carbon fiber with?

    Will they need sanding/finishing on the ends?
    Get busy living, or get busy dying.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Hooch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cuffs View Post
    What is the preferred length of spike?
    About 3' or so is what I use. Others may vary.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cuffs View Post
    What is the best tool/blade to cut carbon fiber with?
    Have you tried a Dremel?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cuffs View Post
    Will they need sanding/finishing on the ends?
    Possibly, give it a go and see. It just depends on whatever you use to cut them with making a clean cut or not.
    "If you play a Nicleback song backwards, you'll hear messages from the devil. Even worse, if you play it forward, you'll hear Nickleback." - Dave Grohl

  3. #3
    Senior Member rigidpsycho's Avatar
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    I cut my spikes at about 3" in lenghth. I was using aluminum arrow shafts, so I just used a hacksaw. Cutting carbon fiber shafts you could use a dremel or a small pipe cutter. One other thing if I remember correctly you should use some tape around the cutting area to avoid splinters.
    Last edited by rigidpsycho; 07-19-2010 at 21:00.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Albert Skye's Avatar
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    Sorry, I don't have answers for your questions but working with carbon fibre is nasty. Imagine fibreglass and asbestos but worse...

    Archery shops regularly cut shafts to length and generally throw away the leftovers which are likely to be about the right length for these marlin spikes. If I were going to cut my own, I'd use aluminum.

  5. #5
    Senior Member RePete's Avatar
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    I made mine out of aluminum slurpee straws. 3" is plenty long. Mine are 4" which are huge but I like them. You could easily go down to 2.5" possibly shorter.
    Pete.
    The opinions expressed by this user are not those of a competent individual. If they were that would mean I know what I am talking about.

  6. #6
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    Cuffs, a fiber disc cut off wheel works best. Spin the shafts as you cut to prevent snapping the last little bit.
    As Albert said, cf is nasty stuff. Wear a resperator. Not good to breathe in the dust.
    Ambulo tua ambulo.

  7. #7
    Senior Member southmark's Avatar
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    A small pipe cutter works great, easy and quick. Makes a nice clean cut.

  8. #8
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    Do you put any kind of a point on these? I can't imagine that the diameter is small enough to work any knots loose. Do you mind sharing pictures of your finished product? Thanks!


    Edited to add:

    I think I may have been subject to not knowing the full hammock lingo. In this case, marlin spike = used to hang the hammock, huh? Sorry folks
    Last edited by Shore08; 07-20-2010 at 13:30.

  9. #9
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    Formerly 'TroutEhCuss'
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    A Dremel has all of the bits for cutting, drilling, finishing up your task.
    I like big hammocks - I cannot like.

  10. #10
    Senior Member SGT Rock's Avatar
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    I use a small pipe cutter. I think they are about 2" long, I just kept cutting them smaller until they weighed 1 gram each.
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