I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using some
SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know how to
cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich

Take a square block, drill a hole in the end to accept the dart. Use a
setscrew to keep the dart from turning. carefully cut the groves with a
small bandsaw blade.

"eyeclinic" wrote in message
...
I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using some
SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know how to
cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich

On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:30:56 -0500, eyeclinic
wrote:

I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using some
SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know how to
cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich
Well Rich, it depends on what kind of tooling you have and what you
want to buy. You can mount a slitting saw in the chuck in your lathe
and a milling setup on the lathe crosslide. But I don't know what kind
of tools you have so that answer may mean little. For a cheap solution
buy a jeweler's saw. These use very fine blades. Buy a dozen-they're
cheap. Use cutting oil. Make sure the work is supported while sawing.
Make sure the saw blade thickness will work with your flights.
ERS

eyeclinic wrote:
I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using some
SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know how to
cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich

Depending on your equipment, the ideal way would be to use a slitting
saw in an indexer attachment, on a milling machine.
A minimill would do it, as would a $30 indexer with a collet to match
the dart body.
- -
Rex Burkheimer

Rex B wrote:

eyeclinic wrote:

I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using
some SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know
how to cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich


Depending on your equipment, the ideal way would be to use a slitting
saw in an indexer attachment, on a milling machine.
A minimill would do it, as would a $30 indexer with a collet to match
the dart body.
- -
Rex Burkheimer
Problem is...the plastic flights are only 0.009" thick and are pressed
firmly into the slots. Are there jeweler's saws or slitting saws that
small?

eyeclinic wrote:

Rex B wrote:

eyeclinic wrote:

I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using
some SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know
how to cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich


Depending on your equipment, the ideal way would be to use a slitting
saw in an indexer attachment, on a milling machine.
A minimill would do it, as would a $30 indexer with a collet to match
the dart body.
- -
Rex Burkheimer
Problem is...the plastic flights are only 0.009" thick and are pressed
firmly into the slots. Are there jeweler's saws or slitting saws that
small?

http://www.tapdie.com/html/slitting_...ng_saws_i.html

On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 17:43:42 -0500, eyeclinic
wrote:



Rex B wrote:

eyeclinic wrote:

I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using
some SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know
how to cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich


Depending on your equipment, the ideal way would be to use a slitting
saw in an indexer attachment, on a milling machine.
A minimill would do it, as would a $30 indexer with a collet to match
the dart body.
- -
Rex Burkheimer
Problem is...the plastic flights are only 0.009" thick and are pressed
firmly into the slots. Are there jeweler's saws or slitting saws that
small?
Dunno about the jeweler's saws but slitting saws for sure. Try MSC
Industrial.
ERS

"eyeclinic" wrote in message
...


Rex B wrote:

eyeclinic wrote:

I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using
some SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know
how to cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any
ideas?

Rich


Depending on your equipment, the ideal way would be to use a slitting
saw in an indexer attachment, on a milling machine.
A minimill would do it, as would a $30 indexer with a collet to match
the dart body.
- -
Rex Burkheimer
Problem is...the plastic flights are only 0.009" thick and are pressed
firmly into the slots. Are there jeweler's saws or slitting saws that
small?

How many grams is the dart going to weigh??

Thanks.

How many grams is the dart going to weigh??

Thanks.




I'm trying for 22-24 gm.

I just happedn to have a dartboard in the shop. I have two sets here. One
has a tail piece with 4 wires stuck in the back.040" dia. There's a piece of
plastic tube over the wires in front of the flights. That keeps the wires
tight together.
The other ones have an aluminum tail piece threaded in the dart with the
slots in it. This part is available for replacement at dart shops. The slot
is pretty thin. Feeler gage sez .007"
Tom
"eyeclinic" wrote in message
...
I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using some
SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know how to
cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich

Wouldn't you be better off threading the body for standard shafts? You're
going to ruin the shafts anyway, they're expendable. I think there are two
standard threads. Stainless isn't dense enough, use tungsten or depleted
uranium.


"eyeclinic" wrote in message
...
I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using some SS
rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know how to cut
the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich

Tom Gardner wrote:
Wouldn't you be better off threading the body for standard shafts? You're
going to ruin the shafts anyway, they're expendable. I think there are two
standard threads. Stainless isn't dense enough, use tungsten or depleted
uranium.




Bingo, first Robin Hood and all that work down the drain.

Also, you probably want to make them out of tungsten, for its density.
2nd choice is brass. I made one for a guy years ago, to replace a lost
one from a set he loved. matched it for weight and rough end to end
balance. I don't think it was pure tungsten, but I honestly can't remember

Bingo, first Robin Hood and all that work down the drain.

Also, you probably want to make them out of tungsten, for its density.
2nd choice is brass. I made one for a guy years ago, to replace a lost
one from a set he loved. matched it for weight and rough end to end
balance. I don't think it was pure tungsten, but I honestly can't remember

Actually, having seen many,many darts that suffered the "Robin Hood"
effect, I think the problem is that the flight holder ends are cut
perpendicular to the shaft axis, leaving a nice flat surface to impact
with the next dart tip. Second, most people sharpen their dart tips
increasing the possibility of the RH scenario. With the common bristle
boards, sharp dart tips are rarely necessary. I plan to round over the
flight holders and intentionally blunt the dart tips.

Actually, having seen many,many darts that suffered the "Robin Hood"
effect, I think the problem is that the flight holder ends are cut
perpendicular to the shaft axis, leaving a nice flat surface to impact
with the next dart tip.

Would seem wiser to buy the buck and a half ones and file to your hearts
content.


Second, most people sharpen their dart tips
increasing the possibility of the RH scenario. With the common bristle
boards, sharp dart tips are rarely necessary. I plan to round over the

A nice point, not really sharp actually, but nice, will lower the bounce
outs and fall outs. They get dinged up hitting the metal.

"Tom Gardner" wrote:

Wouldn't you be better off threading the body for standard shafts? You're
going to ruin the shafts anyway, they're expendable. I think there are two
standard threads. Stainless isn't dense enough, use tungsten or depleted
uranium.

I've played with tungsten darts like most players. Are you serious
about DU being used in darts?

Wes S
--
Reply to:
Whiskey Echo Sierra Sierra AT Alpha Charlie Echo Golf Romeo Oscar Paul dot Charlie Charlie
Lycos address is a spam trap.

On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:30:56 -0500, eyeclinic
wrote:

I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using some
SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know how to
cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich


Indexer and very very fine saw blade. Do it before turning the final
diameter. Anyway..thats how I made my several sets.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 17:43:42 -0500, eyeclinic
wrote:



Rex B wrote:

eyeclinic wrote:

I'd like to try and turn some single-piece darts on my lathe using
some SS rod. The turning should not be a problem but I need to know
how to cut the 4 grooves in the flight(plastic "wings") end. Any ideas?

Rich


Depending on your equipment, the ideal way would be to use a slitting
saw in an indexer attachment, on a milling machine.
A minimill would do it, as would a $30 indexer with a collet to match
the dart body.
- -
Rex Burkheimer
Problem is...the plastic flights are only 0.009" thick and are pressed
firmly into the slots. Are there jeweler's saws or slitting saws that
small?

I slit mine with a .015 saw (thinist I had)..then swaged em down a bit
with an over mandrel ..which was nothing more than a chunk of round
stock with a hole drilled in it a couple thous smaller than the od of
the shaft. I used bronze for the bodies. Some odd stuff I had
kicking around. No idea of the composition. Finally wound up busting
off the shafts over the years, drilled and tapped for commercial ones
later on. Came out to about 18gr, soft point for bar darts. Not much
steel darts around here.

Gunner, with a set of cheapies in the truck, along with his Duffrin
Laminate cue....soon to get a titanium ferral..scored some .6 titanium
drops



"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

"eyeclinic" wrote in message
...


How many grams is the dart going to weigh??

Thanks.




I'm trying for 22-24 gm.

OK, I was wondering about the weight with steel. Thank you.