# Rounding fork tips



## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

I'm still learning lots about ways to improve my boardcut frames and I still have a long way to go but it's all fun. I started with flat tops on my fork tips but a while ago I started rounding them because it seemed like a better thing for the bands to slide over.

I don't own a router and I'm not talented enough to round off the tips with a Dremel tool. Instead I use 60 grit sandpaper. The sandpaper is placed on a flat surface and the tips are first leveled out and squared up by sanding on the table. Next I bevel the front and back by dragging the tips across the sandpaper. Next I rotate the tips as I sand. Sand one side for 15-20 strokes and then the other and then back again, etc. I'm currently reworking a frame that I made a while ago and it only took me 7 to 8 minutes to rough sand the tips from flat to rounded with 60 grit. All that's left to do is a bit of work with 100-150-220-320 grit.

Cheers,
Northerner


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

Make sure the sharp corners of the tips are rounded slightly also. -- Tex


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Northerner said:


> I'm still learning lots about ways to improve my boardcut frames and I still have a long way to go but it's all fun. I started with flat tops on my fork tips but a while ago I started rounding them because it seemed like a better thing for the bands to slide over.
> 
> I don't own a router and I'm not talented enough to round off the tips with a Dremel tool. Instead I use 60 grit sandpaper. The sandpaper is placed on a flat surface and the tips are first leveled out and squared up by sanding on the table. Next I bevel the front and back by dragging the tips across the sandpaper. Next I rotate the tips as I sand. Sand one side for 15-20 strokes and then the other and then back again, etc. I'm currently reworking a frame that I made a while ago and it only took me 7 to 8 minutes to rough sand the tips from flat to rounded with 60 grit. All that's left to do is a bit of work with 100-150-220-320 grit.
> 
> ...


Good job Northerner,

If you are going to be making a lot of cattys and don't have a mechanized way of sanding like a table top belt sander, a way I like to round them is;

belt sander belts cut in to strips. Thankfully for me on the heavier grits, I can use my used floor sanding belts cut into strips, to round it down fast. Yet many woods will round over pretty fast with a 100 grit belt, or thereabout. And then progress to the finer belt grits that I get from some store. Then even finer sheet sand paper cut into strips.

I even use the strips for the edges to smooth them after rasping them. The plus of the belts is, they have good life to them because they are made to bend.


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Northerner said:


> I'm still learning lots about ways to improve my boardcut frames and I still have a long way to go but it's all fun. I started with flat tops on my fork tips but a while ago I started rounding them because it seemed like a better thing for the bands to slide over.
> 
> I don't own a router and I'm not talented enough to round off the tips with a Dremel tool. Instead I use 60 grit sandpaper. The sandpaper is placed on a flat surface and the tips are first leveled out and squared up by sanding on the table. Next I bevel the front and back by dragging the tips across the sandpaper. Next I rotate the tips as I sand. Sand one side for 15-20 strokes and then the other and then back again, etc. I'm currently reworking a frame that I made a while ago and it only took me 7 to 8 minutes to rough sand the tips from flat to rounded with 60 grit. All that's left to do is a bit of work with 100-150-220-320 grit.
> 
> ...


Also, many times a grit sequence or more can be skipped depending on the wood and type of stain and or finish used. Why do more work than necessary.


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## A+ Slingshots (Jan 22, 2010)

Well done!!! That's one of the ways to do it!!! Everyone has given a lot of good advise already. In my shop the fork tip work is accomplished with router, belt sander and drum sander... in that order. However, when I started my business Feb. 2010 I did all the tips with only a belt sander.


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Tex made a good point about rounding edges. I do the edge rounding when I get to the 220 and 320 git paper. My last set of TheraGolds lasted over 1300 shots and the set I'm using right now are over 900 so far.

The "sandpaper on table" method works great for someone with minimal tools, minimal space, or minimal cash. I like it because I don't make many frames and I can pack up all my files, sandpaper, Dremel, and templates in a tote box and store in a closet.

Here are a couple more pics of the fork tips I have done with sandpaper on a table top (dragging tips across paper to round them). One pic has two frames hanging upside down drying while a finished frame is held in hand. Another pic is of a finished frame with bands. Last pic is a drying frame from another angle.

Cheers,
Northerner


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Good job, looks pro finish


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## dragonmaster (Dec 24, 2009)

I use a square tip on my board cut also maybe I should round them like that also. does it help when shooting.


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

dragonmaster said:


> I use a square tip on my board cut also maybe I should round them like that also. does it help when shooting.


I think round tips help to smooth out the band stretch. On occasion, with squared tips, I have felt the bands jumping over the tip as they stretch. I could actually hear the noise as they rubbed the smoothed fork edge. A drop of lube stopped the noise but rounded tips are a better solution.

Cheers,
Northerner


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## Rapier (May 28, 2011)

top job northener but if your planing on making qiute a few cattys, get yourself a dremel if ya havent already. all you really need is the little 'drum' sanding attachments and a light touch. takes hours off the process especially if your design has alot of curves or finger grooves etc... plus a dremel is a great tool for so many other jobs too, well thats how i justifyed the purchase anyhow...

good luck

Rapier


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Rapier said:


> top job northener but if your planing on making qiute a few cattys, get yourself a dremel if ya havent already. all you really need is the little 'drum' sanding attachments and a light touch. takes hours off the process especially if your design has alot of curves or finger grooves etc... plus a dremel is a great tool for so many other jobs too, well thats how i justifyed the purchase anyhow...
> 
> good luck
> 
> Rapier


Hi Rapier,

Thanks for the tips. After cutting out ther frame with a jigsaw, I use a drum sander on my drill to clean up the cuts. I have an assortment of drum sizes choose from. Then I use a Dremel with small drums to form the finger and thumb indents. I'm not very good at keeping things straight so I prefer shaping the fork tips both at the same time with coarse paper. This keeps them the same and I have less chance of messing it up. Attached is a frame that I finished last night. It started out as a TTF design but I shortened the forks and made it OTT.

Cheers,
Northerner


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