Arrow Building - Recommendations and Pitfalls - 2022

[Fuse Dude]

Recently, I've purchased arrows and all of the necessary components, except vanes and nocks.

My question what are some recommendations / Pitfalls to consider?

Equipment list:

Arrow spinner/ squaring jig $25
Diamond saw blades, used with a drill $12
Cold ferril tite and 4k epoxy $6
Tape measure
Sharpie silver

Arrow description: DL 28.5" Foc 16.8%

Easton Aftermath 340 $45/6
75 brass Inserts. $20/12
Magnus Stinger 4 125 grain $40/3
125 Field points
Ebay sources

Thanks

 

[Bowtie747]

I’m really liking the AAE veins. Also Blazers are hard to ignore. I’m leaning more towards the AAE at the moment, they have several good offerings.

I really like Boheings platinum glue. When scrubbed with a scotch brite pad, cleaned with denatured alcohol you will need pliers to peal them off. I’ve shot them through plywood and still not come off. I tired the Easton glue and maybe it was because I was rusty but I messed a bunch of them up. I used to fletch arrows all the time and hadn’t in a while so it could have been that.

 

[Fuse Dude]

I’m really liking the AAE veins. Also Blazers are hard to ignore. I’m leaning more towards the AAE at the moment, they have several good offerings.

I really like Boheings platinum glue. When scrubbed with a scotch brite pad, cleaned with denatured alcohol you will need pliers to peal them off. I’ve shot them through plywood and still not come off. I tired the Easton glue and maybe it was because I was rusty but I messed a bunch of them up. I used to fletch arrows all the time and hadn’t in a while so it could have been that.

So the vanes are attached, however I think this discussion would benefit from having this information!! Thank you!

Yes I've heard AAE is the bees knees regarding durability and sound compared to Blazer, nothing taken away from Blazer though.

 

[Bowtie747]

So the vanes are attached, however I think this discussion would benefit from having this information!! Thank you!

Yes I've heard AAE is the bees knees regarding durability and sound compared to Blazer, nothing taken away from Blazer though.

Oh my bad! I guess I misunderstand what you were asking. Haha

 

[Fuse Dude]

Oh my bad! I guess I misunderstand what you were asking. Haha

Nah that was perfect, fletching details should be included as I've neglected it's inclusion. I wanna use this thread as a data point for others also.

 

[Horn]

Following. Thanks for the thread, I'm trying hard not to start building arrows, I may get addicted lol

 

[jiwhite86]

I’ve had really good luck over the years using the Loc Tite ultra control gel super glue for vanes and inserts.

I’m a big q2i fan myself. Never had any issue with them whatsoever.

I’m interested to see how much squaring you’re going to have to do by cutting your shafts with a drill.

Curious what your drawlength and poundage is? That’s a good amount of weight up front of a 340 spined arrow.

 

[Exhumis]

Looks like you’re trending toward a heavier arrow. I’m a heavy arrow guy and AAE vanes have been awesome for me especially when you throw a bunch of weight up front.

 

[Lucky13]

What jig are you using?
@jiwhite86 hit on some solid questions

I've shot most all of the major type vanes over the years.. I too was a fan of q2i vanes for many seasons. The last couple I've been using Tac Drivers and have no plans on switching.

Usually the silver sharpie comes into play on finding the spine..

 

[raisins]

square both ends of the arrow using the silver sharpie, the nock end is very important but usually pretty square

i don't worry about aligning blades to vanes

once inserts are installed, i use a black sharpie and square them

i always use onestringer arrow wraps, vanes stick better and you can remove the whole thing and start with a like new arrow with no scraping on carbon

arizona ez fletch mini and minimax are awesome, they are all i use

all normal hunting vanes work, i used to use blazers but now aae max stealth (which you need a special prep and glue kit for to get them to stick)

for inserts and normal vanes, i like green cap gorilla glue impact gel super glue

clean everything during the gluing process (vanes and feathers), don't use the lower percent rubbing alcohols because they can have an oil in them that keeps things from sticking (i like acetone from the hardware store, not nail polish remover which also has stuff in it)

 

[jtw0057]

Draw weight/Length: 54lbs/ 27.5 in.

Arrow length: 28.5 in.

340 spine Easton sonic 6.0 arrows cut by black Ovis

Squared the arrows with sandpaper and cleaned everything with acetone.

Installed 75 grain brass inserts and vanetec fletchings with the Minimax EZ fletch.

I left a few arrows unfletched to bare shaft tune.

Shot through paper with a 125, 150, 175 and 200 grain point and had a bad nock right tear with all.
Moved rest and shot mostly bullet holes with all points.

Shot and sighted in the 125 points and shot a few broad heads (grizzly stick samurai). Broadheads impacting well right of field points.

Shot through paper again with 125 and 175 points and had a slight nock left tear. Moved rest again and had a bullet hole with the 175s. Shot bareshaft through paper and had bullet holes with it as well. Sighted in bow and bought more 175 grain points to put on all arrows.

Shot last weekend and these arrows are flying great out of my bow. Waiting on broadheads to show up currently and will test those when I get them.

TAW is right at 500 grains and 22% FOC


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jtw0057]

Oh, and I used vanetecs glue for the fletchings and pine ridge archery insert glue.


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[kyler1945]

My advice would be to cut them as short as you feel comfortable with.

Square both ends!

Use the smallest vanes you can get to keep broadheads flying true.

Make sure your bow is tuned before fletching up an arrow to try.

Have throw away towels and qtips at the ready to wipe up epoxy and what not.


Clean everything really well after test fits and before gluing.

 

[Fuse Dude]

I’ve had really good luck over the years using the Loc Tite ultra control gel super glue for vanes and inserts.

I’m a big q2i fan myself. Never had any issue with them whatsoever.

I’m interested to see how much squaring you’re going to have to do by cutting your shafts with a drill.

Curious what your drawlength and poundage is? That’s a good amount of weight up front of a 340 spined arrow.

Only 60lbs on an Elite Valor, somewhat of an aggressive draw cycle at 70lbs for a skinny guy.

I'll fab up an arrow jig for cutting, fyi.
3D printed
3in1 arrow prep tuning squaring spin spinner tool Asd spine w/ 6mo. Warranty
Brand New
$24.95

3in1 arrow prep tuning squaring spin spinner tool Asd spine w/ 6mo. Warranty | eBay

Attachable end plate has sand paper slot for easy sand paper swap. Arrow Prep Spinner Squaring tool 3 in 1. Q. Are these fidget spinner quality bearings. This design is wider, longer and a bit taller and features bigger bearings.

www.ebay.com

 

[weekender21]

My process:

•index/mark stiff side of each shaft
•cut/square both ends
•bohning 4” wraps
•bohning blazer vanes with as much right helical as I can apply with my last chance jig

I take my time and enjoy the process. I usually only make up a dozen for myself each year.

I’ve messed with different fletch options but always end up shooting blazers. I have a lot of confidence with them and they steer Iron Will wide solid broadheads incredibly well. The sound of the vanes is WAY over emphasized in my opinion.

+1 for loctite ultra gel control super glue.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fuse Dude]

My process:

•index/mark stiff side of each shaft
•cut/square both ends
•bohning 4” wraps
•bohning blazer vanes with as much right helical as I can apply with my last chance jig

I take my time and enjoy the process. I usually only make up a dozen for myself each year.

I’ve messed with different fletch options but always end up shooting blazers. I have a lot of confidence with them and they steer Iron Will wide solid broadheads incredibly well. The sound of the vanes is WAY over emphasized in my opinion.

+1 for loctite ultra gel control super glue.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I concur on the noise as the bow cams certainly are orders of magnitude louder than the vanes.

 

[Fuse Dude]

Has anyone gone through the effort of cutting then paper tuning, and cutting them paper tuning? I.e., Have you tried it with, say, three arrows until you find a sweet spot?

 

[kyler1945]

Has anyone gone through the effort of cutting then paper tuning, and cutting them paper tuning? I.e., Have you tried it with, say, three arrows until you find a sweet spot?

My preference is selecting arrow spine for having the arrows as short as possible with roughly the amount of weight I want up front and roughly the poundage i shoot. You want as stiff of an arrow as will tune.

I then tweak draw weight if for some reason I am off enough on spine to matter. And as a second option cut weight from back of inserts(hot melt first insert to test).

I shoot 70-80lbs draw, 30” length. I can get 250 and 300 to tune cut as short as possible and with 200-300gr up front. Sweet spot for me is back of insert 1” past rest, 225gr up front, 300spine, small four fletch, 76lbs/30”, and any small coc head.

I think people forget sometimes that the limb bolts are not just there for your strength gains and losses. They’re an effective tuning tool

 

[Fuse Dude]

N

My preference is selecting arrow spine for having the arrows as short as possible with roughly the amount of weight I want up front and roughly the poundage i shoot. You want as stiff of an arrow as will tune.

I then tweak draw weight if for some reason I am off enough on spine to matter. And as a second option cut weight from back of inserts(hot melt first insert to test).

I shoot 70-80lbs draw, 30” length. I can get 250 and 300 to tune cut as short as possible and with 200-300gr up front. Sweet spot for me is back of insert 1” past rest, 225gr up front, 300spine, small four fletch, 76lbs/30”, and any small coc head.

I think people forget sometimes that the limb bolts are not just there for your strength gains and losses. They’re an effective tuning tool

Never considered twisting the limb bolts to tune!!!

Clever.

 

[Weldabeast]

I do 3 arrows at a time.
Spin full length shaft and watch to see if 1 end wibble more than the other. Cut, debur, square both ends, clean arrow outside and inside with alkehol, clean insert, coolmelt and install insert, square insert to shaft once installed, install nock, shoot bareshaft and nock tune, mark top dead center of nock once in the "tuned" position, install fletching using TDC mark to orientate fletching location, shoot to verify still lazer flight, install broadhead, shoot to verify, micro tune as needed using broadhead. Sharpen broadhead, strop broadhead, lube/rust prevention on broadhead, lubricate threads, righty tightly full send with a wrench, put in quiver. I use coolmelt on inserts, goat tuff fletching jig, and I think either gold tip or goat tuff glue on fletchings. Clean everything really good, scuff the carbon for better glue bond, clean everything really good, u will use too much glue on the fletchings, clean everything, external tape half on carbon/half on the lighted nock to hopefully prevent loss...measure 2 or 5 times...cut once, clean everything. It's very easy process, but it is definetly a process, and u need to be mindful to not skip a step....clean everything. U can use hot water outta the faucet to get coolmelt bond loosened for micro adjustments. I haven't had a coolmelt bond break yet..carbon failed first. If u can take the sarcasm, ranch fairly on utube has a arrow tune video series that is pretty easy follow along and speaks in laymen's terms. Clean everything