Anyone fletch their own arrows?

[Kurt]

I've been doing it for a while now. I have a bitz. It's very satisfying when the finished product looks good and performs well. I tried using the tape this year with my heavy arrows. So far it's holding up nice, and it's instant. Great looking arrows by the way.

 

[Blacksmith]

There has to be some kind of chemical reaction also.... The couple I just did I used the tip grip and didn't touch or wipe anything and there is a white hazy film

I've been using the tape the last few yrs and like it. Just a drop of glue at leading edge.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

I've been using the tape the last few yrs and like it. Just a drop of glue at leading edge.

This is my first year with tape. Seems okay so far. Its a little bit of a challenge for me to get the backing off but I'm getting better at it.
One thing to get use to is the tape is instant, not like glue. Make sure the fletch is perfectly placed before you make contact with the shaft.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[Weldabeast]

I've been using the tape the last few yrs and like it. Just a drop of glue at leading edge.

Fletching tape? Didn't know that was a thing... Honestly I think I be lazy and try the zingers next

 

[Murph4028]

So all the glues I've used either dry up or the application tip is too big and makes for messy.... No matter how small a bead of glue it always seems to much....gt tip grip kept in the fridge hasn't died out like the blu glue... Both the tip to big... What glues have u all had the best success with...

I am using 30-06 fletch glue and it's working pretty well. It dries in about 15 seconds. I just wipe away the small amount of excess glue with a rag during the process

 

[Murph4028]

There has to be some kind of chemical reaction also.... The couple I just did I used the tip grip and didn't touch or wipe anything and there is a white hazy film

The videos I watched stressed that less is more when it comes to glue. The guy applied glue to the fletching and wiped it off with his finger and then applied the fletching to the shaft. So that's what I did and so far so good

 

[Weldabeast]

The videos I watched stressed that less is more when it comes to glue. The guy applied glue to the fletching and wiped it off with his finger and then applied the fletching to the shaft. So that's what I did and so far so good

I also think my style of fletching jig and the amount of downward force I apply doesn't help....I more than likely push down to hard skeeting the glue out more than needed....

 

[raisins]

Loctite and gorilla glue do not stand up to impact and/or weather and vanes fall off clean after a while.

Huh.....I've been using gel gorilla glue (that states impact resistant) for inserts and vanes for years now, and I've never had a van fall off or an insert come out (unless it went through the target and into a tree). I have 5 year old arrows still kicking (gluing clean blazers onto a clean vinyl wrap). Just interesting your results have been very different. I shoot a good bit but rotate through a dozen (bring a random 3 out each time). It also might have to do with targets (how violently they stop arrow?). I shoot field points into a huge, home made bag target stuffed with a few thousand wal mart bags, and my broadhead target is a rinehart 18-1 (very little 3D, unfortunately).

 

[d_rek]

Huh.....I've been using gel gorilla glue (that states impact resistant) for inserts and vanes for years now, and I've never had a van fall off or an insert come out (unless it went through the target and into a tree). I have 5 year old arrows still kicking (gluing clean blazers onto a clean vinyl wrap). Just interesting your results have been very different. I shoot a good bit but rotate through a dozen (bring a random 3 out each time). It also might have to do with targets (how violently they stop arrow?). I shoot field points into a huge, home made bag target stuffed with a few thousand wal mart bags, and my broadhead target is a rinehart 18-1 (very little 3D, unfortunately).

It’s been a few years since I used the gorilla glue. I have also noticed different brands of arrows are fussier about vane adhesion. I had a set of Gold tip velocities that nothing would stick to.


Sent from d_mobile

 

[Weldabeast]

It’s been a few years since I used the gorilla glue. I have also noticed different brands of arrows are fussier about vane adhesion. I had a set of Gold tip velocities that nothing would stick to.


Sent from d_mobile

I noticed if I scuff up the fletching area with a scotch bright and acetone clean then apply the fletch it bonds better..

 

[d_rek]

I noticed if I scuff up the fletching area with a scotch bright and acetone clean then apply the fletch it bonds better..

I used to clean with acetone and have since switched to denatured alcohol. I have not tried scuffing surface, but could see how that would help. Mostly I just stick with same brand of glue (G5 blue glue) and wipe everything clean with the denatured alcohol. Have not had issues in recent years with vane adhesion.

 

[raisins]

It’s been a few years since I used the gorilla glue. I have also noticed different brands of arrows are fussier about vane adhesion. I had a set of Gold tip velocities that nothing would stick to.


Sent from d_mobile

All I shoot are GT Ultralights (supposedly the target version of Velocities). The difference is probably because I always glue to an arrow wrap. I can't stand to scrape glue directly off an arrow shaft.

 

[Weldabeast]

I used to clean with acetone and have since switched to denatured alcohol. I have not tried scuffing surface, but could see how that would help. Mostly I just stick with same brand of glue (G5 blue glue) and wipe everything clean with the denatured alcohol. Have not had issues in recent years with vane adhesion.

I get acetone from work outta a 55gallon drum ....did u notice a difference with the alcohol?

 

[d_rek]

I get acetone from work outta a 55gallon drum ....did u notice a difference with the alcohol?

Yes. The acetone breaks down cyanoacrylic (super glue). If any is left on the shaft after wiping down you can get poor adhesion. I've also read it's bad for carbon shafts too as it can weaken them by breaking down the glue that keeps the carbon plys together.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

It’s been a few years since I used the gorilla glue. I have also noticed different brands of arrows are fussier about vane adhesion. I had a set of Gold tip velocities that nothing would stick to.


Sent from d_mobile

The Momentum shafts that Victory makes for GrizzlyStik do have a coating on them...supposed to help with penetration and also makes removing them from a target easier. GrizzlyStik says that tape works best on them. I have not tried glue on my Momentums. This is also the 1st year that I have not used wraps so that needs to be taken into consideration when deciding which glue/tape to use.

 

[d_rek]

The Momentum shafts that Victory makes for GrizzlyStik do have a coating on them

All i've shot for past 4-5 years have been victory. Mostly vForce but ran a set of VAPs for a season. IMO hard to get a better arrow for the money, or at least I can't shoot the difference from more expensive arrows.

 

[Weldabeast]

Yes. The acetone breaks down cyanoacrylic (super glue). If any is left on the shaft after wiping down you can get poor adhesion. I've also read it's bad for carbon shafts too as it can weaken them by breaking down the glue that keeps the carbon plys together.

Good 2 know... Thanx

 

[PEEJAY]

I also think my style of fletching jig and the amount of downward force I apply doesn't help....I more than likely push down to hard skeeting the glue out more than needed....

wipe your finger down the base of the fletching to remove excess glue. then you can push down. i push pretty good on mine too. dont need much on there to make the bond.

 

[Weldabeast]

I got the steady hand for it....I just think my technique is wrong....do they make weld on version?

 

[PEEJAY]

Reverse foc... roc?