Last summer I attempted to make my first dozen arrows for myself. I used beman ics hunter pro shafts with Easton CB brass 75 grain inserts and AAE max vanes. I shoot 125 grain broadheads and have 125 grain field points to match. Learned a lot in the process, some came out alright, others failed...
The main problem I had is that whenever I shot the arrows for the first time into a foam target, the inserts would come out of the shaft. Either the arrow tip would fully penetrate through the target and the insert and point would fly out once the arrow came to a stop. Or if it was a thicker target and the arrow didnt go all the way through, the insert and point would be stuck in the target when I pulled the arrow out. I had about 6 arrows that this did not happen on out of a dozen, so I hunted with those good ones all of last season. Shot through a couple deer and hogs with them and they were fine.
This summer, I decided to fix the arrows that the inserts flew out of. Researching the beman shafts I found out they have a coating on the inside. So I took a wire bore cleaner brush for my .270 and reamed out the coating until I was getting down to the carbon, then lightly sanded with some 120 grit sandpaper. After that, I cleaned the inside from the coating/carbon residue with soapy water, followed by clean water rinse, then a alcohol-based wipe that was in the AAE fletching kit I got. I used Bohning Ferr-L Tite Cool Flex (the blue stick) for the insert glue. Held insert over flame until it was hot enough to melt the glue all around it, inserted into the cleaned out arrow shafts with a twist, then dunked the arrow tip in cold water.
I thought surely that would fix it, NOPE. Tried shooting those arrows and after a couple shots, inserts were coming out again. The only thing I can think of is the glue is called "cool-flex" for a reason, and has a low melting point. In a texas summer, the arrows are just as hot as it is outside (110-deg on this day) and the glue is not melting all the way, but loosing up enough to not keep a good hold on the inserts. The manufacturer's temperature table seems to point to this direction. I assume I didnt have problems with the few good arrows I made during hunting season because it was colder outside.
I am curious if anyone else has had this issue with the cool-flex glue or if its something else Im doing wrong?
What insert glue do y'all use?
The main problem I had is that whenever I shot the arrows for the first time into a foam target, the inserts would come out of the shaft. Either the arrow tip would fully penetrate through the target and the insert and point would fly out once the arrow came to a stop. Or if it was a thicker target and the arrow didnt go all the way through, the insert and point would be stuck in the target when I pulled the arrow out. I had about 6 arrows that this did not happen on out of a dozen, so I hunted with those good ones all of last season. Shot through a couple deer and hogs with them and they were fine.
This summer, I decided to fix the arrows that the inserts flew out of. Researching the beman shafts I found out they have a coating on the inside. So I took a wire bore cleaner brush for my .270 and reamed out the coating until I was getting down to the carbon, then lightly sanded with some 120 grit sandpaper. After that, I cleaned the inside from the coating/carbon residue with soapy water, followed by clean water rinse, then a alcohol-based wipe that was in the AAE fletching kit I got. I used Bohning Ferr-L Tite Cool Flex (the blue stick) for the insert glue. Held insert over flame until it was hot enough to melt the glue all around it, inserted into the cleaned out arrow shafts with a twist, then dunked the arrow tip in cold water.
I thought surely that would fix it, NOPE. Tried shooting those arrows and after a couple shots, inserts were coming out again. The only thing I can think of is the glue is called "cool-flex" for a reason, and has a low melting point. In a texas summer, the arrows are just as hot as it is outside (110-deg on this day) and the glue is not melting all the way, but loosing up enough to not keep a good hold on the inserts. The manufacturer's temperature table seems to point to this direction. I assume I didnt have problems with the few good arrows I made during hunting season because it was colder outside.
I am curious if anyone else has had this issue with the cool-flex glue or if its something else Im doing wrong?
What insert glue do y'all use?
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