Started fletching my own arrows

[mww982]

Well after trying the NAP quickspin quickfletch and finding that they sucked I decided to start fletching my own arrows. I designed my arrow wraps on onestringer but they did not come out exactly as I thought they would but I still like them and gave me a good idea for the next design I do. Once I started fletching the arrows I found that I actually enjoy it quite a bit. I am using a arizona straight jig for my quickspins (my preferred vane). I am going to do my buddies arrows here in the next week using blazers and the right helical arms. I tried the gorilla glue and found that it was way too runny so switched to the locticte ultra control get which is much nicer to work with.

It has been a learning experience on how much glue to use but I think I got it down for now. Here are some pictures of my arrows and the arrow wrap I designed for when I have to repair some more arrows.

[GarrettM]

Very nice! I have used blazers that came pre fletched and also also the blazer shrink wrap vanes. Both have worked pretty good, I thought. I recently had a set of arrows done for me at the local pro shop and after he fletched them for me I noticed my groups were tighter. That, along with the fact that I love to tinker, has made me decide to take up fletching my own arrows also. Thanks for the tip on the glue!

[Bowhunter4l1fe]

I use fletch tite.

I have heard good things about the loctite gel. I may try that.

[KarlGansen]

Quick Spins are the best IMO.

[jathomas437]

Those look real nice man. I really enjoy fletching up my own arrows as well.

[Jeremy7306]

Looks good!

[ItsLeo]

Looks good!

I've done dozens and dozens of arrows with the Loctite super glue gel. I really am totally satisfied with it.

[glpoe1]

Nice job on the fletching. I have only tried Quick spins a couple of times and liked how they shot out to 30/40 yds. but after that they seemed to drop off quite a bit more than my Blazers or Fusions. Have you ever compared them to other vanes? I will have to give them another try.

[Happy97]

Looks good, I just started trying to do my own and I'm still going through the learning curve on the right amount of glue.

[ItsLeo]

A trick I use to apply glue is this.

Squirt out about a nickel size puddle of glue on a piece of card board. Dip the end of a toothpick in it. Smear the glue on the fletching base with the toothpick. Just enough glue to make the base look wet is enough. Less glue is better.

Don't use accelerators! They weaken the bond and make it more brittle.

Another trick is after you apply the wraps roll the shaft with some pressure on it on something hard (table or countertop). There are actually microspheres in many of the film adhesives. The spheres contain the glue activator. If you don't break enough of the spheres, the wraps don't stick nearly as well as they can because the adhesive never fully cures.

[skrobo]

I don't use fletch-tite platinum. the original fletch-tite in the white tube worked great, but since they switched to the "platinum" i've had problems. I've been using the Easton glue (like super glue) and i'm more than happy with it. i shot an arrow through a fence picket when i hit a worn out spot in my target and it ripped all 3 of the fletchings in half long ways, but not off the shaft. i may try that loctite glue on an arrow or two once i run out of the glue I have.

how long does that loc-tite glue take to dry, before you can rotate to the next vane? (assuming your jig does 1 vane at a time)

[ItsLeo]

I don't use fletch-tite platinum. the original fletch-tite in the white tube worked great, but since they switched to the "platinum" i've had problems. I've been using the Easton glue (like super glue) and i'm more than happy with it. i shot an arrow through a fence picket when i hit a worn out spot in my target and it ripped all 3 of the fletchings in half long ways, but not off the shaft. i may try that loctite glue on an arrow or two once i run out of the glue I have.

how long does that loc-tite glue take to dry, before you can rotate to the next vane? (assuming your jig does 1 vane at a time)

I wait at least 30 seconds before taking it out of the jig.

[mww982]

I did some buddies arrows today and put a few drops of glue on each vane and spread it out with a tooth pick with much better results. I generally don't shoot past 40 yards so I am not too concerned with the drop off of the quick spins.

I used feathers in the past and then switched to quick spins. I had a few factory fletched arrows with blazers and didnt like them as much, hence why I wanted to start doing my own arrows.

I use the arizona jig which did all three vanes at once. Let the glue set up for 1-2 minutes and the pulled them out.

These are my buddies arrows I did today using blazers and a right helical.

[mww982]

[BURTONboy]

Those look good. I can't wait until my blazers come in so I can fletch me some more arrows up. I will have the same color vanes as above, and they look as good as I thought they would!