Need Some Advice From You Arrowsmiths...

[Tom Kidwell]

I'm in the process of making a couple dozen arrows for this year's western hunting. I've experimented with different paints, lacquers, and varnishes for the finishing. After spining. straightening, and sorting, I soaked 48 shafts in Watco Danish Oil for four days. I picked up an average of 27 grains of weight and then dipped the entire shaft in two coats of polyurethane. Crown dipped them in acrilic enamel and crested them. They are beautiful! Now for my screw-up... I decided to dip them once more in clear lacquer so that fletch-tite glue would work for the feathers. Dipped the first shaft and all of my cresting bled into the crown dip. QUESTION: What would you arrowsmiths do at this point? Use another type of glue for the feathers or what? Thanks for your help!

Tom

[Nitro1970]

I'm not a arrowsmith but I've used Duco cement before and it worked well. I might would have even tried the fletch tape.

[dmaxshawn]

Tom I have always used tape on my white caps with a touch of glue on the tips of the feather. Hope this hepls.

Shawn

[Ol Man]

I'm in the process of making a couple dozen arrows for this year's western hunting. I've experimented with different paints, lacquers, and varnishes for the finishing. After spining. straightening, and sorting, I soaked 48 shafts in Watco Danish Oil for four days. I picked up an average of 27 grains of weight and then dipped the entire shaft in two coats of polyurethane. Crown dipped them in acrilic enamel and crested them. They are beautiful! Now for my screw-up... I decided to dip them once more in clear lacquer so that fletch-tite glue would work for the feathers. Dipped the first shaft and all of my cresting bled into the crown dip. QUESTION: What would you arrowsmiths do at this point? Use another type of glue for the feathers or what? Thanks for your help!

Tom

Tom,

Using the lacquer over the acrylic will always cause them to run and bleed badly. I would have usd the Polyurethane for the final dip over the acrylic cresting. I use Fletch-Tite Platinum on Helmsman sparthane and it works great..

[Tom Kidwell]

Thanks Brian! I'll keep the Duco in mind.

Shawn, I tried the tape back when it first came out, and my arthritis doesn't allow me to put the tape on straight. I've always used laquer for the crown dip, and maybe in hindsight I should have done the same this time. The arrows are so beautiful and straight that I hate to screw something up at this final stage.

Tom

[Tom Kidwell]

Doug,

I've got a bunch of the platinum fletchtite. I'll try it on one to see how it works. Thanks!

Tom

[Julius]

I make all my arrows with this paint arrangment:

Minwax stain to start off.
Minwax Poly sealer to seal the shaft.
Valspar indoor latex paint for my crown.
Testors brand model car paint in Acrylic.
Then I put 3 coats of minwax poly sealer back over the crown and cresting. The crest will seal and not run on you. Also, it will have a great shine.
After each coat of everything I use 000 steel wool to smoothen things out.
I glue my nocks and fletching on with duco. Fletch tite will not work with the poly sealer. I've tried and it took the feather all the way down to the wood and still came off in flight.
I've probably made 20 dozen arrows with this paint comination and never have had anyone complain. I used to buy into the whole Bohning line of products but they are just way to expensive and hard to get where I live. I can run to Lowes and get any color I want made and use it instead. Plus the water clean up is really nice compared to what I used to spend on acetone.

[Tom Kidwell]

Julius,

That's the combination I'm looking for. I'll use it on the next batch. Thanks a bunch!

Tom

[Julius]

Julius,

That's the combination I'm looking for. I'll use it on the next batch. Thanks a bunch!

Tom

Happy that I could help.