Guys, I have always hated doing fletchings on carbons. Hated it. I can do ok on aluminums, and carbons that are a little rough to begin with like beman hawks, but on ICS's or my new black max, I can't get much to come out good.
First off I am trying to put NAP quick spins on it, which I know are very stiff to begin with. Here is my procedure.
600grit very light sandpaper to fletch areas
91% alcohol used to clean off all junk and oil
91% alcohol lightly rubed on fletchings
Use Goattuff on fletches
Use Arizona ez fletch
30 seconds, take arrow out (might be too short but I have a serious patience issue)
Let dry overnight, shoot next day
I notice I am not getting ahesion in the middle of the vanes very well. Mabye goattuff is to brittle for NAP quick spins?
Any tips? I need em. Any suggested glue. I used to use bondtite, I think which was a bohning product for carbons. But it was the Worst. I have some AAe fast gel, but thinking it may be too brittle like goattuff.
bigcountry, I'm using quickspins and haven't had any trouble. I use Saunders arrow mate and it has worked well. So well I can hardly get the things off when I need to re-fletch one. I basically use the protocol that you do minus the sanding and I let them sit in the clamp a little longer. Usually 5 mins. The arrow mate doesn't set up real fast but it won't come off and it gives a flexible bond. Have yet to lose a vane to anything other than cutting it with another arrow.
Quit sanding the shafts. By sanding the shaft you are creating billions of loose fibers of carbon that are next to impossible to get off the shaft completely. I NEVER sand a shaft.
Quit rubbing the shaft down with alcohol. All you need to use is a clean rag with regular tap water. Never use any solvent when using "super" glues.
Definetly quit wiping the vanes down with alcohol. The vanes have a thin layer of bonding agent applied to them that promotes adhesion and you are only decreasing the adhesion properties of the glue and vane when you do this.
Do this........... Scrape off the old fletchings. Wipe down with a clean rag and water. Place the vanes in the clamps, apply the glue and close the clamp. Let sit for 10 - 15 seconds and open the clamp. Remove the arrow and wipe off any excess glue. When you are finished with all the arrows you can go out and shoot within 5 or 10 minutes.
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Quit sanding the shafts. By sanding the shaft you are creating billions of loose fibers of carbon that are next to impossible to get off the shaft completely. I NEVER sand a shaft.
Quit rubbing the shaft down with alcohol. All you need to use is a clean rag with regular tap water. Never use any solvent when using "super" glues.
Definetly quit wiping the vanes down with alcohol. The vanes have a thin layer of bonding agent applied to them that promotes adhesion and you are only decreasing the adhesion properties of the glue and vane when you do this.
Do this........... Scrape off the old fletchings. Wipe down with a clean rag and water. Place the vanes in the clamps, apply the glue and close the clamp. Let sit for 10 - 15 seconds and open the clamp. Remove the arrow and wipe off any excess glue. When you are finished with all the arrows you can go out and shoot within 5 or 10 minutes.
wow, thats the complete opposite of what the instructions have always told me. Like bondtite from bohning.
Actually I used to do it the way your describing years ago and it didn't work out for me unless its a aluminum arrow. The alcohol helped me alot. It should add any agents especially if you use 95%. Sanding, you may got a point. I might try that. But water does leave a film. In my industry of fiber and optics, water is a huge no no cause of that. 95% iso Alco is ok'd however.
SOME vanes have a bonding agent applied on their bases at the factory. Some are not prepared and arecontaminated with the parting agent they use to get the vanes out of the moulds. So, some you aren't supposed to clean and some MUST be cleaned. It's vital to know which kind you're dealing with.
I don't have a clue which the Quickspins are. Never messed with them.
I'd agree aboutnot sanding. I still use denatured (not rubbing) alcohol to clean the shaft and vanes (on those very rare occasions I use vanes), butlet them both dry overnight before trying to fletch up to make sure the alcohol has completely evaporated.
Bond tite is a different type of glue (modeling glue) and cleaning the shafts with alcohol does help with these types of glues bit not with the 'super' glues.
__________________
"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency........... Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."
Do you believe there is residue from Alcohol left behind????
If you use top quality alcohol that is fresh,it is the one chemical that there shouldn't be a trace. Water yes. And if there is nothing left behind then no reason. I am just curious on why you think that. I do appreciate the responses. I just view fibers (5 microns, pretty small) all day long cleaned with high concetrate alcohal and view this at 500 power and never see a film. But you do with water. Especially tap or city water at 500 power.
i usally do alum arrows so i just clean them with acetone and fletch with regular super glue,,but i have done carbons before and all i did was "wash" them with water and a scourin(sp??) pad then wipe them down with regular isoproply alocohol and they stuck very well with bondtite platinum that i got at walmart,, and u do not need to prepare the base of the QS vanes as they are already done so further prep is not needed
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Think I got it guys. I fletched up the remaining with easton 4" vanes. I used some AAE fastset and had no problems. But it really burned my eyes applying. But seem solid as a rock now.
I have a feeling my goattuff is bad. It is verygel like now. It used to be very watery.
Fletching help?????
