Fletching problem

Straightarrow · 02-12-2004, 07:26 PM

I've been trying to fletch some gold tips with Bohning Fletch Tite vanes and they will not adhere well. Does anyone know the secret to getting these to stay on? I've tried Bond Tite, Fletch Tite and Goat Tuff. None of these have worked with normal sanding of the shaft before applying.

AKDoug · 02-12-2004, 07:35 PM

I use Bohnings with Goat Tuff and they stick like crazy??

First I clean the shaft with denatured alcohol and wipe off the excess. I let them dry for a few minutes. I then wipe the botton of the vane with the alcohol (even though Bohning says you don't have to). Then I glue them up.

Arrroman · 02-12-2004, 07:45 PM

Don't use rubbing alcohol to clean the shafts because it has a baby oil in it. Trying to glue fletching to an oiled shaft would be like getting them to stick to a fish. Good luck hunting!

Straightarrow · 02-13-2004, 05:11 AM

Thanks, I'll give the de-natured alcohol a try. I don't use rubbing alcohol. I've tried a cleaner sold for fletching arrows, but it didn't work. I've had no trouble with Duravanes or Easton vanes when using the Goat Tuff and light sanding (no cleaning), but some some reason these Bohnings have given me fits.

mrfritz44 · 02-13-2004, 08:01 AM

Flex-Bond worked well for me.

JeffB · 02-14-2004, 03:56 AM

SA,

One way you can narrow down the prob is to figure what the glue is sticking to. If the glue is sticking to the shaft and not the vane, then obviously it's the vanes. If it's sticking to vane but not the shaft....

I haven't tried any recent Bohning vanes, but I always found them difficult to fletch. They seem to be real finnicky about temps, and cleanliness while fletching. The older they are too, the more difficult.