hot melt problems

olddogrib · 07-06-2003, 06:00 PM

Please! Some pointers on installing broadheads with Ferr-L-Tite before I mess up any more of these beautiful shafts. I' m a rookie and just made the jump from aluminum to cedar. From checking the field points (that were installed by the maker) on my home-made alignment checker, it appears that 50% of the shafts have some very slight bit of misaligment either from not being perfectly straight or from tapering (which he did also) slightly off-center. I guess I may be expecting too much as the " circles" the tip draws are very small and I know I' m not going to see the straightness in thousandths that I' m used to in XX78' s and ACC' s. I' m saving the best of the lot for broadheads but I' m having a tough time getting the aligment exactly right before it sets up. Would I be better off with epoxy? Also, if I switch shafts from points to heads do I need to re-taper again to clean off the old glue? Will a cheapo taper tool do for this?

LBR · 07-06-2003, 07:55 PM

You can apply a little heat and adjust the points. Epoxy works well, but the hot melt cleans up better/easier. You won' t have to re-taper with hot melt--you can usually just peel the residue off. Be sure to clean the inside of your points/broadheads with acetone or some other oil solvent to get the cuttin oils out so it will stay stuck. I also use some fine grit sandpaper to rough them up a bit on the inside.

Chad

Brian_L · 07-06-2003, 11:03 PM

A lot of times if you just rotate the broadhead 180 degrees, it will be in much better alignment. The bottom line though, if you spin your head and it' s out of alignment, you need to reheat the ferrule and get the head aligned. No big deal though. As far as cleaning the glue off the taper if you' re switching points, I never do it. I really see no purpose considering after you heat the ferrule and place it over the taper, the old glue on the taper will immediately melt and mix in with the new glue. Like LBR said though, it' s a good idea to clean out the ferrules of all your points.

IrishLad32 · 07-07-2003, 05:18 PM

You were pretty correct when you said you' re not going to get the same exactness as you will with xx78s and ACCs. With woodies, if they spin true to the eye and fly straight they' ll work fine. Like the others said, just reheat and rotate ' till there' s no spin. I have no idea why, but there have been times when I couldn' t for the life of me get one head-field point and broadheads a like-to seat in such a way that it won' t spin. But then I grab a different point/broadhead and it seats in well on the first try. And the head that wouldn' t seat on this arrow will seat fine on another. I can' t explain this, but I know it happens. So if you ever get a head that just won' t seat, try another head. As far as cleaning off the old glue, I onl worry about it if it' s below the ferrule, which I usually clean off when I instal the head. Else wise most of it cleans off when removing the head. Whatever is left will melt in with the new glue like Brian said.

Brandan

Floxter · 07-07-2003, 05:48 PM

Actually, with a good arrow straightener and decent wood shafts to begin with you should be able to achieve the same level of straightness as many of the carbon arrows marketed today (+/- .003). Now as to consistency of weight and spine, that' s another matter. And yes, the el cheapo pencil sharpener taper tools will work just fine if you' re careful.

Brian_L · 07-07-2003, 06:26 PM

Floxter:
Are you using heat to get your woodies that straight? Usually I take mine and roll them over a flat table looking for the high spots and then straighten them either by hand or with my Shaft Tamer. I can get them to spin true in my finger tips but I feel I' d have to incorporate some other methods to get them close to the same standards of carbons.

Floxter · 07-07-2003, 08:21 PM

No Brian, I use a Grayling arrow straightener. All I shoot are cedar shafts and they don' t need heat, like some of the heavier woods. I get my shafts/fletched arrows from a fletcher who supplies me good stock. I periodically run all my arrows thru the Grayling, which has a dial indicator that tells me their condition. If any have become bent, it' s only a matter of seconds to put them back into line. It works well on aluminums too, provided they aren' t crimped or bent too severly.

Brian_L · 07-07-2003, 09:26 PM

That' s an interesting looking instrument Floxter. I might have to look into investing in one if you have had that great of success with it. I' ve had excellent luck with Rogue River in obtaining quality shafting.