I use fletching tape instead of glue on the feathers. holds up real good. be sure to put a dot of glue at front and rear of feather though. can shoot fletched arrow in 20 miniutes or when dots of glue are dry. I personally use an old knife to scrape my shaft clean. once clean, I take an old brillow pad used to wash dishes with and some plain old ajax. give the shaft a good cleaning. wipe with clean paper towel and your ready to fletch. hope this helps.