Bitz. Jig Question
09-20-2005, 05:51 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location:
Posts: 104
Bitz. Jig Question
I have been looking into getting a jig it sounds like the overall favorite by far is the Bitzenberg.
I went to get one and they wereout of stock. They didhave a jig that looked exactly like it, but made of a plastic or carbon. It was made by Grayling (I think). It was identicle in every way, all the adjustments, clamps, nock alignment,everything, except the material it was made of.
Now here is a stupid question.
Since I am not planning on usingit as a hammer, does it matter if the jig is plastic?
It was less than 1/2 the cost of the Bitz.
Bitzenberg $66.00
Grayling $27.00
The guy there said he would get the Grayling because you would most likely never wear it out metal or plastic. They have bever had any complaints with them. And all the clamps and everything were sold separetly for replacement, if you ever did ruin one.
Hey, I will admit it ------I'm cheap[:-]don't tell
I'm thinking #1 This is my first jig
#2 I am noRobin Hood/ professional archer
#3I couldwear out2 of the Grayling and still be less than
a Bitz jig
#4 If I get the Grayling I can get all my fletching even Blazers!
glue,wraps and everything to get started and still have $$
left over.
Anyone out there have experience with the Grayling??
I went to get one and they wereout of stock. They didhave a jig that looked exactly like it, but made of a plastic or carbon. It was made by Grayling (I think). It was identicle in every way, all the adjustments, clamps, nock alignment,everything, except the material it was made of.
Now here is a stupid question.
Since I am not planning on usingit as a hammer, does it matter if the jig is plastic? It was less than 1/2 the cost of the Bitz.
Bitzenberg $66.00
Grayling $27.00
The guy there said he would get the Grayling because you would most likely never wear it out metal or plastic. They have bever had any complaints with them. And all the clamps and everything were sold separetly for replacement, if you ever did ruin one.
Hey, I will admit it ------I'm cheap[:-]don't tell
I'm thinking #1 This is my first jig
#2 I am noRobin Hood/ professional archer
#3I couldwear out2 of the Grayling and still be less than
a Bitz jig
#4 If I get the Grayling I can get all my fletching even Blazers!
glue,wraps and everything to get started and still have $$
left over.
Anyone out there have experience with the Grayling??
09-22-2005, 07:14 AM
#3
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 206
RE: Bitz. Jig Question
I have the Bitz and haven't used the Grayling, but I've never read anything negative about it. However, one thing with the Bitz is that I know it will fletch vanes just as accurately and consistently 10 years from now as it does today. Don't know if that is or isn't true with the cheaper models.
09-24-2005, 06:43 PM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,679
RE: Bitz. Jig Question
The grayling is OK but no where near the jig that the Bitz is. I have both of them and never use the Grayling any more. I went cheap first like you are thinking about and still ended up with a Bitz.
The Grayling is very similar in its design but the plastic is no where near as precise as the ground aluminum of the Bitz. Usually you will have to sand down the clamp to get it even enough to get good contact between the vane and shaft with the Grayling.
The Grayling is very similar in its design but the plastic is no where near as precise as the ground aluminum of the Bitz. Usually you will have to sand down the clamp to get it even enough to get good contact between the vane and shaft with the Grayling.
09-25-2005, 12:43 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location:
Posts: 104
RE: Bitz. Jig Question
Big bulls,
That was a concernI had about the graylinguntil I found a Bitz in another shop and was dissapointed at the quality of it. Maybe it was just the one I saw,I am hopeing it was just a fluke. Iopened the box to look at it. The "V" area that hold the arrowarea was extremely! rough and still had the line from it beingcast right where the arrow would sit. There were grinding marks down in the "V" but they were very rough and missed what I assume they were trying to smooth out.The edge of the clamp looked like it had been ground with a very rough grinding wheel and the edges were not even. The one side of the clamp was off by about a 1/16" of an inch!!!!!. The edge looked more like a serrated knife than anything else. I laid it on the shelfand it only touchedabout1/4" on each end and i could see daylight all thru the middle. I really hope it was just the one I saw, because I dont think anyone could have made a fletch stick with that thing.
I pointed it out to the guy at the shop and he was also a little worried. It was the only one he had so he pulled it off the shelf and said he was sending it back. He said they are usually a little rough but nothing like that. He showed me a usedolder one and it looked much better. He did say that the older ones did come with a lot better finish, the newer ones seem to come a little rough. He thinks it the old "time is money" thing and they dont spend as muchtime cleaning up the cast lines and finishing them like they used to. I am going to wait until I can see a few more Bitz. and see if they are better looking. That last one I would have had to spend an hour or socleaning up the edges on the jig and I think that clamp was beyond help.
That was a concernI had about the graylinguntil I found a Bitz in another shop and was dissapointed at the quality of it. Maybe it was just the one I saw,I am hopeing it was just a fluke. Iopened the box to look at it. The "V" area that hold the arrowarea was extremely! rough and still had the line from it beingcast right where the arrow would sit. There were grinding marks down in the "V" but they were very rough and missed what I assume they were trying to smooth out.The edge of the clamp looked like it had been ground with a very rough grinding wheel and the edges were not even. The one side of the clamp was off by about a 1/16" of an inch!!!!!. The edge looked more like a serrated knife than anything else. I laid it on the shelfand it only touchedabout1/4" on each end and i could see daylight all thru the middle. I really hope it was just the one I saw, because I dont think anyone could have made a fletch stick with that thing.
I pointed it out to the guy at the shop and he was also a little worried. It was the only one he had so he pulled it off the shelf and said he was sending it back. He said they are usually a little rough but nothing like that. He showed me a usedolder one and it looked much better. He did say that the older ones did come with a lot better finish, the newer ones seem to come a little rough. He thinks it the old "time is money" thing and they dont spend as muchtime cleaning up the cast lines and finishing them like they used to. I am going to wait until I can see a few more Bitz. and see if they are better looking. That last one I would have had to spend an hour or socleaning up the edges on the jig and I think that clamp was beyond help.
09-27-2005, 08:57 PM
#8
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location:
Posts: 104
RE: Bitz. Jig Question
I saw another Bitz today and it looked much better than the last. Night and day difference in quality, the last one must have been made ona Friday afternoon
Unfortunately it was a helical clamp with it, and I think I want a Straight clampand just offset my fletchings a few degrees. I hear alot about helical, butI have only shot with a straight offset fletchand so far have had good luck I think I will stick with that.
Unfortunately it was a helical clamp with it, and I think I want a Straight clampand just offset my fletchings a few degrees. I hear alot about helical, butI have only shot with a straight offset fletchand so far have had good luck I think I will stick with that.
