Hey all,
i plan on starting my own fletching, but before i go out and buy a fletcher, do i need to buy a specific one for my arrow (carbon wolverine-carbon express nockoff)?

the arrows i have now seem to have small amount of helicle to them...do i need to get one with a helicle or can i put the vanes on straight?

any advice or sources to help me in this process would be appreciated.

note: i tried to do a search under this section with the key word of "fletching" and nothing came up??

Josh

josh, the helical is set by the clamp and only the clamp. jig's come w/ different clamps - left helical, right helical, and straight. on the jig part you can adjust the offset - which is how much of an angle you put the vane on the arrow shaft with. right helical, left helical - doesn't matter any more w/ compounds shot w/ releases. the helical helps grab air for more control, as does offsetting a vane. for a right helical clamp, you should put the vane on so that when you're looking down the shaft from the nock end, the vane goes from left to right (a little offset is nice w/ a helical clamp i think). incidentally, if you look from the point end of the shaft the vane will also go from left to right. opposite for left helical. if you shoot feathers you have to match the type of feather to the clamp. if you get a straight clamp you can set the offset in either direction. i use a right helical clamp. i use a nice bit of offset also w/ 3d arrows, and as much as i can get on hunting arrows.
a grayling is a nice jig to start with. a bitzenberger is very nice, but pricey.same basic design and it works well. most any jig will do your arrows, which are a .246 shaft i believe. the ones that put all your vanes on at the same time, they work well, but you don't have any control over where the vanes go. hope this helps.

thank you.
i am a finger shooter.

so if i purchase one with a right helicle it will automatically be offset....or do i have to off set it....the arrows i have now are offset, i think....it is very very slight looking down from nock would be left to right....but it looks almost straight.....would this be offset or straight (in your opinion)?

sounds like a slight offset on there now. i like a bit more to go w/ a helical clamp. but that's me.if you get a jig, experiment. there used to be a reason right handed shooters needed right helicals - archers paradox, something. it may have to do w/ shooting fingers too, one of these fellows here will hopefully be able to tell you if you need right helical to shoot a compound w/ fingers. i can't remember right now. getting older every day.

thanks giblet...

hopefully someone will read it and know what i should to.

Josh