Bought 1/2 dozen new Epic shafts and tried fletching my own for the first time. I was using Blazers and Fletch Tite Platinum. Everything went well, and I even bullseyed on my first shot.
This is good, I thought.
Then one of the vanes came off one of the arrows.
I thought, ok, one just didn't get glued on well.
On the second round, I lost 4 or 5 vanes from 1/2 doz. arrows.
So I took one of the arrows that lost a vane and pulled lightly on the other two and they just peeled off! Not good.
What is my problem?
I let the arrows set for about 4 hours before shooting them.
I did not prep these new arrows as they seemed good and clean.
Is that the problem?
Is there something else that I don't know about?
What do you think?
If not cleaning the shafts is the problem, what is the best thing to use?
Some say acetone, some say alcohol, some say prep wipes.

There are a couple of things you can try. First, take some 150 grit sandpaper to the bottom of the Blazers. If you take a fresh one and look at it, you'll notice there is some shiny substance on it. I'm not sure what it is, but just lightly buff it with a small piece of sandpaper until its gone. I found it easiest to do this while the vane was in the clamp (I use a Bitz).

The other thing you can do is take some 200 or fine grit and rough up the area where the vane will be going on to. But I don't really think its needed.

If you are anything like me when I first started fletching (and probably 99% of the population) you are probably using WAY too much glue. I make three small dabs and then smooth it out. Just enough to put a minor sheen back on the vane. I personally do not care for Fletch-Tite, but lots of folks use it with good results. I just don't have time to let each vane sit for an hour for the stuff to set. I prefer Goat Tuff.

Too much glue will cause a sort of bubble effect, and make it stick to the arrow inconsistantly. I've had that happen with Fletch Tite before too. If you have glue oozing out the sides...you used WAY too much.

Also, after you have fletched all three...I put a dab of glue on the front end and back edge of the vane. Seems to help keep them anchored well. Just a very small amount. I usually use a toothpick and put the tiniest bead just there.

Hope it helps. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I am going to say the glue you are using.

Get some Goat Tuff, my 3d partner uses Blazers and uses Goat Tuff, he has not had a vane fly off yet.

I use Super Glue on my Predators and have not had a vane come off, we shoot around 100 arrows a day.

Are you putting any helical or off-set on the blazers when you fletch? I have noticed in fletching them with off-set, that they do not want to set all the way, the full length, evenly. I, personally think that due to them being thicker/harder, they do not fletch as easily as any other fletching I have used. I have resorted to letting them sit in my bitz fletcher for 5 minutes, taking out, holding down where they do not adhere correctly with a razor kife for about another minute and then they set. A down-side of blazers.

I use AAE Fastset Gel on my Blazers with a drop of fletch Tite Platinum on the leading edge. Im shooting thur a biscuit rest and Ive had no problems so far. The gel sets up in seconds. i can do an arrow in 1 minute or less.

The shiny stuff on the bottom of Bohning Blazer vanes is an activator. Clean your shafts real good before fletching with alcohol or acetone (go easy with the acetone).


Blazer vanes really work well with loc-tite super glue

Umm try letting the arrows sit for 24 hours before shooting them so the fletch tite completely bonds. I never use an arrow that was just refletched for at least 24-36 hours.

May not be getting full contact of the vane against the shaft. What type of jig are you using. When learning to use and set up my Bitzenburger jig I had the same troubleyou describe. Was not getting the adjustment quite right and vane wasn't sitting on the shaft for its entire length. Usually it was on the back side of the clamp, kind of hard to see it back there.

A lot of people have told me they've had bad luck with FletchTite Platinum. I don't know why and I haven't tried it myself. I use one of the gel type super glues for vanes also.

I've only fletched a few arrows with Blazers when they first came out (helical) but they seemed really easy to work with and adhered to the shaft very well.

I use blazers as well. I would not use sandpaper at all on the arrow or the vanes. The coating on the vane base is there for a reason. Bohning put it there so that it is always clean and instantly bonds the bottom of the vane to the arrow shaft. I would not take it off with sandpaper. Get a good arrow shaft cleaner and a Scotch - Brite pad to clean where the vane will go on. In my opinion and from what I have read on here is that you should not use acetone or chemicals unless stated by manufacturer. Also make sure to rinse off cleaner thoroughly with HOT water.