Jacko

I've been having problems with feathers setting up fast with the new glues such as Goat Tuff,Bond Tite II gel and Pine Ridge Archery Fast Set gel.It takes sometimes up to an hour for the glue to set.I clean the shafts with denatured alcohol.I use a fine bead of glue.Some times they set fast,within a minute.Most times it takes for ever.This happens with aluminum or carbon shafts.I don't seem to have this problem with Bond Tite or Fletch Tite.These new glues seem to bond better and I'm not always refletching shafts.The temperature in the shop is around 65 degrees.Is this to cold or is it to damp?I've run out of ideas and any help will be greatly appreciated.Oh yeah,happens to me with vanes too.

Edited by - Jacko on 02/28/2002 16:27:40

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Arthur P

If you want to fletch feathers fast, get some Bohning fletching tape. You can run through a dozen arrows faster with tape than you can with glue. At least, once you've got the hang of taking the backing off the tape. Just be sure to tack down the ends of each feather with a little bead of glue and you're in business.

I do think it's best to wait overnight before shooting any freshly taped arrows. Seems the tape does need some time to hit it's full bonding strength. When they've set up though, the feathers stick until you decide to take 'em off. It's real easy to clean up when you're ready to refletch because you don't have all that glue to scrape off.

Just peel off the old fletch and tape, scrape the beads of glue off, wipe down with alcohol and you're ready to fletch.

Ossage

Here is another option:

Put the feathers in the jig with accelerator on the base, and jig them to the arrow. Use thin super glue and just run it along the uphill edge of the feather junction, it wicks in and bonds instantly. I use a nylon pipet to spread the glue. it puts the stuff just where you want it, and glue will stay fresh in them without cloging for weeks, If you build guitars you can't live without them. I get my pipets from LMII.com

Turc

Jacko, just finished fletching a dozen Gold Tips with feathers and Goat Tuff glue. Had the same problem you had. It did seem to set faster if I put a very, very thin bead of glue on - but still not acceptable. I think it took about 3 days to get them all done. I will say however that once set, they are really on there. Shot a few straight thru my bag target with no damage.

Turc

mlj64

I've had similar poor results with superglue and their variants. Not only is the glue time variable but so is the "hang time" - they just don't seem to stay stuck for as long as those done with Fletchtite. I now cut my losses, use the Fletchtite and am more than satisfied with the result!
Mark