I was wondering if you guys had any idea what I'm doing wrong...

I've had a Jo-Jan Multi Fletcher with right helical clamps for about a year now. I've tried to fletch arrows with it 4 or five times and have never had it come out right. Everytime I do a batch it seems that I can never get the vane to sit flat on the arrow. I would assume that its an adjustment problem but I just can't seem to get the jig into a position that allows for 100% fletching contact with the arrow. On every batch I seem to have the problem where either the front, middle, or end of the vane isn't properly adherd to the arrow; it varies depending on where I have set those bars.

Any ideas, or has anyone else seem to have this problem, because this jig is about 2 seconds away from being ebay'd.

I forgot to ask, where on the clamp do you guys normally position the vane? I have been sticking it in the clamp and lining it up with the very end edge of the clamp.

I have a Bitzenburger right helical jig. I had the same problem as you. If yours has lines you can line up to set you helical you can easily fix it. I have the best results with both of the lines about 1/4 inch to the right of the others. Don't try to make the lines go to the left and right. I think you are trying to make the helical, let the machine do the work.

You need to adjust the jig. Put a vane into the clamp, put an arrow in the jig and put the clamp onto the arrow NO GLUE. Adjust the top and bottom of the jig side to side until you get the best contact along the entire fletch. If you do multiple sizes of arrows this might have to change from arrow to arrow.

I also have better luck when I don't put the fletch all the way into the clamp. Leave it out just a bit, about 1/16 of an inch or so. This allows the weight of the clamp to even things out a bit as well.

--Bob

Bob H in NH is right on. I have a Bitz also and if the top of the jig is adjusted too far to the right, the vane won't sit properly on the arrow. I set my vane about a quarter of an inch from the bottom end of the ruling on the clamp. I also leave the vane out a sixteenth to an eighth of an inch from the clamp. Pay close attention to where you place the vane in the clamp each time so you don't end up with one vane ahead of or behind the others on the arrow.

Bob H is right,I have a JO-Jan multi it will work just play with the front and rear slides till it sets down good. Mine ended up almost straight on the setting but the helical is built in the clamp.