Ok guys and gals here's my problem. I shoot Beman speed 340s and have recently started fletching my arrows myself, I am using super glue gel and it works really well almost to well. I have started shooting groups now that I can fletching any cut offs and there have been many. Here is my process very dull razor knife start cutting off fletching using skidding back and forward motion and I have had three arrows where it lifted a strip of carbon up that ran right down the shaft. I have recently switched from fletching tite platinum and that came off fine now I have ruined three shafts two with the knife and one with a potato peeler help what am I doing wrong I have done several dozen without problem till I switched glues but everyone else says thier using similar and the same glue. Thanks
Help! I keep cutting into carbon while fletching
josephcsylvia
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Ok guys and gals here's my problem. I shoot Beman speed 340s and have recently started fletching my arrows myself, I am using super glue gel and it works really well almost to well. I have started shooting groups now that I can fletching any cut offs and there have been many. Here is my process very dull razor knife start cutting off fletching using skidding back and forward motion and I have had three arrows where it lifted a strip of carbon up that ran right down the shaft. I have recently switched from fletching tite platinum and that came off fine now I have ruined three shafts two with the knife and one with a potato peeler help what am I doing wrong I have done several dozen without problem till I switched glues but everyone else says thier using similar and the same glue. Thanks
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289 Posts
Get a fletching stripper. It's almost impossible to that with a stripper.
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258 Posts
Great any recommendations for brand?
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I use bohning. You can pick them up at Academy Sports for about $10.
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I use an xacto knife with a #11 blade. I take the blade and very gently try to lift up the front of the fletching and/or vane enough that I can get it with a pair of pliers and if I get lucky I can pull it off in one piece. I then turn the knife over and use the back of the blade to scrape off all the glue again very gently. If you hold the arrow at an angle in the light you can see the glue coming off.
I have switched to the Bohning double sided tape. It is quick and easy to apply, and easy to repair if you miss up. Run a dab of glue on the front and rear of the vane/fletching and you're done.
SouthernAlco
PS I have recently started using a Bear Shoot Around on my recurve and so far it has NOT damaged any of my vanes or feathers
I have switched to the Bohning double sided tape. It is quick and easy to apply, and easy to repair if you miss up. Run a dab of glue on the front and rear of the vane/fletching and you're done.
SouthernAlco
PS I have recently started using a Bear Shoot Around on my recurve and so far it has NOT damaged any of my vanes or feathers
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Ill check them out thank you
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I did the same thing with a potato peeler. The thing that works best for me is the back side of a pocket knife that has a very square edge with sharp corners. I get most of the glue with this, then finish off with a copper pot scrubber dipped in acrtone.
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I use a sharp Xacto #11 blade, hold it flat against the shaft, not at a angle, and cut only towards the nock. I do this just to get the "base" off where the vane is stuck to the arrow. I'll cut the top of the vane off with scissors. Acetone on a rag will remove most of the glue after your done. You can scrape the shaft with the blade set at 90 deg, but don't push hard, and watch your fingers! Cheers--BB
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7,329 Posts
Yep, this is it. I got so tired of scraping off fletches that I went to wraps and can't imagine ever going back. All you do is soak the wrap & fletches in hot water for a short time and the whole thing peels right off the shaft. No scraping or cutting.
The only time I ever scrape just a little bit is if I've ripped one fletch off the wrap with another arrow. I'll glue a fletch back on in that spot and some of the glue will get on the shaft where the wrap got torn. Other than that I never have to use a knife or blade or potato peeler or anything similar.
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I soak my shafts in acetone. Never had an issue, and the shafts are completely bare with minimal effort.
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Just buy wraps like stated above. So much easier to clean the shaft up. You could also stop shooting groups and you won't have to worry about reflecting.
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actually I think your first problem is using a dull knife. I use a fletching stripper. then any residue glue or fletching remaining I use one of those small utility knives with the blade you push out and can break off as it gets dull. The trick to removing the residue glue is to hold the blade at 90* to the shaft and scrape it off rather than trying to slice it off. Or if there isn't too much residue after stripping the fletching, simply turn your nock a little to put the new fletchings on a 'virgin' location on the shaft.
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The reason you're cutting the carbon is because it's too sharp and or you're not using it at the proper angle. I keep the blade about 5-10* off the shaft-- no issues.
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I used a dull butter knife to scrape the vanes off then use acetone to loosen and clean up the rest of the glue. I started using wraps though and, as mentioned above, it just makes life so much easier. That, and I use reflective wraps so it eliminated the need for a lighted nock for me. I just shine a light in the general direction of the arrow and it lights right up. Also keeps me from stepping on my bow in the early morning as the whole end of the quiver lights up when light hits it.
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That is just one of many reason I still shoot aluminum.....if you build and/or fletch your own arrows they are much easier to work with IMO. For me it was a PITA no matter what way I tried to take them off. Anyway much harder than just scrapping them off.....
You just can't be a light arrow fan if you choose aluminum.
You just can't be a light arrow fan if you choose aluminum.
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I use a Spyderco serrated pocket knife. The serrations fits the shaft perfectly and there is no way I can see that it would take carbon off. Even a 8 year old can un-fletch without causing damage.
Might want to give it a try.
WM
Might want to give it a try.
WM
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I use a fresh box cutter blade at 10 degree angle it takes me three quick passes for each vane.. Then I use an old sanding sponge to twist the end of the arrow and then I wipe it off with acetone
have had the same blade in my razor knife for twenty years actually have worn grooves in it . its done 1000s of arrows never a problem until one day one of my regulars thought he would do me a favor and put a new blade in it . lucky the next arrow I did was one of mine I cut the end right off it on the first swipe . made him dig the old blade out of the garbage he hasn't touched it since .
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