[springer01]

Shortly after learning to fletch my own arrows I started using feathers. Last year after hearing so many great things about blazer vanes I ordered some. I fletched up a few arrows and went out to shoot them. I could not get the things to stay on for anything tried several different glues..wraps nothing. So I got rid of them and went back to feathers.

Well my fience's arrows needed fletching and she wanted vanes. So I started researching vanes and ordered some Vanetec and Savage vanes for us. Again for the life of me I can not get these things to stay on.

My feathers have to be scraped off with a knife, but the vanes I can just pull them slightly or bend them and they come off. The glue is sticking to the vane, but it is not sticking to the arrow. I have cleaned the shafts with rubbing alchohol I have tried just about everything I dont know what else to do.

Any ideas?
Thanks
Tanner

 

[J_Buck]

you may need to "rough up" the arrow a little bit. I only did the area where I was going to fletch and with 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Of course that was before I used wraps. Now I don't do anything except wrap and glue, with spectacular results. I have never had a problem with blazers, wraps, and fletch tite platinum. Seems like a winning combination.

 

[switchbackchamp]

maybe ruff up area that the vane sits with fine sandpaper.

 

[springer01]

I have tried using steal wool guess I could try sandpaper. Here is the crazy thing they stuck great to my fience's arrows..lol go figure. :darkbeer:

 

[bfisher]

Rubbing alcohol couldbe the culprit. Regular rubbing alcohol (isoprophyl) has oils in it. Go to the drup store and get 91% or denatured alcohol for cleaning the shafts.

Also, as mentioned, roughing the shaft helps too. I use a piece of Scotchbrite.

 

[short-n-fast]

99% isophl alcohol (sp) not regular with aloe . Use acetone to clean the vanes. run with a cotton swab while you have the vain in the clamp until you get some color on the swab. make sure that you put the vane on right after you apply the glue. sometimes it will dry alittle , and form a barrier over the top of the wet glue.

 

[buzltyr]

I'm with BFISHER on this one. Rubbing alcohol has oil in and that is most likely the reason the vanes are not sticking. Some vane manufacturers instructions tell you in no uncertain terms to not use rubbing alcohol.
Clean the shaft with isopropyl alcohol and the vane if the manufacturer says to. Use a very light amount of glue and you should be complaining about scraping the vanes off next time you have to refletch.

 

[KBacon]

Also make sure that you aren't using too much glue. When using the CA glues (super glue).. if you use too much it forms a seal and the glue underneath won't dry for a while. Just use a very fine bead.

Also due to the stiffness of the Blazers.. you can't put too much offset in them.. they don't like to wrap around and arrow... the thinner the shaft.. the less offset you can get away with.

 

[cruzf]

fletching

I have tried using steal wool guess I could try sandpaper. Here is the crazy thing they stuck great to my fience's arrows..lol go figure. :darkbeer:

ok here is what we do for this proble

i like to used wraps on my shaft to keep it clean from glue

i used arizona plastifletch/ hoyt the attach very good

usedsuper glue (gel) loctite dont over glue it will bern white all the vens and shaft anything close to it

5 to 10 sec.

its there for ever . even if you have traspass the target they will be there for you.

try with 2 or 3 and test them control the glue................

 

[cmherrmann]

I just don't understand why so many people are having problems with blazers sticking. I have not tried them on bare shafts, but I have used them on Wraps and you cannot pull them off without ripping the vane or the wrap.


1. Clean the shaft with soapy water and rinse with clean water and let dry.

2. Wrap the arrow with bowmanhunter or arrowwrapsunlimited wraps.

3. I use an AZ EZ-Fletch, so I put my blazers in the EZ Fletch and run a fine line of Loctite Gel on each vane.

4. Put the arrow in the EZ Fletch and close it up and wait 45 seconds to 1 minute.

5. Remove the arrow and put a tiny dap of regular super glue on the leading tip and rear tip of each blazer where it meets the wrap.

That's it, do NOT prep the Blazers in any way.

 

[springer01]

Thanks for all the replies guys.... and I wasnt thinking it is denatured alcohol I am using not rubbing. I am going to try the superglue and see what happens. And these are not the blazers I am tring to fletch anymore I got rid of those the are 4" savage vanes and 4" vanetec vanes. And I am not prepping the vane at all. :mg:

 

[skynight]

Supposedly the vanetecs have accelerator on the base, but I see no evidence of it. I have come up with this method that works for me with vanetecs (finally).

I run the shaft under hot water and scrub dry with a clean cloth towel. I avoid paper towels as I've heard they can leave residue. Who knows, I didn't do a chemical analysis.

I place the shaft in the fletcher, and run a magic marker type of super glue accelerator over the shaft where I plan to glue the vane. You can buy this at Walmart in the glue section - near paints in my store. The brand I buy is loctite, it comes with a small super glue bottle - throw that away and buy the blue gel loctite in the squeeze bottle.

Put the vane in the clamp without touching the base - I use a sandwich baggy to hold them.Run the accelerator over the base of the vane. Wave randomly in the air to dry. Run a skinny seam of blue loctite super glue down the vane base. Wave clamp randomly in the air again. Place in fletcher, and put pressure from under the arrow against the vane for a 20 count.

Remove clamp and repeat.

 

[nuts&bolts]

Using the sandwich baggie is an excellent idea.

If you touch the shaft with your fingers even once
and/or you grab the vanes with your fingers and touch the base
of the vane even once, it will interfere with the glue.

I have had trouble with feathers and with vanes,
when I mistakenly touched the base of the feathers or vanes
with my fingers.

So, use a latex glove,
or use the sandwich baggie as a temporary glove,
or shake the feathers or vanes out of the bag,
and use a pencil to push the vanes close to the edge of the table,
and then grab the feather or vane with the fletching clamp.

 

[bowhuntrrl]

What glue are you using?? Blazers require a different glue than feathers. I use Bohning Fletchtite Platinum and I have a hard time cutting them off !!! I clean my bare shafts with Ajax or Dutch Cleanser then wash them down with a Brillo pad and hot water. I sometimes use acetone, no problems either way.

 

[PREDATOR JIM]

plastic vanes

use windex to prep shaft I dont any chems never let your hands touch the arrow where the vanes go. There is oil in our hands platinum or any good super type glue works best warm weather or warm room in winter.

 

[marforme]

I am also very surprised. I have never had aproblem with Blazers sticking. I have not had to clean shafts or anything, just strip the old ones off and put new ones on. If it were a new bare shaft than I would clean with 91% iso alch. One thing that an old time pro shop owner tought me was to take a rag and put some of your fletching glue in it and quickly wipe the end of the shaft where you are going to put the vanes on. It cleans it and makes an excellent prep for adhesion. May sound a little strange, but it works great.

 

[CoppertoneSPF15]

Isopropyl/Rubbing alcohol is the same thing. 91% is very commonly found at your local Walmart and the such. What you are already using (denatured alcohol) is the right stuff. Usually you can find denatured at any hardware type store.

 

[Nito]

this might be the problem if you havent solved it already from the other posts.steelwool often contains some sort of soap, and that can cause the glue not to stick.
as mentioned earlier in the tread, use alcohol and clean the surface that attaches to the shaft.
Vanes often have leftovers of some type of "grease" that make them come off the cast when they make them and that need to be taken away.
-been there, done that, fletched a dozen of Navigators with FFP:s and after shooting them only a couple of times it was back to clean shafts

 

[hansel]

I don't now what I'm doing right, but I've not had the problem you've had, I just remove the old or damaged blazer wipe off the shaft with a paper towel, and glue the blazers back on. I did try the platinum glue and didn't like it, so switched back to the Beyond Bond Cyanocrylate glue, I know big word:mg: but it works great!!

In fact I'm repairing some arrows as I write:wink:

 

[meanv2]

What glue are you using?? Blazers require a different glue than feathers. I use Bohning Fletchtite Platinum and I have a hard time cutting them off !!! I clean my bare shafts with Ajax or Dutch Cleanser then wash them down with a Brillo pad and hot water. I sometimes use acetone, no problems either way.

I use the same glue also but I usually clean the shaft with denatured alcohol. I never clean the Blazers and have had zero problems. That said for myself I always seem to migrate back to feathers for the improved flight