3 RIVERS ARCHERY still sells fletch-lac. My cresting kit has been collecting dust for years. Mainly becuase I switched to Saunders NPV arrow cement and never looked back. Goodluck!

http://search.3riversarchery.com/archery/Arrow-Lacquer

http://www.3riversarchery.com/Fletch-Lac+Clear+Sealer_i4108X_baseitem.html

 

mass -

I don't recall ever using a dip or paint on the shaftment prior to fletching, but I'm only going back 40 something years.
About 90% of the arrows I use are aluminum.

Today, it's a little trickier, since most of the good fletching glues are gone, and we're pretty much left with various forms of CA.

Viper1 out.

 

mass -

I don't recall ever using a dip or paint on the shaftment prior to fletching, but I'm only going back 40 something years.

The pro shop I learned it from was old school NFAA guy from the 60's. My Uncle's shop use acetone and flex-flex glue.

 

I've got a set of 2712s (yes my compound arrows) that are wearing the same feathers they've had on them for two going on three seasons now. Fletched with a right helical directly to the shaft with a high viscosity hobby super glue. No issues with them coming off, just make sure you get full quill contact.

 

I have used bob smith industries glue for fetching feathers on aluminium and carbon arrows they stay put until the feathers wear out!
It sets in about 15 seconds as long as you don't use too much. I also use it to glue my plastic vanes as well.
If you ask the folks at LAS they will also tell you it is what they use in their shop.

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/maxi-cure-cyanoacrylate-glue-1-oz.html

 

Back in the 90, when I worked at a shop, aluminum shafts were first cleaned with acetone. Then dipped. Clear for camo/hunting shafts and coors for target arrows. Then if a nurled nock end the nurled area was cleaned with a special tool from Saunders. Nocks twisted on (not glued). Then feathers/vanes attacked with Fletchtite. Then cut to length. Points installed and lastly nock glued specific to the bow the arrows were being shot out of.

When G-nock or similar came out. We has sacrificial nock used during the dipping process. The dip was then carefully cut with a razor knife adjacent to the nock and these nock removed. Nocks to the buyers spec were installed and the finishing process continued as above.

All of these arrow got a simple crest applied regardless of if there were clear or color dipped. The owner liked 2 thin red, 1 wide red and one thin red bands as his crest

Regards,

Tom

 

I've been fletching carbon shafts for so long I've lost the resources of finishing aluminum arrows.

I guess I'll try the diff glues as some have indicated they have good results fletching raw aluminum shafts...

Tom

 

Tom -

I haven't dipped or painted a aluminum arrow, well, almost never...
It's just more work when it can time to refletch.

Not sure the acetone is a requirement either.
Scrub with an abrasive cleaner (comet, etc), air dry and wipe down with 91% alcohol.

BTW - I like the BS Maxi-cure as well.

Viper1 out.

 

Back in the day at both of the Pro shops I worked for we only used "Blue Clear" dip if we were applying new vanes. Feathers were never an issue if you cleaned the shaft properly.

 

Also back in the day acetone was used because we would soak shafts for several hours in a long tube filled with acetone. This was desirable so the old fletchings would basically fall off or could be wiped off without using a knife to scrape them off, avoiding scratching your shafts.

 

Btw, be careful what you buy, many of the arrow dips are formulated for the Trad archer's building wood arrows.

 

Yes, good memories. We had a few dip tanks. Red, Yellow, White, Clear , Acetone & back then MEK--- MEK was used for the overall removal. MEK was nasty stuff but then back then who really knew or read the labels... then went to some bio-degradable paint remover stuff after a few years of exposure to MEK.

Boy, crested my share of arrow back then. Every shop made arrow went out with a crest. Then we started selling factory made hunting arrow. Wow were they cheaply made. Many would come back with vanes that dropped off. That was a fun time...


Thanks for the refresher details.

Regards,

Tom

 

Opps, typo! To much MEK exposure. Flex-Fletch glue I meant to post. It takes a long time to cure.