Archery Talk Forum banner

Gluing inserts

3K views 30 replies 23 participants last post by  Ingo 
#1 ·
OK, I got a half dozen GT XT Hunters that I need to glue the inserts in. I think I've decided on a 2 part epoxy. For prep, I should rough up the inside of the arrow, clean it, then glue in the insert twisting as I put it in. Correct? Can I use acetone on a Q tip to clean out the inside of the arrow? In searches, I've seen most people used MEK or alcohol. Should I use a 5 minute epoxy or one that takes longer to cure? I don't need to shoot them right away so this isn't critical, but I have other uses for a 5 minute epoxy, not so much a longer curing epoxy. Thanks for the help! I've always had my arrows cut and inserts installed in the past. So this is all new. When I did searches it seems like everyone did it different. So I'm assuming there are several ways to get it done in a functional manner. Hot melt, crazy glue, fletching glue, insert iron, epoxy, etc., etc.
 
#3 ·
I wouldn't use epoxy for that. It'll make the points almost impossible to remove once the shafts' life is over and you'll have to scar it up seriously to get it out. Also, fast-cure epoxies like 5 minute cure into a very hard and eventually brittle plastic which, ironically, will make the point prone to coming loose after repeated shots.

A low temperature hot melt glue from the hardware store is a lot better for points. Much easier installation and you don't have to destroy the shaft or the point to remove it.

Cyanoacrylate glues are also, IMO a no-no for points and inserts....

lee.
 
#20 ·
I wouldn't use epoxy for that. It'll make the points almost impossible to remove once the shafts' life is over and you'll have to scar it up seriously to get it out. Also, fast-cure epoxies like 5 minute cure into a very hard and eventually brittle plastic which, ironically, will make the point prone to coming loose after repeated shots.

A low temperature hot melt glue from the hardware store is a lot better for points. Much easier installation and you don't have to destroy the shaft or the point to remove it.

Cyanoacrylate glues are also, IMO a no-no for points and inserts....
THIS! I buy a lot of used arrows to for testing, this is the first question I ask, if they have been epoxied they are ruined IMO!

lee.
THIS! I buy a lot of used arrows to for testing, this is the first question I ask, if they have been epoxied they are ruined IMO!
 
#4 ·
I use denatured alcohol and a cotton swab to clean the insides of the shafts.

Forget the epoxy! That stuff hardness and you'll never get the insert out. Forget the fletching glue if it's just for fletching. I am not a fan of Insert Iron.

Hot melt is fine so long as you follow instructions - you don't want it super hot. There a few super glues on the market that are impact resistant, you them. Some super glues cure hot, so you don't want that either......
 
#5 ·
Honestly, I don't care about ever removing an insert. I want them in for good. When I did searches, it seemed like hot melt left more inserts in targets than anything else. Have any of you ever had problems with hot melt? My wife actually has a hot melt gun and sticks of glue. Will this work?
 
#18 ·
If you've read all what it amounts to is doing the job right. It's just like fletching. Some people can't get a vane to stick and others don't have a problem.
The only insert glue I really didn't care for is the low temp stuff.
 
#6 ·
Yes, hot melt's disadvantage is it's not as strong as a hard glue. It's more like a hardened rubber; if you don't thoroughly coat the insert putting it in the point can come loose if you hit something hard or if it's really really snagged on something in a bag target etc. But a brittle glue like a cyanoacrylate or a 5-minute epoxy will stand up only a little better if you really smack something. By that time the shaft is probably endangered anyway.

But, if you really want those suckers in there and I mean IN there, use a slow cure epoxy like a 2 hour, or if you're really expecting nuclear weapons in the field, use JB Weld and let the shafts sit overnight. Slow-cures stay pliable for a lot longer before becoming brittle than fast cures like 5 or 10 minute...

lee.
 
#9 ·
Hot melt works great for wood shafts but all the carbon shaft I tried on has pulled out inside of a tough 3-D target over time. With epoxy, I find it hard for there not to be too hard to control the weight added, making for inconsistent arrow weights. Best I’ve ever used, never once had one pull out, is Goat Tough glue.
 
#10 ·
Low temp hot melt done correctly will NOT pull out. Been using it for years and never lost an insert.

NC

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
#15 ·
I dip a Q tip in acetone and clean inside of shaft. I use Gorilla Glue Gel for vanes and inserts. Its readily available and works as good as anything I have tried. Haven't had a insert come out yet in 5+ years of using it.
 
#17 ·
I've never roughed up the inside of my arrow shafts and I haven't had any issues with my current set-up. I simply use a Q-tip with Acetone to clean the inside. I have used 2-part epoxy in the past and had horrible results with it. It could have been user error but every single one of the inserts came out after letting them cure for over 24 hours. I have had the best luck with super glues.

I have used GT Tip Grip in the past and have not had an insert come out in over 5 years of using it. However I have heard good things about Gorilla Glue Super Glue and will be using it both for fletching and inserts in the future. You can pick it up in any big-box store.

I understand that by using hot-melt you will not damage the shaft should an insert come out but the inserts come out easier than with super glue. You'll have to buy spare inserts and points. I prefer my inserts to stay permanently. 3D targets have been known to take inserts that have used hot-melt.
 
#19 ·
I have tried everything over the last 30 years of archery, low temp glue gun sticks are the best thing I have ever used. Don't use the glue gun, heat up your points and glue stick with a torch and assemble as usual. CA type glues will work most of the time but are usually to brittle to handle the stress and are difficult to remove if needed, other downsides of CA is the cost and storage. I have been doing it this way for well over 10 years for my arrows and my buddies and I have never had one to pull out ever. Works for carbon and aluminum. Try it, you probably have some glue sticks in a junk drawer already.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#26 ·
For normal inserts, clean shaft inside and hot glue. Works great and super easy to remove.


I’m tempted to use hot melt on hit inserts and I’ve read about people using them successfully but I built my last ones using epoxy.


***you couldn’t pay me to use super glue again. I did it a few years ago and lost 2 arrow because the glue set before the insert was seated all the way. Zero reason to use super glue.
 
#27 ·
I don't think low-temp hot glue is a good idea where I shoot (sometimes it's 110° or so while we're shooting).

I use Gorilla CA gel and haven't lost an insert since I stopped having the archery shops put my inserts in.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
#31 ·
No, I've never tried it. Years ago when I would have my arrows built at archery shops I would lose inserts regularly in 3D targets or if I stuck one into something hard. I don't know what the multiple shops I tried used but it was some kind of marketed insert adhesive. One shop tried to sell me a bottle for $20 when I took my multiple arrows with missing inserts in to have them replaced.

So, I got wise. I started building my own arrows and I've not lost an insert since (10+ years?).

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top