Archery Glue

[GuT_PiLe]

Hey everyone.

Take a break from the never ending and ridiculous crossbow debate and come together for once and help a fellow archer out will ya!!...:lol:

I'm in my rookie season of fletching my own arrows, and I must say they have turned out pretty darn good. I've had some mistakes, glued my fingers together a few times, but I expected that.:D


I've saved myself a helluva lot of money tho...and after fletching for about a year, i am amazed and disappointed in myself....
i have found about 2 dozen perfectly good arrows sitting in boxes, all they needed was nothing more than new vanes, but there i was buying more arrows on top of them. Sick amount of waste, but now it's like hitting the jackpot!

Anyway....


Just wondering what everyone uses out there as far as adhesive for their carbon arrow shafts.

What do you use as your fletching glue?

What do you use for your inserts?

or are they one and the same?

I have been using carbon express "express bond" adhesive, and I must say its works VERY well for me for my fletchings. I am very happy with it.
I pretty sure i could use it for my inserts without issue, but i figured i'd ask around....maybe there is something better out there?

I shoot carbon express CX300's and Maxima 350's. Fletch them with 2" blazer vanes, either strait or 2 degree offset.

Thanks all!

[jjc155]

Bohning Quantum XT for both Fletch and inserts. With wraps I can not pull my blazers off of the shaft with Visegrips. The wraps tear as opposed to the blazers coming off. I have always used wraps so I can not speak about bare shafts, but would think that with proper prep the results will be similar adhesion.

For inserts I have only lost one insert out of about 5 dozen arrows and thousands of shots when using Quantum XT. Its a "super" type glue but has an additive that keeps it from getting brittle.

I have tried other glues, none of which work as well as Quantum XT, and I always go back to it.

Just my 2 cents and experiences,
J-

[hartofthethumb]

I have been using Easton Quick Bond adhesive on my fletchings the last year or so, and have the same results mentioned above, the wraps tear before the glue lets go. I have never used it on bare shafts, so I can't say how it works in that situation. As for my inserts, they are ALWAYS put in with hot melt. I've had inserts pull out with every other glue I've tried, but never had one single pull out with the hot melt.

I'm not saying any of this info. is the best, but just what works for me.

Haven't tried the quantum xt yet, may give it a whirl yet this year.

[Ack]

I was using Quantum XT, but decided to try out the Easton Quick Bond.....both seem to work great with Blazers and wraps. Wasn't real impressed with Goat Tuff....seemed too runny and did not set up very quickly for me.

[jdawg240]

I pretty much flecth Blazers 90 percent of the time. After useing just about everything and every method I found Pine Ridge Glue to be the best for me. I use their two part systema s follows.

I brush a small amount of acclerater on the shaft with a small modeling paint brush(the kit comes with a spray bottle but Ive found the brush method saves product and is less messy). Then I place my bead on the vane and set it. After 20 seconds the vane is on and not coming off. You can pick up the two part system at Bass pro and a few archery shops now.

[Black Lake]

I fletch about 75+ dozen arrows a year and sell them on Ebay (Store name is Northern Recreation)... Mostly Gold tip and Carbon Express arrows with Blazers and Duravanes. I use Saunders NPV Cement for the fletchings and A.M.G. Carbond for the inserts. I have had great luck with both with no complaints. The NPV is very nice to work with, no glued fingers and is very forgiving, it flows very nice and sets up with out excess build up or discoloring around the fletch and Shaft. The Carbond for the inserts sets up fast and drys like a rock (that will glue you to everything in about 5 seconds if you not careful).

I can get either of those to anyone who wants them, just shoot me a PM, also I get deals on shafts and would help out anyone on the site.

[GuT_PiLe]

So what are the advantages to these "wraps" other than making your arrow look pretty or customized?

How does it make fletching easier?

I've seen one where you lay the wrap adhesive side up and just roll your arrow shaft over it. If they stick to your arrow shaft, then i see it being more than a pain in the *** to free the wraps from the shaft rather than just stripping off the fletchings with a potato peeler or whatever tool you use?

Do they "shrink wrap" on, so then all you have to do is cut them and unwrap them like you would a new cork fishing rod handle?...is that how they work?

Also how many grains do they add to the rear of your arrow, or is it negligable?

Thanks!

[Ack]

The main advantage to the wrap is when it comes time to re-fletch...just heat up the wrap with a hairdryer and peel it off....no scraping needed.

[Michihunter]

I use Loctite Super Gel for ALL my gluing needs. Works great and at a fraction of the cost of fletching glues.

[jjc155]

I strip my wraps with the same Zip Strip tool that I strip fletching with. Takes the same short amount of time to remove fletch with wraps as it does with out wraps.

Advantages are the Fletching is easier (both going on and coming off) no need to scrape glue from your shafts when refletching. Arrow flight is easier to see and easier to find arrows that have been shot (like on the forrest floor after a past through). Better adhesion with wrap on (atleast for me). Cleaning is not as important with wraps on. Weight (again to me) is very negligable. I think that ones I use are aout 4-5 grains a piece. Plus like you said they make your arrows look custom.

There are more advantages too, those are the important ones to me though. I have yet to find a dis-advantage to using wraps.

Hope this helps,
J-

[elkcrazy]

Looks like Mihunter beat me to it. I've tried a lot of them, and I pretty much use the Loctite gel now. You can get it pretty much everywhere, Meijer, Walmart, etc, and works better than most and a fraction of the cost. Just make sure you use the gel.

[D-BEAVER]

I prefer to use Fletch-Tite Platinum for fletching as I hate the white residue left from any of the super glues. I've also found it to provide a better bond, since most of the super glues become very brittle. It does take longer to set, but for me it's worth the effort.

For inserts, I'll use either a two-part epoxy(prefered) or a super glue (usually Goat Tuff).