Cutting my own feathers.

Can any one tell me a good way to cut my own fletchings for my arrows out of turkey feathers? I am looking to take the next step with building my own arrows. Thanks

[bishs]

They use the first 3 primary wing feathers on either wing, for left or right feathers. Then you cut down the center of the quill. The lower half of the feather can be cut with a feather cutter or burned.

Probably a hundred possibilities.
From store bought units,
To homemade burners from discarded toasters from yard sales.
And one of my alltime favorites;
One of those big, spring type paper (clamp) clips, couple of pieces of thin sheetmetal cut with shears and filed to fletching shape and epoxied to the inside of the clip's jaws (kind of like a reversed clamp for a fletching jig) Put the feather into the jaws (as a spacer), and hold the sheetmetal tight to the feather (regular paperclips will do) while the epoxy cures.
Afterwards, to make a fletch, insert feather and trim with scizzors, or for a neet effect leave about 1/16-1/8 inch and burn (singe)with a small torch (a candle would even work)
I'm sure there's many other ways to go, it's just one that I've used in the past on some primitive arrows that I've made using seagull feathers. Remember if your going this far, there's no law that says fletching has got to be made from turkey feathers. Seagull, goose, brant, ostrage, and crow are just some possibilities when you get started.

[Airoh]

Good post RI ARCHER, I may try that with some turkey feathers I have.