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Author Topic: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?  (Read 11000 times)

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Offline Colt45

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New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« on: March 16, 2009, 07:32:51 pm »
I don't have a fletcher, unfortunately, so does anyone have some tricks for fletching arrows easily? I've been having A LOT of trouble with this haha. Most of my arrows are fletched with tape  ;D
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Offline shikari

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2009, 08:34:38 pm »
are you going to do straight fletch or helical?A straight fletching jig is easy t make took me 30 min from somescrap boards i had laying around,I will try to take some pics and post them here.
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2009, 09:05:16 pm »
I've never used a fletching jig, just fletch mine by hand. Probably 99% of archers in the history of the world never owned a fletching jig-practice makes perfect.
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Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2009, 09:47:22 pm »
If you like a primitive looking arrow give the two fletch style a try. It's been posted here a bunch of times.  It looks really good, and shoots good.  Best of all no jig, or glue required.
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Offline Colt45

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2009, 10:43:59 pm »
I was planning on doing straight I would appriciate pictures  :). What is the two fletch style, does it shoot as well?
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The bow's in there, you just have to find it, and that is Boetry.

Offline Pat B

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2009, 12:40:57 am »
These are 3 of my 6 hunting arrows for this past year. Two are modified Cherokee style 2fletch and one id a hybrid 2fletch.



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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

nicksnacks

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2009, 06:26:25 pm »
All my arrows are 2 fletch-you just need to make the fletchings a little longer for more stability.
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Shooter_G22

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2009, 07:51:14 pm »
Colt45,

   what type of arrows are you trying to build????   as far as what style or what type of material do you have handy???   i mean are you going all primitive with all natural shafting, tips and feathers???   or are you doing store bought shafts with comercial feathers...  either way is good in my opinion i do them all or try to anyway...  ;)   

     if your using all natural feathers meaning feathers straight off the bird...  than its fairly easy to do by  hand...   well they can all be done by hand and with out a jig...   just kinda hard to give advise if we dont know what style or what type of materials you got handy and what type of arrow your going for... ;)

i personally like the three fletch hylical done on a jig...   but i do use the other types of fletching just on differant shafting and just what ever i feel like building at the time...  i have done the 2 fletch and tought that style to my boys in the field as a field made arrow or survival arrow...   but like i sy for stuff done at home with lots of time and detail in them i really prefer the 3 fletch with a helical...

  you can do a three fletch helical by hand with a lot of patiance and a little practce and turn them out just fine...

   i use duco cement for all my fletching...  and i get it at my local walmart for 99 cents a tube...   i really like that duco more than anything else regardless of the price factor but being cheap is a great plus...

let us know what materials your working with huh???   
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Offline Colt45

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2009, 12:19:46 am »
I am using 3/8 inches dowels from home depot... I don't have anything to use for fletching and it'd be great to know where to get some. Currently all my arrows are fletched with tape  ;D I'd love to get some feathers. Since I have one shorter bow and draw to my mouth rather than my ear, my arrows are about 24" long. Any suggestions? :D
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The bow's in there, you just have to find it, and that is Boetry.

Offline Pat B

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2009, 01:00:51 am »
the 3/8" shafts cut to 24" are going to be way stiff. For a 24" draw you may want to try 5/16 shafts. The longer they are the less stiff they will be so cut them longer than your draw, maybe to 26" or even 28".
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Shooter_G22

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2009, 02:13:46 am »
i agree with Pat,

   the 3/8" dowel shaft from home depot is way to thick or wide of a diameter for a short arrow of 24"...   and if your draw is a 24" draw then you should cut arrow length up to a min of 25 1/2" but would probably do better with a 26" arrow...   i have used the 5/16" oak dowels for arrows with great success and have had them turn out a good accurate set...  in fact all the boys form the youth group are using just that... and the 5/16" oak dowel from lowes make great arrows... of coarse they are bieng shot from 35# f/g long bows but are actually a short bow of about 56 -58 inch in lenght...

   as for feathers...  there are alot of places you can get some feathers...  you can hunt for them locally around pounds and anywhere you see birds flock to...   but if you want to buy some feathers any good sports store will have some...   if you have a cabela's or bass proshop near you they carry some pre-cut fletchings...  or a academy sports store or a sports athority should carry some too...   if your looking for some natural type feathers you can find them at hobby stores or anywhere they sell fly fishing rig supplies...   kinda expensive to go that rout but not bad way to try and get some locally for just a few arrows...

  im sure if you have no luck im sure somebody on here would be willing to send you some...  jsut enough to make a few arrows shouldnt be a problem to get somebody here to help out with that to a new arrow builder...

   but if i were you id definantly try useing the 5/16" dowel instead of the 3/8"  are you cuting self nocks or are you using plastic nocks.. what type of tips you using???

  i have used and tought the boys how to make fletchings out of duct tape to for an improvised survival or field arrow...  pretty cool to be able to make something out of hardly nothing huh????

  but if i were you, id try some feathers out...  i guaranty you will like them better...lol..

if you cant find some feathers to use or buy some let us know im sure somebody might offer to send you a few...

but waht ever you do... make sure you keep building em and shooting them...   and have fun!!!!
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Offline Timo

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2009, 08:14:22 am »
Seen a deal on PP where a guy took a smal round piece of cardboard,with a hole a lil smaller than the arrow,from the hole out,he cut 3 slots in accordance to feather placement.Push the cardboard ring over the shaft,push the front quills of your feathers into it. It will hold them in place while you glue/tie them on. Perty slick idea.
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2009, 12:42:06 pm »
Quote from: Timo on March 18, 2009, 08:14:22 am
Seen a deal on PP where a guy took a smal round piece of cardboard,with a hole a lil smaller than the arrow,from the hole out,he cut 3 slots in accordance to feather placement.Push the cardboard ring over the shaft,push the front quills of your feathers into it. It will hold them in place while you glue/tie them on. Perty slick idea.

That's pretty similar to the way I do it.
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Smoky Mountains, NC

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Offline Colt45

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2009, 03:19:02 pm »
Oh wow... So simple yet very genius  :D
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The bow's in there, you just have to find it, and that is Boetry.

Fletcher the Arrow Maker

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Re: New to arrow making, Tricks for fletching?
« Reply #14 on: March 29, 2009, 05:35:04 pm »
I know that arrows were made by hand for eons.  They flew relativrly stright and killed man and beast on every continent beofre written history and much has been written since.

However - I also know that if they would have been able to make or trade for fletching jigs, they would have used them !

I have made many arrows many ways, but you cannot beat a good jig.  And if you are going to make a variety or a number of arrows - Bitzenburger is the King of the Fletching Jigs.  I even start my free floated primitives with just a drop of glue on each end of the feather and hold them in place in a Bitz to dry.  Then the time to wrap the rest of the way is greatly reduced and the fletching is straight and true.

I can still use all hand tools and hand made points - but only if the rules of engagement dictate that.
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