Author Topic: Fletching question  (Read 2821 times)

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Offline DC

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Fletching question
« on: April 20, 2015, 12:35:30 pm »
I was just looking a OO's beautiful fletching and it brought up a problem I'm having. When I clamp and grind my feathers I wind up with a lot of shaft left on one side of the vane. In the first picture you can see the difference in the amount of vane showing between the black and white feathers. The second(blurry, sorry) picture shows the other side of the black feather. I'm grinding them at 90 degrees and if I was to grind any deeper I would wind up with no shaft at all on one side. I use farm turkey and Canada goose feathers and they both seem to do the same thing. Any suggestions?

Offline Pat B

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Re: Fletching question
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2015, 01:47:31 pm »
You are probably clamping them unevenly. You can trim off the extra quill with a pair of scissors or sharp razor.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline DC

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Re: Fletching question
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2015, 01:58:56 pm »
Here's my clamp. I don't see how I can clamp unevenly. The only simpler tool is an anvil :) :). I grind the sides off while it's in the clamp so width isn't a problem. It seems to be the angle that the vane comes off the quill but that just doesn't seem right.
« Last Edit: April 20, 2015, 05:44:54 pm by DC »

Offline Buckeye Guy

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Re: Fletching question
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2015, 04:00:40 pm »
Need a picture of clamp and how you grind
Or go ahead and use a razorblade to trim
« Last Edit: April 21, 2015, 07:31:01 am by Buckeye Guy »
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Offline JEB

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Re: Fletching question
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2015, 05:18:20 pm »
You using a Great Northern feather grinder or a home made one? I use a Great Northern to grind and I still sand every feather while it is in the fletching jig clamp before I glue.  I like a nice thin quill to lay on the arrow.  I just sand that by hand using 120 grit. Looking at your feathers you could hand sand that fat quill right off them.

Offline DC

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Re: Fletching question
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2015, 05:46:19 pm »
Sorry, I went brain dead and forgot the picture :P :P It's there now. And here.

Offline Pat B

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Re: Fletching question
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2015, 11:29:01 pm »
When you put the feather in the camp, grind the thick side first them the bottom.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Fletching question
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2015, 11:49:59 pm »
I use a wooden version of your clamp to grind feathers.  I put the thick side of the quill up and grind it down flat.  Sometimes I go to thin on the backside and mess the feather up.
I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left