fiddler's fletch serving tool

[fiddler49]

I like using thread to fletch but it can be a bit tedious so
I just built this fletch serving tool out of some scrap oak to speed up the the process. It moves along the arrow with a razor blade set at the thread angle you like. The half inch oak dowel feather splitter has a long scarf with the flat side to the left of pic. and can be pivoted up and down and left and right for adjustment. I hold the thread in my left hand and pull against the flat side of splitter while turning arrow with right hand.
The tool will space thread perfectly and wrap as fast as you can turn arrow!!! The arrow is placed in the shallow V groove of the 3/4" x 2" x 14" beam spanning the deer antlers. The fletch server sits on top of arrow with a weight [ wood mallet ] hanging from bottom of beam guide. I used an exacto razor blade set into a slot on half inch oak dowel that goes threw top of serving tool and sits on the arrow shaft. By twisting the knob on top of dowel the angle of blade can be changed. A tapered 3/8" dowel
locks down the angle you set. Same for the feather splitter. The arm of the feather splitter pivots with two 1/4" x 20 bolts and wing nuts for quick adjustment.
The razor blade leaves a slight spiral line on the wood shaft that can be sanded right off if you like. I've done several dozen arrows with this tool and they all come out better than you can do by hand splitting and very fast!!! Who knows, maybe the ye old English fletchers had a tool like this.  I'll post pics tomorrow  cheers fiddler49

[JW_Halverson]

That is slicker than snot on a wet doorknob!

[fiddler49]

Thanks JW, Here's some pics of the tool in use. The arrow rotates between the bottom beam and tool. There is a shallow V groove on both beam and tool that acts as a bearing and guide for the arrow shaft. As you rotate the arrow the tool moves to the right because of the razor angle.  cheers fiddler49

[DC]

That is really cool!  I love gadgets like that.

[chamookman]

SWEET ! Thanks for posting. Bob

[Chief RID]

I don't know what to say! Wow? Yea. Wow covers it.

[Scottski]

Now that is just KOOL!

[ajbruggink]

You are a genius! Thanks for posting

[bow101]

i wanna see a video then I'll comment....

[fiddler49]

Wills, the blade hardly cuts the wood and there is little resistance to turn arrow shaft, much less than I thought there would be. I was going to make a small crank wheel to slide on to the nock if there was too much resistance but it is not needed. I originally tried a hack saw blade as a splitter and ran the thread through a slot and hole at the end but the 1/2 inch oak dowel splitter works better. The thread must be kept up against the flat face of the oak splitter and at the same angle as what the individual feather barbs are
to keep from folding over a barbule. The razor has a single bevel and I re sharpen after a few dozen arrows. It will also track on a painted shaft or carbon arrows . The distance between the splitter and the tool will determine how long a feather you can fletch. Right now I have 6 1/4 inches max but I could make another pivot arm that is longer. I tried to make a thread guide with brass rod but then you need more weight on the tool to keep it tracking correctly and the arrow resistance goes up. It's easier to hold the thread in the left hand. As to another way to make the tool track besides a razor blade? Maybe a small rubber wheel at the end of the dowel. The tool can handle 5/16 " up to 1/2" arrow shafts. cheers fiddler49

[Danzn Bar]

Very nice work........
DBar

[neuse]

That is amazing.
Could you do a build along for us not so genuis people?

[Del the cat]

Wooden engineering at it's best
Del

[Slackbunny]

Clever. Good thinking.

[fiddler49]

Thanks lads, I'm already working on version 2.0, It uses a small rubber wheel for tracking instead of razor blade. It will also do longer feathers, 7.5" and the beam is now about 36" long with an adjustable arrow stop. The tool
is also longer, 8.5" for less horizontal movement of splitter arm and I've added a hold down cord just behind the arrow nock. I'll do some finishing touches and post pics.  cheers fiddler49