Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: richpierce on December 28, 2007, 05:37:57 pm
-
Do you use hide glue or something else to glue feathers to wooden shafts?
-
you can use hide glue, but it's water soluable. some use super glue. that's pretty much what most commercial fletching glues are. Or, you can just tie the feathers tight at the back, leave a little extra quill sticking out, tie the front where you want it, the use the extra quill to pull the feather tight to the shaft. secure what ever you use to tie it with (sinew, dental floss, thread, or whatever) with a few drops of glue and it will be stronger.
-
I use duco most of the time.
-
Super glue is fast. Duco works great and has an easy to work with consistency. Hide glue is a great option for primitive and is fairly easy to use. I have never used TB but I bet it would work great also. Justin
-
Hide glue, contact cement, superglue, duco, fletch tape, all work well. If you're making accurate replica arrows, hide glue or no glue. Fletch tape, contact cement, or superglue let you stick your feather to the shaft and then wrap the ends-Duco or hide glue take longer to set up. I did find out the hard way this weekend not to use fletching tape over tru-oil and then take your arrows out into downpouring rain. >:(
-
and straight pins to hold down the fletch
-
I like to use CA glue (superglue) that you can get at the hobby stores, you can buy it in different thicknesses, I use the extra thick for fletching, and the thinner for filling checks in staves. there is a accelerator that you can get with it, just glue down your feather with the fletching jig, then spray with the accelerator and wait about 30 seconds and go on to the next one. it is more economical than buying the little tubes of superglue. you can fletch a arrow in about 5 min.