# Dipping arrows in Acetone...



## eshorehunter (May 20, 2005)

i dont think it has any effect on aluminum arrows but i have heard that it will weaken carbons. the best that i have found for removing old glue on carbons is rubing alcohol.


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## monty53 (Jun 19, 2002)

On carbon arrows is a NO-NO!


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## wsb_bwhntr (Apr 25, 2006)

I've heard that before, but I am looking for a reason why it is a non-no and someone who has had actual experience that this is bad practice.
Bill


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## MR.B (Jan 14, 2006)

ive had the same goltips for 1 year they get soaked in acetone weekly with out the nock in,i have been doing this for years with goldtips for they are the only arrows i will use so i cant reply on any others, and no problems yet,just my 2 cents.


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## robertyb (Jul 19, 2004)

MR.B said:


> ive had the same goltips for 1 year they get soaked in acetone weekly with out the nock in,i have been doing this for years with goldtips for they are the only arrows i will use so i cant reply on any others, and no problems yet,just my 2 cents.



Why in the heck would you soak your arrows in acetone weekly?


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## 12POINTBUBBA (Jul 14, 2006)

Its not the carbon that is damaged by the acetone,it is the glue that is used to hold the carbon together.It will cause the shaft to weaken and fail sooner or later.I once washed fiberglass resin off of my hands in a barrel of acetone,took the resin off easily but I forgot to take off my plastic wrist watch,watch melted,had to shave it off my wrist.


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## RHINO (Jul 15, 2002)

12POINTBUBBA said:


> Its not the carbon that is damaged by the acetone,it is the glue that is used to hold the carbon together.


Bingo!

Wiping shafts with a rag or paper towel and acetone is fine, but soaking them in it is not recommended. I know Easton specifically says not to soak carbons in any type of solvent.


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## MR.B (Jan 14, 2006)

robertyb said:


> Why in the heck would you soak your arrows in acetone weekly?


i shoot alot so at least a couple of arrows a week need to be refletched,apparently the way i do my arrows doesnt effect them at all.


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## mdnky (Jun 29, 2006)

wsb_bwhntr said:


> I've heard that before, but I am looking for a reason why it is a non-no and someone who has had actual experience that this is bad practice.


I'd strongly recommend that you forget about other people's personal experiences (i.e. sheer luck that nothing bad has happened to them yet) and concentrate on the scientific facts. Basic Chemistry tells you its a no-no. Carbon fiber is by content mainly a plastic, where acetone is a solvent. 

Carbon fiber is basically similar to fiberglass in theory. There's the strands, which consist of carbon, and there's the resin, which is polymer based. While the carbon portion of the mix is inert and not affected by the acetone, the resin is a different story. When you introduce the acetone, you begin the process of dissolving the resin—even if its for a very short period of time. The end result is that you will weaken the bond (of the carbon fiber system) and destroy the structural integrity of the arrow.

The amount of time for such a reaction (weakening of the bonds) to take place is very small...we're talking seconds at most, not minutes. Minutes to hours are required to totally dissolve it.


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## AT_X_HUNTER (Aug 10, 2005)

I left a couple of Easton PC arrows in acetone overnight once (forgot about them) and the next day the ends that were soaking in the acetone were literally like cooked noodles. Like what was said before, soaking them can cause damage to the shafts, sooner or later. Be safe and use Denatured alcohol to clean your arrows.


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## wsb_bwhntr (Apr 25, 2006)

So I guess the question now is how safe are the arrows that this process has been used on? I never go beyond 5 minutes and have only done this once per set of arrows (to get the factory glue off). I'm curious if they are unsafe and I should just remove them from use or if one time is probably not going to have that big an effect. I can tell you that I really tried to bend the arrows that were dipped and see if there were any structural faults without finding any. Nocks were still very much intact and even the camo finish had not been disturbed. I'll change my prcatice with this advice, but I'm concerned about using the arrows I've already done this with. Any thoughts...?
Thanks,
Bill


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## lwilt (Apr 6, 2006)

Use fine sandpaper to get glue from fletching off arrows. Cleane with rubbing alcohol. this is for carbon arrows. Do same thing with sandpaper for aluminium arrows and clean with acetone.Period.


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## slinger (Jul 25, 2003)

I agree that soaking carbon arrows in acetone is a big "no-no", but I also wanted to add that your PVC tube probably won't hold-up very long if you leave acetone in it.

When I refletch carbons, I scrape off as much of the old glue as I can with an old, dull hunting knife (Buck 110), then I use a Scotch-Brite pad (or 220 sandpaper), then wipe with Acetone on a clean rag. Repeat as neccessary.

slinger


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## wsb_bwhntr (Apr 25, 2006)

Thanks guys. Interestingly enough I took one of my current arrows that had a defect (shaft got crunched) and dipped the end of the arrow in acetone for a longer period of time. Like 3 days. Arrow, to the touch, was just as strong as any other arrow I have. Not sure why my arrow didn't get the same affect as others have seen. Like I said previously I have changed my practice and don't expect problems, just thought I'd let you all know what happened with the arrow I left soaking for a few days.
Bill


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## LifeNRA (Oct 20, 2004)

mdnky said:


> I'd strongly recommend that you forget about other people's personal experiences (i.e. sheer luck that nothing bad has happened to them yet) and concentrate on the scientific facts. Basic Chemistry tells you its a no-no. Carbon fiber is by content mainly a plastic, where acetone is a solvent.
> 
> Carbon fiber is basically similar to fiberglass in theory. There's the strands, which consist of carbon, and there's the resin, which is polymer based. While the carbon portion of the mix is inert and not affected by the acetone, the resin is a different story. When you introduce the acetone, you begin the process of dissolving the resin—even if its for a very short period of time. The end result is that you will weaken the bond (of the carbon fiber system) and destroy the structural integrity of the arrow.
> 
> The amount of time for such a reaction (weakening of the bonds) to take place is very small...we're talking seconds at most, not minutes. Minutes to hours are required to totally dissolve it.


EXCELLENT ANSWER! I use rubbing alcohol sparingly, and a little elbow grease.


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## kenny ray (Aug 18, 2006)

*Carbon and acetone*

I happen to work in a carbon manufacturing plant. We use to use acetone on carbon parts and then found that it does weaken the carbon fibers and will definitly brake down the epoxy that holds it together. The time it takes to do so is hard to judge. There are many factors involved. I think that if you choose to use acetone you should definitly do the flex test before you refletch your shafts.


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## RHINO (Jul 15, 2002)

kenny ray said:


> I happen to work in a carbon manufacturing plant. We use to use acetone on carbon parts and then found that it does weaken the carbon fibers and will definitly brake down the epoxy that holds it together.


What do you use to clean carbon parts now?

**********************************
I see a few posters use rubbing alcohol on their arrows. Rubbing alcohol contains oils because it is meant for the skin. This can cause problems with getting fletching to stick. If you want to use alcohol, denatured is the way to go. It's usually in a can right next to the acetone at the hardware store.


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## Dthbyhoyt (Dec 4, 2004)

monty53 said:


> On carbon arrows is a NO-NO!


 BIG TIME NO-NO


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## DeerslayinSOB (Aug 11, 2006)

lwilt said:


> Use fine sandpaper to get glue from fletching off arrows. Cleane with rubbing alcohol. this is for carbon arrows. Do same thing with sandpaper for aluminium arrows and clean with acetone.Period.



Agreed, use a 400 grit sandpaper, and then clean with alcohol.


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## MdBowDoc (Feb 1, 2005)

Try using Goo-be-gone on cloth rag. Cleans up any/all glue off the shaft. Than just wipe down the shaft 98% alcohol. Note - Never use rubbing alcohol as it contanes oil in it. This may cause the glue you use not to correctly bond the vane or feather to the shaft


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## STICK_UM (Aug 25, 2006)

soaking the shafts in hot water for 5min will soften goattuff. and is the best way to remove old wraps.


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## stinger2 (Jul 1, 2006)

*stinger2*

denatured alcohol will work with no side effects


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## peace (May 25, 2006)

*Still Using Acetone...*

Asked the manager of my local proshop (An Olympic gold medalist and member of team USA) what is the effect of using acetone on carbon arrows and he stated, "presently no one really knows, there is the thought that it may weaken the arrow but research at this point is inconclusive." I thanked him and went home and begin dipping my arrows to remove fletchings as opposed to scratching and sanding which I know changes the finish and structural integrity of the arrow. Fletches are removed in about 30 seconds to a minute. Arrows finish is not damaged, plastic cheap water bottle which has the acetone in it is undamaged after about a month. I don't shoot Easton but I do shoot Carbon Express Terminator Selects, Satellite Archery's Bronze Series, (great inexpensive arrow recommended by my proshop) and Blackhawk Vapors all holding up well even after the evil acetone dippings. 

Their is a lot of BS in our culture today and it is present in archery and bowhunting as well, it is hard to sort thru and find whatever is truly clever, peace.


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## sweryap (Aug 16, 2006)

peace said:


> "presently no one really knows, there is the thought that it may weaken the arrow but research at this point is inconclusive."


I find it hard to believe that its unknown what happens when you put carbon arrows in acetone. If it is a known fact that epoxy holds carbon fibers together, and acetone can break down epoxy, then why wouldn't it be common sense that acetone breaks down carbon arrows? You don't need to be an owner of a pro shop and an olympic gold medalist to see that:wink:


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## peace (May 25, 2006)

This is from the CarbonTech site:
*Carbon Tech
4751 Pell #3 . Sacramento . California . 95838
916.641.8088 main / 916.641.8087 Fax
To Clean and Prepare Carbon Tech Arrows

* After you have properly cut your Carbon Tech Arrows you need to clean all of the carbon dust from the outside and inside of the arrow shaft.
* Acetone works the best, it is strong enough to clean effectively, but not too strong to break down the arrow shaft resin. Stay away from MEK it could possibly too strong and break down the arrow shaft resin. (*Always use in a well ventilated room, and stay away from flames and smoking.)
* To clean the outside of the arrow shaft take a rag and pour a small amount of the acetone on it. Quickly clean off the arrow shaft until you hear it squeak. (That should be plenty clean)

1. Fill a paper or plastic cup with about 1" of the acetone.
2. Quickly dip the arrow shafts in the acetone one side at a time.
3. Make sure that each side is dry before doing the other side. Lightly tap the ends of the arrows on a paper towel to remove excess acetone from the interior of the arrow shaft.
*
I went to the Carbon Express site and they said don't use Acetone...go figure...it may well depend on the manufacturers process in building the arrow. I am not trying to be agrumentative just saying that the truth seems to be that there is no one size fits all answer ... "inconclusive", peace out.


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