# What fletching glue do you use?



## nelliott

Fletch tite is the only way to go.


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## WindWalker

I have been fletching arrows for many moons. Admittedly, over the years I did briefly experiment with other fletching glues but always returned, and shall remain, with the old standard; Bohning Fletch-Tite. 

I did try the Bohning Platinum, but it has "super-glue" properties and I did not like it. When fletching arrows, fast drying and hard adhesives that contain cyanoacrylate (super glue) is, in my opinion based on experience, not good for several reasons....at least it was not for me.

When fletching arrows, fast is not good; whether it be applying the fletch or the drying time of the glue.

Adhesives that dry slow are generally stronger long-term, and the glue will not crack or crystallize with age as fast-drying glues commonly do, especially cyanoacrylates. _Two seasons past, I pulled out 2 dozen of Easton aluminums from the mid-60's and 70's. The fletch and the glue was as solid as they day they were fletched...with Bohning Fletch-Tite. _

No matter how long you have fletched, you will sometimes flub. A slow drying glue allows you ample time to correct the flub. When I experimented with super-glue and Bohning Platinum, there was no room for a mistake. I did goof a couple of times and had to scrape the glue rather than just wipe it away with acetone.

You should always wipe the valleys between the fletching clean of any excess. I could not do so with the cyanoacrylates. I had to _scrape _the valleys.

Every so often a shaft will need new fletch, or maybe you will want to refletch a set. When I decided that I did not like the super-glue for my fletch, I refletched an entire dozen. I had to scrape and sand so much, I was concerned that I was scraping and sanding down some of the thickness of the shaft.

I use a Bitzenburger jig. With the standard Bohning Fletch-Tite, I wipe the clamp edges clean with acetone. The Platinum dried so fast and hard, I had to scrape the clamps with a knife. Anyone that uses Bitzenburger will tell you how soft the metal is on the clamps. A couple of times when trying to remove the Platinum from the clamp edges, some metal was scraped away.

Using the standard Fletch-Tie, I can do a dozen of 3-fletched arrows in an hour to an hour and a half. I have shot them after a few hours of drying time, but prefer to all them to dry for a full day.

If you do use a glue that contains cyanoacrylate, don't get it on your nocks and do not let the fumes bathe the nocks. Cyanoacrylate will destroy soft plastics. If a nock turns dull white or gray, that nock is destroyed. Dry your shafts nock down so that the fumes dissipate away from the nocks.

Not telling you what to use. You brought up a good subject to cover.


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## I'm Not Ted

I don't build my arrows (yet) but for the occasional fletching fix (when a feather is partially pulled off, yeah, I know your supposed to use a jig for this but they were just practice arrows and they worked just fine) I use Fletch Tite. Works great.


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## High Plains

Duco on wood and aluminum.:smile:


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## MichHunter

AKM,

I haved used Goat Tuff. It woked well for me but I think that it left a lot of white residue. I tried Fast Fletch and I was liking it better than Goat Tuff but the pointed applicator top broke off when the bottle was still pretty much full so I ended up wasting about ten bucks.:angry: I used Fletch Tite Platinum on my last arrows b/c of this. It had been in my box for a long time and I never used it b/c I thought it would take too long to dry. It worked well but you did have to wait at least ten minutes or more. I read a post on here a long time ago from someone who used Fletch Tite Platinum. This person said to get it to dry quicker he put the fletching on so that it was set on the shaft then immediately pulled in off for a second or two then put it back. He claimed that this made it dry quickly. I have not tried it and probably won't but it is an idea.

By the way, I am still waiting on news strings for the Kodiak Hunter that you helped me out with but I have shot it with a string of equal length form another recurve and I was very happy with the way it shot. It was loud but I will work on that when I get the new string.


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## vlcnrydr

AKM said:


> I have been using Fletch Tite Platinum...


Yep, this what I use and have been satisfied with the results.


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## BowmanJay

I use Duco on my wood shafts and I use Goat tuff on my Carbon shafts....


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## SandSquid

WindWalker said:


> Adhesives that dry slow are generally stronger long-term, and the glue will not crack or crystallize with age as fast-drying glues commonly do, especially cyanoacrylates. .



Look at the Gorilla ("Impact Tough") Super glue

Great stuff!



> Anyone that uses Bitzenburger will tell you how soft the metal is on the clamps. A couple of times when trying to remove the Platinum from the clamp edges, some metal was scraped away.


Try some silocne impregnated "Jig Release Tape"

Again, Good stuff!


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## rattus58

Contact Cement.... can be messy if you're not careful, but I guarantee you'll never lose a feather..... :grin:

 :beer:


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## Eldermike

Fletch-tite works. It left me with no problem to solve and thus no reason to try other things.


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## red44

aluminums-fletchtite
carbons-fletchtite platinum
With wraps-feathers-platinum
With wraps- vanes- one of the superglues
Fletchtite is easy to cean off the shaft when I refletch them so thats why I use it if glueing directly to the shaft. Superglue is a pain in that reguard. But I will use it if I'm using wraps.
I just prefer the non superglues for feathers.


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## desmobob

I've been using Saunders NPV Arrow Mate with no complaints on carbon shafts.

I missed my 3D whitetail target last night and put an arrow (three-fletched with 5.5" Gateway Mags) through the side of my doghouse... Texture 111. It penetrated to about half-way up the flectching. I figured I'd be refletching that one after I got it out. Nope! Pulled it through intact.


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## AKRuss

I like the old FletchTite better than the newer Platinum for aluminum arrows. I still use Duco Household on woodies with regular lacquer, not Bohning lacquers which are MEK based and are best when used with FletchTite. Duco is acetone base as is regular lacquer. I've tried a number of different glues for carbon and they all seem to work. I found Goat Tuff to be too watery and often glued the feathers to my clamp. Black Widow Spider Goo Thick is pretty good stuff. My favorite is the AAE gel - can't remember the name right now. It's pretty fast and doesn't slop around like Goat Tuff. I just read in another thread that LocTite superglue is really good and will probably try it next.


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## rogbo

If you don't want that tape, I'll take it off your hands. It's all I use for feathers over wraps.


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## WindWalker

> Try some silocne impregnated "Jig Release Tape"


Will definitely do so. :thumbs_up


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## MichHunter

I meant to tell you that I have only used the Goat Tuff on Carbons where it worked well and I got the white residue. I only used the Fast Fletch on Carbons and liked it better than Goat Tuff.


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## shamus005

Duco contact cement.


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## Two Blade

I bought some regular Fletch Tite and some Bohning Instant Gel just to try out.


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## High Plains

WindWalker said:


> Will definitely do so. :thumbs_up


A little string wax on the clamp helps as well.


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## Flint Hills Tex

UHU Hart (German heavy duty all purpose clear glue) for Woodies and natural feathers. It takes about 15 min. for the initial set, but holds rock solid.

AAE Quick-Set Gel for everything else. Love that stuff!


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## Eldermike

Flint Hills Tex said:


> UHU Hart (German heavy duty all purpose clear glue) for Woodies and natural feathers. It takes about 15 min. for the initial set, but holds rock solid.
> 
> AAE Quick-Set Gel for everything else. Love that stuff!


I think where people go wrong on natural feathers is not waiting long enough. Feathers tend to move if you don't hold them clamped until they really set up. You might not see it move, but it moves if the glue is not set. I wait 30 minutes.


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## STUDENT-ARCHER

not sure if you're shooting feathers or vanes. I do vanes with flex bond and will shoot them in 1/2 hour. Feathers with glue require a longer sit(Iwill not use a super glue on carbon) say 30-45 minutes depending on weather conditions and amount of twist, or just tape and shoot.


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## huntryx

I have tried everything over my 30+ years of making arrows. I always come back to Fletch Tite glue--and lately (past 3 years) I have used their "platinum". Don't like super glues for their residue, never had good results from DUCO on anything but wood, expanding glues like Gorilla Glue are tricky. The Bohning glues just plain old work, on all kinds of finishes, all of the time.


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## SandSquid

huntryx said:


> expanding glues like Gorilla Glue are tricky.


The Gorilla Super Glue we are talking about here is NOT an expanidng type glue like the original Gorilla Glue.


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## SandSquid

SandSquid said:


> The Gorilla Super Glue we are talking about here is NOT an expanidng type glue like the original Gorilla Glue.


i have used the expanding Gorilla Glue to adhere inserts and it works great. 

ONE TINY DROP on the insert and ONE TINY DROP on the inside of the shaft. 
Place insert in the shaft so the drops are opposite, give a few twitst to spread the drops out and let it cure overnight. It's never coming apart unless you heat it up.


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## EnglishKev

*Duco*

I use Duco for feathers onto carbon and never have a problem.
Only trouble is, I'm nearly out and can't buy the stuff over here.
Can't bring it home on a plane anymore either.
Just gonna have to find a substitute.

Kev


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## Redneck5544

fletch tite platnium couldnt complain


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## SandSquid

Redneck5544 said:


> fletch tite platnium couldnt complain


I love it also, but after only a few vanes/feathers I find I have a screaming headache from the fumes/odor, and that's _with_ positive ventilation!


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## Unk Bond

AKM said:


> I have been using Fletch Tite Platinum but I am out at the moment and I am using Goat Tuff until I get omething else. I don't like Goat Tuff because it is basicly super glue and I really don't care for Fletch Tite Platinum because I want something that dries faster. What do you use? I know all about Fletch Tape. I have several rolls of it. Right now, I want to use glue.


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Fletch Tite Platinum i use till i found the Martin glue.


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## warped Arrow

I dont use any. I tie my feathers on, then coat the thread with either super glue or tyers cement. It wicks under the quill and makes everything secure.


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## JV NC

Have none of you used Bohning's fletching tape?

OMG.......You guys are still riding horses....and the train's left the station.....lol.

(j/k) It is (tape) awesome, though.


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## Rustam Bana

JV NC: Is it easy to apply the fletch tape on a feather held in a right or left helical clamp or do you initially hold the feather in a straight clamp whilst applying the tape?

Thanks.

Rustam


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## rattus58

JV NC said:


> Have none of you used Bohning's fletching tape?
> 
> OMG.......You guys are still riding horses....and the train's left the station.....lol.
> 
> (j/k) It is (tape) awesome, though.


I think there is a difference between building an arrow and assembling an arrow that may motivate some.... I use contact cement... if you want a FEATHER to stay on forever.... 

Aloha... :beer:


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## JV NC

rattus...

If you've never used it...how can you comment on it?

I shoot upwards or 20K shots/yr.....and I haven't had a feather come off since I started using the Bohning tape. Not one. I do use a dab of glue on the leading and trailing edge. Believe me rattus.....no chance of you sailing off the edge of the Earth, either.

Rustam:

I put the feather in my LW clamp and apply the tape to the base. I cut it with a blade.....then fletch it. No issues.


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## Rustam Bana

Thanks, JV NC.


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## rattus58

JV NC said:


> rattus...
> 
> If you've never used it...how can you comment on it?
> 
> I shoot upwards or 20K shots/yr.....and I haven't had a feather come off since I started using the Bohning tape. Not one. I do use a dab of glue on the leading and trailing edge. Believe me rattus.....no chance of you sailing off the edge of the Earth, either.
> 
> Rustam:
> 
> I put the feather in my LW clamp and apply the tape to the base. I cut it with a blade.....then fletch it. No issues.


Ummmmmm how is it you ASSUME I've never used it? And exactly what was my comment? Oh... you use some glue along with your tape.... I see... I don't have to use any glue with my cement... I guess you're just not 100% sure then is that it.... 

Aloha... :beer:


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## JV NC

rattus....

I can fletch 12 arrows in the time it takes you to fletch a few. I don't have issues with my feathers coming off (maybe you weren't doing it, right??). It takes me approx. 3 minutes (guessing) to put the dabs of glue on all 36 feathers. Am I 100% positive, then? You bet (but I did this with feathers I glued, also...and I'm betting you do, too).

Where's the "inferiority" in this example? I mean really....who's laughing at who?


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## SandSquid

Flint Hills Tex said:


> AAE Quick-Set Gel for everything else. Love that stuff!



When I can get it it's the best and does not give me a headache like platinum does. And the Quick Set is no joke!

Put fletch/feather in clamps, apply glue, set on shaft, count to 15 remove clamp, repeat.

fast 
fast 
fast!!!

Gluing feathers to aluminum w/ FletchTite Platinum, I must wait a full 5 minutes before removing the clamp or it can shift on me.


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## rattus58

JV NC said:


> rattus....
> 
> I can fletch 12 arrows in the time it takes you to fletch a few. I don't have issues with my feathers coming off (maybe you weren't doing it, right??). It takes me approx. 3 minutes (guessing) to put the dabs of glue on all 36 feathers. Am I 100% positive, then? You bet (but I did this with feathers I glued, also...and I'm betting you do, too).
> 
> Where's the "inferiority" in this example? I mean really....who's laughing at who?


I'm amazed at peoples powers of interpretation. Actually, NO i don't put glue on the front or back of any feathers. I don't EVER have to. And yes you can fletch 12 arrows in the time it takes me to fletch a few, but it isn't because of your glue strip.

And yes, tell me, who IS laughing at who?

Aloha...  :beer:


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## Chris Wilson

Fast Fletch on carbons. Fletch tite on aluminum.


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## JV NC

> And yes, tell me, who IS laughing at who?


Just guessing.....but the same guy who laughs at the "other" guy mowing his yard with a push reel mower.....while he rides and sips a beer.


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