Never had a problem glueing vanes to gamegetters but I have tried 3 different super glues along with Easton's own fletching glue.
I've tried lightly sanding, heavy sanding, no sanding while always cleaning the shaft thoroughly with acetone and set to dry, they still are not what I would call adhering to the shaft.
Is there some kind of fletching cement for natural feathers that I haven't come across.
Sounds like your prep on shaft is good. What about the quill? Did you trying wiping that down just eliminate that as a reason.
Loctite and guerrilla gel super glues are working great on my aluminum and feathers. Gateway feathers is what I use. A few drops and spread with a toothpick. Make sure there is no gaps of light between the feather's quill and the arrow shaft.
I've tried Locktite and gorilla glue both, same adhesion .
My prep of the feathers (gateway) is just to take them out of the bag and mount them into the ritz clamp without touching the glue surface.
I may try some alcohol on them I guess.
I ordered some duco cement. one guy on YouTube that seems to know what he's doing swears by that stuff but he's applying it to wood shafts.
I never used acetone on the quills. Denatured alchohol works well.
aluminum shafts usually have a clear coat where the feathers go, isnt that so glues can stick to it ?
Quote from: arrow30 on October 03, 2020, 03:48:12 PM
aluminum shafts usually have a clear coat where the feathers go, isnt that so glues can stick to it ?
I've never heard that, not to say you're wrong just that I've never heard that.
I'm pretty sure that the gamegetters do not have any clear coat on them though, at least nothing like that seems to come off when I sand them, it's just anodized aluminum.
Duco won't work on aluminum. Fletch-title is all I've ever used in last 50+ years.
One solution would be to use wraps--- then gorilla super glue blue cap.
Otherwise id advise wiping the shafts w acetone.
No, Ducco don't work, I know from experience. From what you say any " coating" would have been taken off during your prep process. I always used Comet cleanser and real hot water with a scrub pad. A real brain teaser, I still have some old AO arrows fletched with SG around here from the 80's.
Have used only NPV for gluing feathers to aluminum ever since they came out with it, which was about the same time FletchTite changed their formula so it didn't work very well on aluminum anymore. Never prep anything, shaft or feather. I just put glue on the quill, and let it set for 20 minutes in the clamp. Never had a feather fall off.
I'm not saying that NPV is necessarily the solution to your problem, it was just the solution to mine. Other people on this forum have written that it doesn't work for them very well, or at all in one case I remember. I don't understand it; there is a lot of speculation as to why it works fine for some people and not for others.
I also remember the time a few years back when people had issues with the new Fletch Tite, I was one. Vanes on aluminum for my son. I also went with NPV, just finished the quart I bought. That was last time I fletched on bare metal, carbon or wood.
This issue pops up from time to time and has for many years. I still recall Rube Powell cap dipping the store arrows with clear fletch Laq so the vanes and feathers wouldn't fall off. Why it happens to some of us and not others is part of the mystery. Unfortunately feathers an'it cheap, even if you kill them.
So do you all agree with "Arrow30" and I am removing some sort of clear coat when I'm sanding. If so I will try again without sanding.
I don't necessarily agree with Arrow30, because I have no idea if there is clear coat on aluminum arrows or not. However, the fact that my feathers stick when I don't prep is certainly consistent with what he is saying. Also, ironically, it seems plausible that people who experience problems with feathers not sticking to the shaft would try more and more things to try and solve the problem, possibly making it worse in the process.
Thank you sir, I will give it a shot and report back here in the future of what I can make of it.
Bruce, I really don't know why you're having problems with feathers on aluminum. It sounds like you're doing a good prep job, what glue are you using? I've been using Fletchtite Platinum on my aluminum arrows. I do believe most people don't let the glue cure long enough, Fletchtite requires 48 hrs to cure and since doing that I've had zero problems.
Try Saunders NPV.
I gave up trying to make glue do what it didn't want to do. I switched to tape with a dab of super glue gel on each end. My only prep is wiping with fingernail polish remover.
Back in late seventies and early eighties I shot aluminum. Bohning was making a shaft prep solution back then that I think was called Prep-rite. Anyway it would clean shaft and then I would use Fletchtite with no problem after the prep-rite. They always cautioned against touching area of shaft for fletching so you didn't leave oils from your fingers. I never had issues with feathers doing above two products. Bohning has a prep guide sheet if you google it. Like some of above comments I would only use Fletchtite Platinum.
I haven't tried the Fletch time yet so I'll give that a whirl also.
I think Bohning SSR is the equivalent of the old Prep-rite. Instructions are the same. If I was using aluminum without wrap I would use Bohning products.
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NPV
I prep my shafts the same as you (lightly sand and clean with acetone). I've used Saunders NPV forever and NEVER had an issue on aluminums or carbons.
I buff with green scrubbie kitchen pad, wipe with acetone and allow to sit for a coupla minutes. Without touching the fletching area, I lightly spray Flat Matte Clear lacquer on the area and allow to dry for 20 mins or so. Fletching sticks like an ex spouse to your wallet!
Fletch-tite platinum works for me after light shaft scratching with a skill knife, which also removes old glue and cleans up shaft.
Fletch tape with a dab of glue at each end and a small dab in the center, I also use wraps it make replacing the fletching way easer without damaging the arrow.
Ditto on the Fletchtite
I use fletch tape and it works great with no prep at all.
Try putting your feather in the clamp and sand the quill down. I do this with all feathers as I like a thinner quill on a feather. Just maybe something got on the batch of feathers that you are using. And it can't hurt to sand them a touch.
I would try sanding the quill a little as well. Pretty much eliminated the glues and shaft material. Reason I mentioned wiping the quill was advice I got here about having issues using tape. So when I do use tape I wipe both the quill and shaft. Seems to work.
I got the Fletchtite Platinum a couple days ago and promptly fletched 4 arrows. I did everything my normal way besides sanding.
They've been curing for two days now and were ready to shoot today but I got home late from work and it'll have to wait until tomorrow.
I have a lot of high hopes with this stuff and I was just down in the shop kind of picking at the feather bases a little just to see if they would come off easily, The ones glued with CA glue did. But these didn't budge so fingers crossed and tomorrow I'll go out and try to purposefully knock a feather or two off.
Thanks for all of your help so far, good bunch of guys/gals here.
Easton changed the anodize process to make the newer shafts slicker for target removal. What shafts are you trying to fletch? I am using Bob Smith glue on a suggestion and I clean the shaft with acetone. I am shooting some older xx75 and they do take the fletching much better than say the black new gamegetter. I had to sand them.
it is very hot and humid here and I never could get tape to work to my satisfaction, I wish it would for the convenience.
Quote from: dragonheart on October 08, 2020, 10:19:30 PM
Easton changed the anodize process to make the newer shafts slicker for target removal. What shafts are you trying to fletch? I am using Bob Smith glue on a suggestion and I clean the shaft with acetone. I am shooting some older xx75 and they do take the fletching much better than say the black new gamegetter. I had to sand them.
I'm using new black anodized gamegetters
I do have an old pile of gamegetters, when I get home I'm going to look for any differences. Do know about when it was that changed their process.
I have had difficulty with those also. You might try the BOB SMITH Industries super glue Maxi-cure with the insta set accelerator. You can buy it in a set. It was suggested to me and is a thicker super glue. I had to sand those shafts. I remember the days of xx75 orange and original fletch titie in the white tube. You had to let it set, but they were on there...
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The older xx75 and gamegetter had a satin "rougher and pourus" finish to them. My theory is that most people today who shoot aluminum are indoor target shooters in the overall archery realm, that is main market for Easton. I was told they changed to create a more slicker finish easier to pull out of targets. It has made it difficult for many glues to adhere with feathers. Vanes do glue better. I do not know the actual anodizing change, but if you just feel to touch an old xx75 or game getter vs. those today they are different and much slicker. Guess would be more silicon in the finish. My dad probably could tell me if he knew the make up, he has a degree in metallurgy and knows textbooks on anodizing.
You can mix rustoleum can paint you can get a Lowes, lots of colors, and thin with paint thinner to the consistency of milk running off the shaft. Cap dip them and then fletch with DUCO. Duco is not a fast set so you will have to let them set to dry a bit. Do not use ACETONE to thin Rustolem paint, that did not work....I think the super glue will work on the paint but dont hold me to that as I have only fletch the painted with duco.
Many years ago, Easton recommended cleaning aluminum oxidation, and oil from handling with Ajax. Put some on a paper towel and clean the end whether dipping in Bohning lacquers, or other vinyl lacquer, or when fletching. Rinse under water and allow to dry, and do not touch. Ajax will clean and remove oxidation, etc and is Easton's recommendation. It does not leave a residue like other detergents. Never had any problem in over 50 yrs.
Just curious have you tried to fletch the new black gamegetters?
NPV works great as McDave commented on earlier.
Wipe with Acetone and fletch with Saunders NPV. I would stop sanding. I don't have any problems.
Just a follow up
Seems as though the Fletch Tite does the trick for me. When I have an errand shot or I hit the area of the target that is shot out it used to just pop the feather off, actually I could just softly push against the feather and it used to pop off.
Now I haven't had any feathers "pop" off but this morning I had an errand shot and it had a glancing blow to the feather. The base of the feather stayed attached to the shaft but the feather barbules were striped from their base with that white feather base still attached to the shaft.
So I am now a fan of Fletch tite, Thanks for the help guys/gals.
On edit; My routine is just clean with acetone, no sanding, apply Fletch tite, spread it with a tooth pick and apply it to the shaft... Wait 5 mins. in clamp, put it in the rack for 48 hours.
Good to hear you resolved the problem. At the price of feathers these days one doesn't need any frustrations like you had
I asked. "Acetone with a clean rag till they squeak, then fletch tape, it's easy and fast"
Another vote for Saunders NPV. I use it for fletching direct to clean shafts and over cresting. I crest using Testors then a couple coats of Minwax semi-gloss poly. Never had a problem.
I don't shoot aluminum but but I have used Saunders NPV on carbon and wood with no problems.
I prep my shafts by spraying some Brakekleen on a paper towel and rub down the shafts good.
When dry I use fletch-tite on the feathers. Never had a prob.
I am another vote for NPV.
Holds really well and remains pliable.
Fletch-Rite seems to have a life span once you open it regardless of the amount that you use.
If I am in a hurry I add a tiny drop of supeglue at the ends of the fletching.