I picked up a sweet deal on some arrows last week, but they had the 4" vanes. So I stripped them off, and put some blazers on yesterday. I was using my Arizone EZ fletcher, and knew something wasn't going right. Just couldn't figure it out. the Odd vanes didn't seat right. It looks like I must have taken the arrows out of the jig too soon, and the because it's a 15 degree offset, the fletcher pulled the vane just enough so the one side isn't flush. Have to do the whole damn thing over again. The odd vanes came right off when I pulled on them. I did it last yr w/no problems at all. I put the vanes right on the shaft, no wraps used. Yes, I prepped it with acetone before putting the blazer on. Just sux having to redo them again, and buying more blazers. Any one else have problems refletching?
That is exactly why I have someone else do all of mine for me. Everytime that I have tried to do them myself I always screw them up.
I just don't think I have the patience to do it right. Should probably learn it since I have the stuff. Maybe that will be on my to list this spring!
The only time I have had problems is with putting too much offset on Blazers. Usually the front of the vane doesn't seat well on the shaft and I have peeling issues. To correct, I just dial it back and say, don't get too wild on the offset chief. Where I have the dials set now, I shouldn't have anymore issues with that. Re-fletching is probably something every archer should at least know how to do. If you can count to ten, you can re-fletch an arrow. :D After that, it only takes practice to perfect the process.
See that is my problem. I am only able to count to 8! Well atleast I know what the problem is now! Thanks for helping to clear that up Bols.
I had no problems w/it last yr. But I did use wraps then. I don't think 15 degrees is that bad. I think, that I didn't let them sit long enough. Bols, what type of re-fletcher are you using? It's just a pain in the @## to have to do it all over again.
Learn the next two numbers and then we put a hard hat on you when you first start the fletching process.
I have the Bitz. The biggest thing when re-fletching is time and type of materials being used. Some glues respond better to letting the clamp sit on the shaft longer even upwards of 5 minutes per vane. Other times I find a glue is set in roughly a minute or so. Try backing down the offset next time as well. That is probably plenty high for shorter vanes like the Blazers. Try and strive for an offset of 2-3 degrees.
Unfortunately, the arizona is pre-set, but I had no issues last yr. I used Bohning Fletch tite glue, which I bought last yr. But the glue was, I thought, a little thicker than last yr. Last yr. The directions say for fast bonding glue, a minute is good. Other glues: 2-3 minutes. The Bohning is an instant glue. I might just take the jig back to my proshop and have them look at it. He uses it all the time, and does them in less than a minute. Granted, he does it for a living.
I would say the major issue is the glue then. After a year, I found most glues that aren't stored in the refrigerator are close to junk. The instant glues don't have much of a shelf life. If you store the instants in the frig, you will find they last a LOT longer than at room temp. Even if it says the glue is bonded after a minute, you really gotta take it as a case by case basis. If you find a minute wasn't long enough, don't just continue on for the sake of what the directions say. Don't you know directions are just suggestions anyways. :D
Never knew that with the glue. Definitely wasn't refrigerated. I'll have to keep that in mind with the next bottle. That stuff is expensive. $10/btl. and you hardly use any of it.
I use Duco cement form the local hardware store, its under $2.00 a tube and never had a problem with feathers coming off! This stuff just sits in my tackle box with no problems! Easy way to save a a few dollars!
Getting an adjustable jig will be a help as well. Get yourself a bitz and have a jig that will last you a lifetime, is easy to adjust to fit any size shaft, and is also easy to adjust the amount of offset.
I currently use the bohning jig. It's nice but I am on my way to a Bitz. 15 degrees on a blazer seems like a hellish number to me.
Only when using an AZ EZ Fletch, they're the worst piece of crap I ever tried to fletch with. Get a quality jig like a Bitz or Jo-Jan (I use the 6 arrow Jo-Jan) that fletches one vane at a time so the same jig is fletching every vane exactly like the one before. It ensures that all three fletchings are put on the shaft exactly the same. That's the problem I had with the EZ Fletch and others that do all 3 at once; one fletch can be slightly off from the other two.
That might be your problem right there; Fletch Tite is not an instant glue. I let it set a couple of minutes minimum with vanes and at least 4-5 minutes with feathers. MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is the solvent base for Fletch Tite if you want/need to thin it out to its original consistency. I buy Fletch Tite by the pint and have to thin it about once a year. This pint is on it's 3rd year now and still puts Blazers on perfectly every time.
