I want to make a twist Flu-Flu arrow. All my carbon arrows are fetched so I need to remove the feathers. What is the best way to remove than and clean the shaft?
I would purchase one of the speacialty tools they have developed for removing fletch. its well worth the money and will save you from ruining your arrows. i use a spray degreaser or you can use some alcohal. good luck.
you can use a fletch removal tool,or a dull pocket knife, just be careful not to damage the shafts. once all the residual fletch/glue is removed and the shaft is smooth,wash it in hot water and ajax to clean the shafts,rinse well and let air dry and you should be good to go.
I have found that after I carefully remove all of the feather that I can get with my pocket knife, a piece of sandpaper used carefully gets the rest of the feather and any glue left behind. After that, wipe the shaft clean with a little bit of lacquer thinner on a rag. The glue sticks much better than when I used alcohol to clean with.
I TAKE a single edge razor the kind we dont use for shaveing anymore drag it on some sandpaper to knock the sharp edge off it and scrape the feathers and rap. I take off the edge so you dont cut the carbon. I then wipe the arrow down with acetone. acetone is great I shoot goldtip traditional arrows it will not harm the finish BUT it will remove all the writing an it WILL melt the knock. so remove the knocks the acetone should not hurt your insert you wont get enought acetone near it.
I've done all that is said above and that is why I always prefer to use wraps on carbons for this reason of redoing later.And it will give you a guideline of where to start your spiral flu flu.
Easiest way with carbons is to put on a wrap first. Then when you need to refletch just dip in boiled water for a minute and wrap/feathers peels off nicely. :thumbsup:
I have used my wife's potato peeler and it worked pretty well. As Nor'easter said when you refletch use an wrap.
I use a dull pocket knife, to remove the feather or vane and also use it to scrape off the old glue. Then clean it with ethyl alcohol.
See there Bullet Bob..?? There's more than one good way to do the job. You just need to find out which technique is best for you.
QuoteOriginally posted by BadgerArrow:
I use a dull pocket knife, to remove the feather or vane and also use it to scrape off the old glue. Then clean it with ethyl alcohol.
Right on the money: a dull knife and alcohol cleaner. :thumbsup:
yall guys are great!!!!! Now just teach me how to shoot a bow :)
Look, I mean no disrespect to anyone but, this scraping with a dull knife don't work worth a crap on my arrows!! :banghead: The freaking glue that was used to fletch my AD's just won't come off that simple. :pray: Please, someone suggest a method to soften the glue so that it will scrape off easier. Don't have any Acetone handy. Any other recommendations?
I got a Zip-Strip from Cabellas that works great for removing the fletches. For an aluminum arrow, you can just keep shaving away until all the glue is gone. For a carbon arrow, once the fletches are removed, you can dip the end of the shaft in MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) which you can buy at a hardware store, for about 10 minutes, and the rest of the glue will easily wipe off.
wannabe1, What type of glue do you use? I have used the dull knife on, bohning platnuim, duco, and the super glues. Goat tuff has a glue softener for there glue's. But it is manily for vanes. If you have AD Wood grains don't use any chemicals you will also soften the glue that is holding on the wood grain wrap.
I do have the AD wood grain shafts. Not sure what glue was used as I ordered these shafts and they came fletched already. Do you think that something like Goo B Gone would work?
How about removing the fletchs off an arrow that has that hard shiny finish like that on a good fly rod? Will MEK dissolve that finish? Maybe Acetone?
Scrape and use the Acteone, and yes the finish comes off, just like on my Grizzlystiks, then use a wrap when you refletch....done and done.
OK... I have only fooled with the AD "wood graphic" a small amount but I have been able to get glue off with acetone and not remove the graphic. Just gotta go slow.
I use fletch tape and cap and crest. I dont want to use acetone on those
It would be worth your while to contact the manufacturer to determine the proper cleaner to use before re-fletching, they are not all the same.
i just use a razor knife. i learned something about spirals. if you wrap the front and back of the quill tightly with thread then soak the thread in supergllue it makes it nearly impossible to wrip off the feathers.
those that use rubbing alcohol need to be useing denatured alcohol the oil is removed..
QuoteOriginally posted by CBH:
I have found that after I carefully remove all of the feather that I can get with my pocket knife, a piece of sandpaper used carefully gets the rest of the feather and any glue left behind. After that, wipe the shaft clean with a little bit of lacquer thinner on a rag. The glue sticks much better than when I used alcohol to clean with.
+1 exact same method I use.
Only thing I would add is that you gently scrape back and forth over the old glue until your pretty sure it's all gone, then use a 400 grit sandpaper lightly rough up the area, then clean with paint thinner, laquer thinner. The glue will adhere so nice! :thumbsup:
you gotta get a ZIP STRIP you cant beat em.....
I used Goo Gone Extreme on bare carbon to remove vanes and glue before replacing with wraps and feathers. Soak briefly and then scrape lightly.
It's the chemical stuff...not the orange stuff.
Joe