Just finished up some wood arrows and wondering what glue to get for the field pts and nocks. I don't have a shop near by so I'll have to get it at HomeDepot. Can you use the glue from a glue gun? thanks- Steve
Glue from a glue gun will get brittle and come loose in cold weather. For the nocks I just use super glue or something similar. As for the points I've had the best luck with fer-l-tite, although I have used super glue for points in a pinch but I wouldn't suggest it.
My procedure is Duco on nocks and 12 minute epoxy on points.
Regardless of what glue you choose for the points, be sure to thoroughly degrease them before gluing them to the arrow.
Guy
I use fer-l-tite for the field points and I use duco for the nocks. They dont come loose in the summer heat, you may not have that problem.
Good Luck
Mike
Can you get fer-l-tite and a hardware store or HomeDepot? I'm thinking I need something I can take off as I might have to cut these arrow down untill I find what length they shoot best at.- Steve
It would probably have to be a hobby specialty store for the fer-l-tite. It is put on with heat and will come off with heat. Candles work, so does a propane torch, or an alcohol burner.
Good Luck
MM
Ferrl-Tite is not available at the regular hardware store. It's essentially an archery-only product. For hot melt at a hardware store, get the yellow high strength stuff. It's a good compromise.
And, just so you know, a point affixed with epoxy may be removed with heat just as easily as one that is glued with hot melt. It may take a little more heat, but not much.
An advantage with hot melt is not having to give a cure time before you can use the arrow. An advantage with epoxy is possibly better adhesion and not having to juggle a flame, a hot point, pliers, and molten glue.
Guy
Thanks Grey that's exactly what I needed to know.-Steve
Steve, you won't find ferr-l-tite at the hardware store. If you use the generic hot melt, get the hi temp or amber stuff, and some extra points as you are liable to loose a few. Ferr-l-tite is good and I've had good service from the Kimsha hot melt, too. You'll have to order them from one of the trad suppliers. Good Luck!
I have had good luck with gorilla glue (you can get it anywhere) but I have not tried to remove it with heat so I don't know if you can or not.
For just determining arrow length, I wouldn't be overly particular, if I could recover the points...but the higher strength hot melt would be preferable if that's all you can get.
Ferr-L-tite is not that expensive so it would be my personal recommendation for future use. When it's time for mounting broadheads you can more easily get them adjusted to spinning true by simply reapplying heat. Rick.
i have had good luck with glue gun sticks and quite the opposite results with ferrel-tite. I have been using the gluegun sticks and torch to apply with good results in cold weather or hot and you can take them off when you want by re-heating. For the nocks i have always used fletch-tite but i normally dip my arrows with fletch-lac.
Ferrel cement from a fishing tackle shop (they use it on tips for fishing rods)for the points and Duco on the nocks.You want to be able to get the tips off if you need to.3R has a good show me video on putting on broadheads and points.
Home Depot in Canada carries the "Arrow" brand of hot melt. Have used it for years and have never had anything come apart. Even use it to glue inserts into carbons. Never had one come out, even when buried into a tree - on purpose of course. I don't use hot melt on nocks though, find Loctite 406 (a type of instant glue) to work the best with all arrow shaft types. 406 will also attach feathers to any shaft permanently and quickly.
Jerseyboy is right...
After a lot of experimenting, I wasn't thrilled with any of the alternatives available. They all seemed to have drawbacks. Being in the leather and vinyl restoration business for 20 years, I decided to fall back on different adhesives and methods that had proven themselves in the past.
I wanted a glue that would adhere to unlike materials.
By trial and error I settled on a water based super glue that will work on most any surface, giving a flexible water resistant bond.
Goes on white and dries clear.
I use it for nocks, points, and have even started using it for fletching.
After 3 months I'm sold on it.
Crafters Pick. The Ultimate water based super glue.
It's been some time but last cost was $3.99 for 8 oz.
Purchased at Hobby Town. I'm about out and thought about stocking up before posting this but that wouldn't have been very Trad Gang like.
Try it you'll like it.
www.crafterspick.com (http://www.crafterspick.com)
Golf club epoxy. It's made to take a hit and works well.
For points:
Make sure the inside of the points gets really clean before you try to use any glue (I use ferr-l-tite, but a lot of other glues will work OK). I soak my new points in soapy water, and then in denatured alcohol, and scrub the inside of them thoroughly with an alcohol soaked q-tip -- changing q-tips until one comes out clean. This extra step is worth the time and trouble. No glue will stick reliably to the dirt and oil that is inside points when they are new.
For nocks:
I use duco. It works very well.
Good luck, and Happy New Year.
I like to be able to change my points and epoxy or other permanent glues are not good for that.
Hot melt is great and it will hold...even the cheap stuff, but you have to know how to use it.
Only enough to go around the taper of the arrow in a thin film...not a glob of it on the side or in the point. Make sure the points have been heated to eliminate the release solution from within the taper. It's pretty simple really.
Thin skin of hot melt, heat the point enough to start onto the taper, then heat some more to melt the glue and make the bond by twisting the head onto the wood taper...a tad more heat..the push the tip on a solid surface to seat, and twist with fingers until they don't move.
Points need to come off easily with heat to change them....if you need epoxy, you don't know how to use hot melt properly. Done properly they will not come off with regular shooting.
Epoxy - have used 5 minute rapid and the slower one, which cures in 24 h. Good results - do prefer the rapid one though.
another option is they make field points that are threaded inside of the point. You screw them onto your shaft. The threads cut into the wood,thereby holding them on.
fer-l-tite for points, duco for nocks.
Darren
George, I have to respectfully disagree with you.
I know how to use hot melt for points. When I first started making arrows that's what I used because that's what everyone used. After awhile I got tired of juggling the arrow, the glue stick, the hot tip, the molten glue, the pliers to hold the tip... etc.
I remembered using epoxy on salt water fishing rod tips and thought I'd give it a try. On big fish rods it's disasterous for the tip guide to come off while a fish is on. A few west coast rod builders tried epoxy, made sure you could still remove a tip for replacement, and never looked back.
After using epoxy on arrow tips I haven't looked back either. No flame, no hot tip, no pliers, no can of water to cool the hot tip, no ring of hard glue to try to pry off the tip, easy to adjust the point before the glue is set, it was a no brainer for me.
The sole drawback is having to wait for the glue to cure before shooting the arrows. Since I generally make arrows to order and ship them to the archer, cure time isn't usually an issue. When it is I use hot melt.
A lot of people have stated that you can't remove tips that have been epoxied on. I have to say they don't seem to know what they're talking about. Either that or they have access to some type of miracle epoxy. I've removed lots of epoxied tips, both to change points and to take out the broken stub to re-use a tip that's broken off. A small amount more heat is needed than is used with hot melt. But it's not much and it's certainly not enough to change the temper of a tip, as I occasionally see stated.
George, if you wish, pm me your address and I'll send you an arrow with an epoxied tip so you can see what it's like to remove it. I'll even make a special arrow for you!
Regards, Guy
Have no reason to doubt your word Guy. I can only go by what I've seen over the years; Devcon Epoxy on field points on wood arrows, and you need a hatchet to get them off. That was over twenty years ago and I haven't tried it anymore so perhaps the formulas have changed with some of the glues. What I do know is I don't lose points with hot melt and I'm pretty sure many of those who do are not seating them properly.
Shoot well partner.
The glue itself may be the difference right there.
I use 12 minute epoxy made by NHP Co., Inc. I get it at my local hobby store in nice big 8oz kits (4oz per bottle).
Thanks for your gentlemanly reply.
Guy
When I shot aluminums and a wheelie bow I have no idea what glue was used because I bought all my arrows made-up. When I made the switch to trad and wood arrows, I made nearly all my arrows (100's) and only had one failure with 2 ton epoxy. That failure was due, I'm sure, to the fact I didn't prep the inside of the field point and I'm guessing there was oil residue. Also, epoxy seemed extremely easy to me to heat and remove fp's or bh's.
I have now switched to carbons and find I like hot melt better with the components (carbon, steel, brass & aluminum). I like the ease of switching front-end weights and the hot melt is the best I've found so far for quickly making changes and not damaging the inside of the carbon.