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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Davesea on March 07, 2012, 01:18:00 AM

Title: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: Davesea on March 07, 2012, 01:18:00 AM
Fletch tape can be tough to work with especially when vision or dexterity is impaired (for whatever reason). This technique makes it easier and faster to apply fletching tape.

Here is a short video that shows the technique.  

  YouTube video of fletching tape made easy (http://youtu.be/glgCekaue3M)
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: gonefishing600 on March 07, 2012, 01:41:00 AM
Nice!
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: Shaun on March 07, 2012, 04:31:00 AM
Can't wait to try it. Just the ticket for us fumble fingered geezers.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: misfire on March 07, 2012, 06:54:00 AM
I will have to give that a try.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: metsastaja on March 07, 2012, 07:30:00 AM
Never thought of doing it that way. Definitely going to give that a try.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: Bowwild on March 07, 2012, 07:40:00 AM
Pretty cool way to do it! I'm wondering how difficult it is to see where the sticky starts when laying the roll on the fletch. Much quiker than my technique.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: stabow on March 07, 2012, 07:44:00 AM
That looks easier than what I do!.....stabow
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: PA Bones on March 07, 2012, 07:49:00 AM
I will definitely try that.  Thank you for that.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: onewhohasfun on March 07, 2012, 08:22:00 AM
I like it !  Thanx
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: Lone Ranger on March 07, 2012, 08:28:00 AM
cool video- I like to drag my finger nail across the tape and quill when I do mine just to make "sure" it sticks good.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: Maxx Black on March 07, 2012, 08:45:00 AM
Thank You! I needed this technic bad as the focal of my eyes doesn't match the length of my arms . Good job on the vedio. Maxx
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: pitt98 on March 07, 2012, 08:47:00 AM
I found a trick that makes fletch tape an absolute pleasure, although that video is a great idea also.
I found that using a very small set of spring-loaded dikes/wire cutters are the best tool.  After you apply the tape to the feather, you can trim the ends with the dikes.  If you apply light pressure, you will feel the dikes actually pop through the tape portion, but will not cut through the plastic tape backing.  It's great.  You can snip the tape on any angle (to match the front end portion of the feather), then, keeping the dikes closed, just turn the dikes toward the feather and pull, and it will remove the backing (since it only cut through the tape, and not the backing).  After a few tries, you get the feel for how much pressure you can use, and you're all set.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: eddings220 on March 07, 2012, 08:52:00 AM
That's pretty slick right there!
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: ronp on March 07, 2012, 08:53:00 AM
I'll give it a try.  Thanks!
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: jbat73 on March 07, 2012, 09:01:00 AM
I thought using the tape was quick before, this just cut my time in half, thansk, J   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: bretto on March 07, 2012, 01:14:00 PM
I might have to give tape another try. My fat fingers didn't do well with it My first try. ( No patience ) Seeing this makes it look simple. Thanks

bretto
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: stujay on March 07, 2012, 01:20:00 PM
good video and idea.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: Ragnarok Forge on March 07, 2012, 01:59:00 PM
That is a fabulous method.  I am going to try it tonight.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: MOFISH on March 07, 2012, 02:13:00 PM
Thanks for sharing
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: redant 60/65 on March 07, 2012, 07:23:00 PM
That looks pretty slick   :thumbsup:  Thanks for sharing.    :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: Elkchaser on March 07, 2012, 11:38:00 PM
Great video. Thanks for the tip.    :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: kennyb on March 08, 2012, 07:20:00 AM
Great idea! I will give it a try. Thanks Dave!

Kenny   :bigsmyl:
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: Rob DiStefano on March 08, 2012, 08:55:00 AM
thanx for sharing.  i'm sure some folks will find the roll on method easier/faster.   :cool:

however, been there, done that, still prefer the better alignment control i get from laying down the tape freehand and then stripping off the backing.  as always, ymmv!  :)
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: JV Rooster on March 08, 2012, 11:50:00 AM
:thumbsup:
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: soopernate on March 08, 2012, 02:10:00 PM
Thats a cool idea but I think I might stick with gorilla superglue for a while.  It seems to hold up really well.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: PaddyMac on March 08, 2012, 02:27:00 PM
Great idea. I'm going to try it. Seems like it would be less wasteful, too. And fewer of those little red backing snippets lying around that drive my wife crazy. But I think Rob's got a point on alignment. We'll see. Thanks for the tip.

And ... dikes, huh? I'm not sure what those are, but I can find out at Homers. I'm using little folding scissors because they have a sharp point and they're OK. I've been thinking of some fly tying shears.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: pitt98 on March 10, 2012, 09:52:00 PM
HAHAHA, not sure if you are joking or not.  However, if you aren't joking, my apologies.  Around here, wire cutters/diagonal cutters are referred to as "dikes".  Use these small spring loaded "diagonal cutters", they are really great.  You can trim the tape perfectly, and when squeezed right, they pop through the tape, and not through the backing.  You can now just pull the backing off with the cutters, removing the plastic backing in the same motion you cut through the tape.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: amazonjim on March 10, 2012, 10:04:00 PM
I cut a hole in a 2x6 where my bitz can sit in it and can't move, but definitely I will try this method
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: Friend on March 11, 2012, 08:17:00 PM
Will give this method a go at the end of the week.

Thank you!!
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: AkDan on March 12, 2012, 09:12:00 AM
Had bad luck with tape this last fall.   Feathers fell off on a water base finish.   Won't make that mistake again.   500 caribou on the move and not one arrow with three feathers to shoot!!!!!   Thought I had a bad roll last spring turkey hunting md.   The Alaskan cold excellerated what the md heat didn't.     Lesson learned.  

Buddy who uses it exclusively mentioned its a laquer based tape.  I don't know the accuracy of this.   Just something to keep in mind.

On that note it works extremely well on the Massey finish!!!!!
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: mike g on March 12, 2012, 09:55:00 AM
AkDan....
   Did your tape ever get hot....
Heat kills tape....
   Keep your fletching tape in the fridge when not in use....
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: AkDan on March 13, 2012, 05:06:00 AM
Mike no way...was in the 60's when I left PA  (bought the new roll from bowhunters super store after a some more time in gettysburg) and -75 windchills where I was bou hunting when I got back here to AK.   I can't account for pre buy on the new stuff and what kind of storage they had it in, it was new....my original stuff didnt have a chance.  I had it stored in my goodie bins.  I had it from my epoxy arrow build.  Works fantastic on epoxy!
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: huntmaster80 on March 13, 2012, 07:18:00 AM
Tried tape and this method for the first time this past week, it worked great!!! Always thought tape would be a pain in the butt, not so much.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: harvestmoon on March 13, 2012, 07:38:00 AM
I gave it a try, and can see it saving some time...had some trouble keeping  the tag end from tangling with the exposed end when nipping it off the feather...will look at the video again..maybe change hands so tape doesn't stick to scissors.  Like others, had some difficulty unrolling the tape evenly along the vane.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: stickbowmaniac on March 13, 2012, 10:33:00 AM
Thanks great video.
Title: Re: Fletching tape made easy
Post by: WRV on March 13, 2012, 07:25:00 PM
SURE HELPED ME!!!