What's the best glue for installing inserts into my GoldTip arrow shafts?
You will get a broad range of suggestions based on individual's experience.
I worked at a local large retail archery place...they used the brown hot melt sticks.
What blew me away, was they NEVER cleaned shafts...we didn't have time...folks were stacked up like chord wood so we'd cut them, tap out the dust and warm the insert in a flame w/ pliars and then dip in hot melt and shove in shafts, twist, wipe off excess around lip and pu tin points! Done.
Best part was in 2+ yrs working there, many would take and shoot them RIGHT THERE on the range in 10-15 min of us doing them... the backstop on the range was compressed masonite! Dangest hard to pull arrows backstop I know!
Only ever heard of 2 pull outs of inserts..
I tend to clean mine with a q-tip and alcohol, but none of the sanding or scoring of some.
Each to his own... not the hot glue gun clear sticks, but the brown ones in archery supply places like Tim at Braveheart and others here.
I saw this on you-tube,and I haven't had a insert come out yet. I use a super glue made by gorilla glue
Thanks! I tried some a few arrows with the brown hot-melt glue, but they pulled right out. The inserts really were only tight in the last 1/4 inch of their length. Maybe I just needed more glue??? Maybe GoldTip sent the wrong size inserts???
Well I know regular gorilla glue will eventually fail, I've lost several heads and inserts in bales, looking for new glue myself....
I saw one on 3Rivers that was for carbon shafts. It was called ferr-t-lite cool flex. It is one you use with a burner and it's blue in color.
If you NEVER want to take them out again use JB Weld. Don't use the quick set stuff use the regular one.
I have tried the following, JB weld, slow set epoxy, gorilla glue and Big Jim's hot melt. The only time I have had one fail is if the point hits a rock etc. The hot melt that Big Jim sells is as good as any of the others it's just faster and easier and if you want to change insert weight it reverses easier with heat that all of the others. The key is to rough up the inside of the shaft and then clean the inside of the shaft and the insert with acetone to assure a good bond. If you do your part any of those glues will do theirs.
I have switched over to bohning's cool flex.So far no failures.
If you are using a hot melt type adhesive there really is no reason to clean the inside of the shafts with acetone or any other cleaner, you can rough it up but any residue left in there just acts like an aggregate in a concrete mix when you put your inserts in. If you clean the shaft with cleaner and a q tip you don't give it as much area to grip and it loses some of its adhesion. If you are using a super-glue type adhesive you can clean and prep to give it a clean surface area to bond to.
I have many bows and many different set ups,so I end changing the insert weights pretty often if not daily.
This is the reason I use hot melt,I find it very tough though,having rarely one pulling out.
I have been using the ferr-t-lite cool flex, I have not had a failure
I've used the JB weld and many other things in the past. I like the Ferr-t-Lite products (the brown and the blue)the best. Alum., or carbon... no difference. Reason... you can heat up the insert and remove if needed. Also, if the insert pops out (for whatever reason)... just heat up the insert once again, and push it back in.
I've been using the Ferr-t-Lite cool flex (blue colored, 3" stick glue) for the last year, and this is where I'll stay.
David
Big Jims is the best hot melt I have ever used, nothing else comes close, never had a insert budge while using it.
I use Gorilla Glue Super Glue Impact Tough Formula. I rough up the inside of my GT's with a .243 bore brush and then clean with some acetone on a q-tip before gluing.
I'll 2nd Big Jim's. Easy and works great.
Go to his site and view his video on how he does it.
The Gorilla Super Glue Gel has worked best for me. No shaft prep at all, havnt lost an insert in a long time.
I found out today that epoxy only works really good until you hit something hard. Then it'll tug the insert the next time you shoot a Rinehart 3D target.
So my buddy lent me some Gorilla super glue "impact" formula. He's been shooting carbons a lot longer than me.
sneakybow, you hit it right on the nose. I have been using 3 Rivers low heat glue stick since they been selling them and never had one pull out. I never clean a shaft. I do heat the insert first then heat the stick, put some on, not much then heat a little then push right in. dip in water and finish. You can shoot them right away.