What is the best way to remove worn out feathers when it's time to replace them?
I used fletching tape to put them on the wood shafts.
I slide a small knife blade under the feather working from the front to the back. Need to be careful to not dig into the wood. Some glue residue/fletching tape will remain. I usually file that off, or put a piece of sand paper on a small flat stick and sand it off.
By the time I need to refletch, my wood arrows aren't in the best of shape, so I don't bother resealing the fletch area. Just glue on the new fletches and good to go.
If you're using aluminum or carbons, you don't need to be as careful removing the old feathers, though you don't want to scratch the surface. Can get almost all of the residue off with the knife blade. Good idea to give them a rub down with denatured alcohol before refletching.
I use a method similar to Orion bu use a very sharp exacto blade.
You should be able to just pull them off with a little force. Clean the shaft where they go with some alcohol and refletch them.
Try your wife's potato peeler, but don't tell her.
JW
heat gun/blow dryer and some finger pressure?
I re-use my fletches off broken woodies with the above mentioned methods. Easily done if using fletching tape.Removal of tape from old fletch can be removed with paint stripper.
Lacquer thinner sure works good to clean off glue and even paint dip and cresting. I have cleaned shafts to new status and started over.
I use one of those Stanley utility blades with the hook in it. I dull the blade a little to keep it from digging in. Works great and it's fast.
Like Magnus said
QuoteOriginally posted by magnus:
You should be able to just pull them off with a little force. Clean the shaft where they go with some alcohol and refletch them.
That is what I did and they came off with no problems.
Thanks