Hi guys, does anyone know where I can find some information on building your own feather grinding jig. Thanx,...Lloyd

I need one to. I have a grocery sack full of wild turkey feathers. I was thinking of maybe using a door type hinge with bolts and wingnuts to clamp it down. Some guys just use a straight clamp for a fletching jig.

Dean Torges has a great tutorial on his website titled Barred for Life - A Tale of Grinding Truth.  It provides the specs for the jig and how to set it up.   The system works great.

Whatever you do, wear not just a bloody dust mask, but set up a shop vac and wear a really good filter type mask or resperator.

Our own Stringstreatcher ground feathers for a good while, did a great job and something in turkey feathers and quills did nerve damage in his brain...

Go check out the prayer forum archives to read of his trials.

Prevention is worth a pound of cure...Ask Charlie!

Listen to Doc Nock!!!

Definitely wear a respirator type air filtration system.  Grinding feathers, steel, or any other items that produce dust can at best get in your lungs and shorten your life.  The dust from feathers is actually super hard on the lungs.  It can also carry bacteria and viruses.  Grinding without proper respirators can lead to the problems mentioned above.

X2 what Lowell said. This stuff IS toxic and the affects are permanent!!!! Don't think it won't happen to you. Safety first. I do this for a living and take every precaution.

doing a few hundred or thousand grinds is when it's important to wear more than just a simple paper filter mask.  other than that, get a couple pieces of flat sheet tin, a springy clamp and a sanding wheel or belt sander with 120 grit abrasive.

oh, and do remember to check out our "how to - resources" forum first!  

from raw feather to completed arrow fletch