Over heating aluminum

Jakeemt · May 13, 2013, 12:04:00 AM

I have a big box of garage sale arrows I was removing inserts from. Found out my map gas was empty so used the stove. Some of these had a huge amount of old nasty glue which was a bear to remove and stank to high heaven! Anyway I noticed some of the dark camo at the end of the shafts had turned a light brown? The shafts look fine can over heating these somehow change the metallurgy or do I know they are over heated when they melt? Thanks guys

Ps it is a gas stove.

TOEJAMMER · May 13, 2013, 12:34:00 AM

All too easy to over heat aluminum. If over heated, it will change the character of the aluminum and weaken the area over heated.

Jakeemt · May 13, 2013, 12:44:00 AM

Any idea how I will know if they have been over heated? Any advice on ow to avoid that in the future?

ishoot4thrills · May 13, 2013, 06:23:00 AM

If they're not bent on the end then I wouldn't worry about it.

Use less heat next time and you should be okay. I use a propane torch, if handy. If not, I just use a cigarette lighter. But, I only use hot-melt to install inserts in my aluminum arrows.

May 13, 2013, 09:16:00 AM

The overheating can make the metal weaker in the heated area. It will not really hurt anything but it will make that part of the shaft bend easier on a hard impact.

Bisch

flinthead · May 13, 2013, 09:37:00 AM

Overheated a couple carbons-just put a point in the insert, then heat the point til the glue gets drippy, insert and seat in arrow. I never heat aluminum or carbon shafts themselves. Thanks, Roy

RecurveRookie · May 13, 2013, 08:18:00 PM

If aluminum has been heat treated to make it harder, (probably has for an arrow shaft). And if you heat up the shaft pretty hot, it will probably change the hardness when it cools off. But if they seem ok, shoot them and see. If they tear up, then you know you changed them. I'm not a metallurgist, I'm an aircraft mechanic, but not an expert on heat treating. Hope that helps.

Bowsey Wails · May 14, 2013, 01:54:00 PM

Generally, if the metal has discolored it was to hot. The shaft will most likely bend behind the insert during a hard impact. The fact that the glue stank when heated indicates the inserts were installed with epoxy, not hot melt.
Tim

Over heating aluminum

Jakeemt

TOEJAMMER

Jakeemt

ishoot4thrills

flinthead

RecurveRookie

Bowsey Wails