I normally line up my clamp with the back of my magnet and the back of the feather is close to where I see other peoples. My question is I'm going to try cresting a few and would like to get the feather up about one inch from the nock. Does this hurt anything and if not will they fly about the same as the ones that are half that distance?

i am no expert but i have some feathers an inch from the nock and they fly as good as some that i have that are much closer to the nock

Hmmmmm.  Don't need to move the feathers to crest.  Usually, one crests first, and the feathers are put on later.  Of course, if you want the feather fronts or backs to meet or be a certain distance from a cresting line, you might need to move them a bit, or, move your cresting a bit.

Regardless, another half-inch forward won't make noticeable difference.  It will provide more clearance for your string hand fingers.  I'm surprised you're not already hitting your fletching with your fingers while nocking if currently the back of the fletching is 1/2-inch from the nock.  Not a biggie on the range, but tickling the feathers with your fingers can make enough noise to spook a nearby critter. Good luck.

I've had them in different spots and can't shoot the difference. Theoretically, the further back the fletchings are, the longer lever arm they have to control the arrow. The longer lever arm is also one of the more compelling arguments to get me to use high FOC as it also creates a longer lever arm for the fletchings. I have my feathers about an inch from the nock myself. It gives me some room to fix a crack in the butt end of the arrow without having to scrape the fletchings off.

Thanks guys these are just the things I wanted to know before I made up some new arrows. I understand what you are saying Orion. I haven't fletched these up yet I just wanted to know before I changed my system of doing things if it would cause a problem. I just have a specific thing I wanted to do close to the nock and the way I used to do them there wouldn't hardly be enough room to make it look good. David the leverage thing does make sense when you think about it. I'll crest one and fletch it up and see how they look and fly. I've been messing with a jig for cresting,it cost me one 8x32 screw. I couldn't pay $180 for the commercial one. Thanks for the replies guys.

Those of us who anchor with a feather touching the nose often place the feathers even further forward than that.  For example, I place the feathers so the distance between the back of the quill and the valley of the nock is 2".  No problems with arrow flight.

the best part of putting them up further is the string finger clearance that orion mentioned...nothing worse than having your fingers touch the fletch when u have the buck of your dreams under you and he hears it...been there done that...so...mine are 1 1/2 inches up from the nock..no problem with flight

1-3" never a change in flight.

It's good to know there's no change in flight. I never thought about the clearance thing,good to know.

Just don't put them way up if you use like 5 1/2" feathers and have a low brace height LB.  You can end up with the feather on the rest.

When I read your post Todd I thought no way,but I looked and they are pretty close right now. I can get by with another half inch though. It did get me to thinking.