One of my buds wants his carbons dolled up like my woodies, so I told him I would check and see how you guy's were doing it. He still uses training wheels, but shows interest in the trad gear. His big excuse is distance, but I think he will come around. Is wraps the only way,or can someone explain the process of making carbons look good.

I don't crest mine fancy like but have crested them with appliance epoxy from a rattle can and that has work very well.  My dad has painted some of his carbons with fancy cresting, and they have all turned out very well.  I think he used Testors paint.

Do you put any finish on top of the paint. thanks over & under

I don't think my dad did, and I never did over mine.  It might be a good idea though for durabliity.

"Capped" my carbons with lacquer spray paint, and crested with lacquer paint.

These arrows have stood up fairly well, IMOHO.

Wipe your shafts down with a rag moistened with acetone or lacquer thinner, to remove any oils or waxes, before you paint.

Here is some i did a while back. These are Gold tips
   

RW
What kind of glue did you use to fletch?  I tried laquer and both fletch-tite and superglue ate through the paint making it difficult to keep the fletches in place.

WT,
Those are classy looking!  Nice work!  

I have dipped carbon arrows in Bohing laquer and crested them with Bohing crest paint, then used arrowmate glue to glue the feathers on with, they have all lasted several years with no problem.

Here's my "recipe".

Spray the base cap with a spray lacquer, crest with Testor's or similar hobby paint, then spray 3 or 4 clear coats with Minwax Polycrylic or Krylon clear.

Fletch using Duco or Fletchtite Platinum.

When I had more time to beautify my shafts, I put solid wraps on them and then painted with bohning crest paint. I also painted on the bare shaft with a few extra stripes. It always covered better on the wraps.

BigJim

Clean with acetone.

Cap and crest.

Clear coat with Minwax spray poly.

Fletch with Loctite Superglue Gel.

Yes. Spray paint and minwax sealer on the GT's. I now have CE Heritages and the finish is slicker. I haven't tried painting them yet but arrow wraps work fine. Just note, Goat Tuff will fade a yellow arrow wrap to white. Be careful with the glue if you use colored EZ Crest wraps. So far the wraps have proved very durable.

Huey,

I cap paint and crest all of my carbons (black and wood grain alike). I use nothing but testors brand model paints because they are easy to get near by and fairly inexpensive.

I use painters tape to mask the area of the arrow not to be painted then base coat with flat white. Then I move up on to the white after it is dry so I can crest over a white surface and spray on the color (I like Competition Orange).

After this is dry I remove the tape and crest with the model paint (thinned just a little bit). I have never done a clear coat, and have yet to have any problems.

I fletch with the fletch tape. I have found that the liquid super glue works better than the gel for the drop at the front and back of the feather.

This has worked for me, all the other advice is excellent, just figure out what you like to do.

Heres a pic of some of my arrows.

OkKeith

my brother just dipped his buddies and it looked fine

I did my fletching with Bohning fletching tape, and a dab of Fletchtite Platinum to seal down the leading and trailing ends.

I tried the crazy glue bit, too, with the same results as you mention.

R.W.

I crested some CX Heritage shafts last year with the water based cresting paint that Bob from Whispering Wind sells and sealed over the crest with one coat of Minwax water based poly brushed on and they have held up well.  Fletched over the second crest with Bohning Fletch Tite Platinum and feathers have held up.

QuoteOriginally posted by slivrslingr:
RW
What kind of glue did you use to fletch?  I tried laquer and both fletch-tite and superglue ate through the paint making it difficult to keep the fletches in place.

WT,
Those are classy looking!  Nice work!      

Thank you.
Fletch tape man fletch tape.

Sometimes you don't have to be be traditional...


Ace Hardware spray paint and blue masking tape. Fletch tape and spot of superglue.

here are some trad heavies that i whipped up.  used krylon spray for the crown and latex for the crest, then covered with a coat of poly.

 

Sounds like, as long as I get them clean I can treat them like my woodies. Will duco hold on the carbons?