Fletching tape gets the axe

[pumatrax]

Just wondering if there are any companies out there that fletch arrows for a living that use the tape ? If there is ; I don't think I've seen them...my distributor uses NPV glue exclusively ...I'm thinking there is good reason for that...they fletch thousands of arrows a year..

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by pumatrax:
Just wondering if there are any companies out there that fletch arrows for a living that use the tape ? If there is ; I don't think I've seen them...my distributor uses NPV glue exclusively ...I'm thinking there is good reason for that...they fletch thousands of arrows a year..

old ways die hard - and for the very most part, when you charge well in excess of a franklin (or two!) for a dozen completed arrows, your client expects those vanes secured the "correct" way and not with tape that's constantly being reported as "inferior" to nitro glue or cya glue.

[huntnmuleys]

ive never had a problem with it.  but, if I did id switch, so don't blame ya

[Kevin Dill]

Originally posted by pumatrax:
Just wondering if there are any companies out there that fletch arrows for a living that use the tape ? If there is ; I don't think I've seen them...my distributor uses NPV glue exclusively ...I'm thinking there is good reason for that...they fletch thousands of arrows a year..

Fair question.

I believe part of the answer lies in speed/efficiency for the fletcher. Once the feather is in the clamp it takes very little time to run a bead of glue and apply the clamp. An accomplished fletcher does it with serious speed. Whether accurate or not, I suspect arrow manufacturers and custom builders (for profit) look at glue as being the more dependable adhesive over time. Is that accurate? Does it matter? Like Rob and most of us have said, it's really an individual thing. I think the biggest question is this: if your system works and works well, why in the heck would you change? Stick with what works the best for you, but be smart enough to know it won't be everybody's best.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Kevin Dill:
 

Originally posted by pumatrax:
Just wondering if there are any companies out there that fletch arrows for a living that use the tape ? If there is ; I don't think I've seen them...my distributor uses NPV glue exclusively ...I'm thinking there is good reason for that...they fletch thousands of arrows a year..

Fair question.

I believe part of the answer lies in speed/efficiency for the fletcher. Once the feather is in the clamp it takes very little time to run a bead of glue and apply the clamp. An accomplished fletcher does it with serious speed. Whether accurate or not, I suspect arrow manufacturers and custom builders (for profit) look at glue as being the more dependable adhesive over time. Is that accurate? Does it matter? Like Rob and most of us have said, it's really an individual thing. I think the biggest question is this: if your system works and works well, why in the heck would you change? Stick with what works the best for you, but be smart enough to know it won't be everybody's best. [/b]

good input, and i'd like to add ...

most fletchers have a production setup to fletch more than a few dozen shafts at the same time, so the 15 minute or so wait 'tween gluing on another fletch isn't an issue and no time is saved using fletch tape.

however, if yer not in the business of making arrows and only have a jig or two, the time saved using fletch tape makes huge sense.

if fletch tape works quite well for others, but ain't working for you, at least try to find out what the problem is before moving on.  i see too much blame going toward the tape when in reality it's either a people, or process, or materials issue.

[Bladepeek]

My conversation with a guy who ran a trad archery shop backs up Robs observations. This guy had a dozen Bitzenbergers set up. He could run a bead of glue quite a bit faster than I could apply a piece of tape. He'd glue the whole dozen feathers, go back to book keeping or whatever until the glue set. Then do 12 more feathers and repeat until the dozen arrows were finished. He had no problems getting the fletch tape to hold and had no reservations about selling me some for my hobby use. It just was too slow for production work.

I do it like my reloading - slow, relaxed and listening to music.

[Rob DiStefano]

back in the 60's when i was building arrows for sale i had two banks of 12 fletching jigs.  after the 24th fletch went on with good ol' fletchtite it was time to go back to jig #1 for its 2nd fletch, and so on, and so on, and so ....  ah, the good ol' dayze ...  :D

[frankwright]

I have had great luck with the tape over the years. I don't know how many dozens of arrows I have fletched with it but a good many and never had a problem.
I usually am doing it over a wrap for ease of refletching and like most have reported, when I try to pull off an old frather it will usually tear and leave the quill still stuck to the wrap.
However last year for my Grandson's Birthday I made him a dozen carbon arrows with a Onestringers custom wrap. They were pretty and he was thrilled to get them. A month later he told me the feathers were falling off. I didn't believe it and asked him if they had been left in the sun or something but no, stored inside the house in his room.
I got them back and 75% of the feathers were off or loose. I was sick.
I saved some of the feathers, ordered new wraps and installed with fletch-tite.
It was a lot of work to do twice.
It was a fairly new roll of tape, stored in a heated/cooled downstairs room with all my other stuff.
I don't know if I will use it again. The fast Fletch-Tite is almost as fast.

[Rob DiStefano]

the key ingredients for using fletch tape ...

• use bohning tape only
  
• use good fletches or feathers, with good quill bases - there's a lotta junk out there
  
• put the fletch in the clamp and clean the quill base then clean the shaft - i use naphtha (lighter fluid) - and then NEVER touch either with yer skin!
  
• as with any fletching, make sure the quill base sits fully flush to the shaft with no gaps
  
• lay the tape to the quill base, snip to size, peel back the tape covering - do NOT TOUCH the sticky tape with yer skin!
  
• put the clamp in the jig, align, push down evenly using both yer hands, make firm contact along the length of the quill
  
• open the clamp, slowly pull up off the fletch
  
• move on to the next fletch
  
• after all the fletches are stuck on, remove the shaft and do one of two things - press down on the fletch itself reasonably hard with finger or thumb and run from the front of the fletch to its back, or, with a finger nail or coin press down hard along the exposed quill base ridge for its entire length
  
• put a dot of glue on the ends of the fletch
  
• allow the tape to "cure" overnight