burn, chop, pre-cut?

[camodadd]

till now i have been chopping, but as others have said, with less than desirable results, tho w/ effort and special methods have been able to get some pretty good looking fletches. Considering buying a burner but there is also methods to be learned and the need to be done outside, cutting and prepping the fletch prior to glue on, etc.  Got me to thinking...why not just buy pre-cut???  figures out to $0.09 per fletch more than full length. At $120.00 or so for a burner it'll take me quite awhile to pay for one.  The only reason I really have for doing full length is I keep my own turkey feathers. your thoughts?????  Scott

[RkyMtn Joe]

With a burner, you can have any shape and any length you please---in effect, your choices are unlimited.  

If your primary concern is economics and you don't fletch very many in a year's time---buying pre-cut is probably best.  BUT if you do it for the pleasure and fun of it---the burner is better IMO.

Joe

[monkeyball]

Scott,
      Lots of + & - with each method. Buy precut and you buy what they offer.

Lots of different style cuts out there with the choppers and once you get the hang of the "hit" they are pretty efficent.

The burner allows you the most creativity,but also the most time consuming as far as set-up. Can't be to close or to far,has to be just right. And then you have the smell,outside is a good place,especially if you are married. As far as the $$ I would watch the classifieds,they come up from time to time.

                           Good Shooting,
                                    Craig

[SCATTERSHOT]

Burner is fairly expensive, and as you noted, it STINKS! Chopping is great if you can get the hang of it, but precuts are uniform, have a variety of shapes, and are easily obtained if you need to refletch with the same cut. However, there is an alternative....

Have you ever tried cutting fletches out with scissors? You can make a template out of the lid of an old coffee can, and cut as amny as you like. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it, and it's even easier if you put a strip of fletching tape along the quill to hold everything together while you cut.

[bigbadjon]

Burning seems the most versatile in theory. In practice though it has so many tweaks and little micro adjustments you won't ever change your set up again once you have it set right. That said I still like it the best. Chopping works well to but it has a learning curve to make consistent cuts. Precuts are the easiest but you can hang it up if you ever want to splice.

[Dave Worden]

The only reason for an archer, not a pro arrow builder, to chop or burn feathers is because you WANT to.  It's fun, and you get a feeling of accomplishment by doing it yourself.  If you only make arrows for yourself, you'll probably never save enough to pay for your arrow making equipment! JMO.

[Tree Rat]

Burning stinks, die cuts are expensive.

With a good chopper and full length feathers you can generally get two feathers per FL. Especially if youy use 4". (I will agree FL today isn't  what it was 20 yrs ago) Even if you don't get two you will have flu-flu material on hand.

[Orion]

Stink is in the nose of the smeller.     I rather like the smell of burning feathers.  No mistaking what it is.

One other advantage of burning is the consistency of the feathers on the arrow.  They will all be exactly the same length and height.  Can't say that for commercially cut feathers or self-chopped feathers.  Now, the ever so slight greater consistency, or lack thereof, really isn't worth worrying about.  Doubt anyone could ever tell the difference in their shooting, but the difference does exist.

I fletch almost all my arrows with wild turkey barred feathers that I process myself.  Also make kids arrows.  I need several different shapes, sizes, etc.  Rather like having just one tool to do that.  On the other hand, if I didn't collect and process my own feathers, I'd probably just buy them pre-cut.  That's what I used to do 40-50 years ago. Fashioned some with a scissors back then as well.

[lpcjon2]

I have bought pre cut for some time and then got a burner, since the burner I will never buy pre cut again. Its to much fun making your own shapes and burning. the possibilities are endless!

[BillBow2]

I cut two small pieces of wood in the desired fletch shape, stuck my feather between them, held them with my fingers and zipped around the perimeter with my soldering iron. Perfect "primitive" fletchings.

[M60gunner]

I have done all 3. I have a Vario chopper that I use now. I sold my burner, I am challenged at bending the ribbons. I also found that as the wire heated up it would change a little and burn my cap dip and cresting. The "little chopper" does have a learning curve as mentioned. Use the small end of the feathers for learning.

[typical2]

I really like my Young feather burner.  It allows for any shape fletch you want.  It's easy to try new designs.

I like shooting a shape that i came up with.

Love the feather burner.

[alaninoz]

I've done all three, but finally settled on burning.

Pre-cuts are good, but they don't work that well when you're splicing, and that's how I do my fletching these days.

Tried chopping, but had problems getting consistent results so I decided it wasn't for me.

Moved on to a burner (home built) and am now happy with the consistency and how it handles spliced fletching. Sure, it smells a bit but I use it outside so it's not a big deal.

[deaddoc4444]

I do all   but prefer burning .    Burning gives you more options, plus  like  stated , feathers are the most consistent, on  each arrow and from arrow to arrow .      If its raining out side when I PLAN to burn feathers, its the only real draw-back   WAITING!

[RkyMtn Joe]

Yep--there is a distinctive smell when you burn feathers, and if you are spousal cowed, you must go outside or face the consequences.  I burn mine in the kitchen with the stove exhaust on high and the smell is gone in just a few minutes.  Of course, I live alone (with a couple of dogs and a cat) so I get very little in the way of static with whatever I choose to do.

I keep several different ribbons on hand that I have already shaped and used---takes very little effort to change to whatever I need and the adjustments required are both simple and minimal.  Surely no more difficult than any that are required for getting the required shape with a chopper.  (I have several different choppers so have a little experience with both methods).

If convenience is your primary interest--buy the pre-cut, or even better, just buy pre-fletched arrows---that would be the easiest of all routes.  I am just an old-fashioned guy (71 years old and grumpy at times)and find it hard to change my ways sometimes so please, nobody take offense at anything I say.

[Pat B]

Burn baby burn!

[Bldtrailer]

Burn baby burn X2

[camodadd]

Originally posted by Pat B:
Burn baby burn!

its an arrow inferno!!!    :cool: