My thoughts and experience with fletch tape....

[LookMomNoSights]

Boy,  I havent posted anything in a while....
Anyway,   this is just for imformational purposes. I wanted to post about fletch tape.  I know lots of people like the stuff and Im not trying to get anyone going of course.....just letting you know of my experience with it so people can see different opinions.   I used it a few months back on a couple dozen arrows.....carbons (GT's).  Now at first I loved the stuff!  No mess,  fast,  seemed to hold up just fine with lots of shooting.   And for insurance,  I would platinum the toe and heel of the fletch down as well.   Just this morning,  I rid the last of my shafting of this stuff and now have no arrows built with tape....thank goodness!   To be honest,  I cant figure out what the heck happend or why I should say,  but this is the deal....fletches that seemed to be solid,  just started popping off....all but the ends that were glued!   Now,   Im a particular person....paying great attention to detail and getting things as perfect as I can.   My shafting was prepped properly.  Tape stored in a zip lock bag,  wraps kept clean.   Somehow,  there was an adhesion problem.  Not sure if maybe the tape I was using was a little old....but I purchased it new and from a great vendor.  Some of the arrows went into a case after the 8 hours cure time for the tape.  When I went to open the case as of late,  80% of my fletch were just peeling off with  an easy pull.  It was aggravating to say the least.  I thought I was in on a faster alternative to glue....too good to be true for me anyway.  So if you are using glue soley,  I say dont feel so bad....and appreciate the extra wait time.     Sometimes faster isnt better I suppose (a concept I should have known of....I love trad bows!) and for me,  I created a bigger hastle than if I just stuck with my glue.  If anyone thinks they have any ideas as to why the tape didnt work so hot for me,  id love to here it of course!  And like I said....this is just for conversation.  Im telling you how I know now,  that Im a glue man!        
 

no images wider than 640 please.

[LookMomNoSights]

Uh....sorry! Forgot to re-size!

[ChristopherO]

I've not had one problem with the roll of fletch tape I have but my buddy was having the same fits as you, his being a different brand.  I refletched his arrows back up with my roll and used some of his roll on a few beater arrows I had to see if it would stick any better there.  Nope.  Not worth the effort.  
I don't know the name of what I have as I am not at home but I believe I purchased it off 3 Rivers.  I cannot complain with that particular roll, though.

[flippnsticks]

I get mine from 3Rivers. I have never had a problem with it. I put platinum on the toe and heel of the fletching just like you do.

[LookMomNoSights]

Mine was Bohning......from 3Rivers.
I dont know....its a mystery I guess!

[Hot Hap]

I did one dz. with it and that was enough for me.

Hap

[Bowwild]

The arrows I fletched with tape (Bohning) still seem to be very sound but I don't shoot em. I'll have to check em.

[Anointed Archer]

I have been using the Bohning tape for many, many years and I use the tape on woodies, carbons and aluminum and I have never found anything any better.  However I do put one drop of flecth tite on both ends that might be the key, but I know I would not do it any other way. Sorry to hear your experience wasn't as good.

[Huntschool]

I also have been doing tape for a number of years... Have only had one problem group and I finally decided that was my fault as to prep and those were dipped and crested shafts.  Went back did the right prep and those arrows still wear thos fletchings....

I dont understand how this shows up.  The Bohning product I have been using seems bullet proof...

[TRT]

I have only had trouble with the tape (Bohning) when I use it with my Jo-jan fletcher.  It has been good with my Biztenburger.

[sweeney3]

I have taped several dozen arrows the past couple or three years, and have had good results for the most part.  I have had two or maybe three feathers peel off in flight while practicing.  None when it counted.  I've had three shafts pass through deer and one through a coyote with the fletching intact.  However, I went back to using glue on all my hunting shafts for sure and most of my practice shafts this year.  Figured why 98% when I can get 99%.  I DO carry fletch tape with me most of the time to repair/mend if need be.  At a minimum, it has its place.  Overall, I would say that if one were careful, there would be little chance of a problem with it.  Nothing's guaranteed though.

[TOEJAMMER]

Eric,  You're not the Lone Ranger.  I've been making arrows for over 60 years and have always used glue whether on undipped shafts or those that I capped dipped.  I had bought a couple of rolls of Bohning tape to give it a try since everyone seems to have great results with it.  Well my experience is the same as yours.  I tried it on some undipped carbon shafts that were well prepped to insure no contaminates were on the shafts but experienced the same results as you.  Perhaps a bad batch of tape but once burned as the saying goes.  Reminds me of the old adage, "if it aint broke, don't fix it.".

[LookMomNoSights]

I do use a Jo-Jan exclusively.....I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

[two4hooking]

I have had the same experiences as Toejamemr and Eric...I found the fletch tape did not hold in hot weather...only the glue on the heel and nose was holding....no more tape for me....back to duco!

[Tree Rat]

Call me anti tape too.

At first I blamed a no name brand, but Bohning does the same thing. A dozen I just did a month ago never even shot them was just sitting on my bench sine completeion. I looked at them Saturday and there almost all peeling off. They've been glued.

I have had good success too, just not much. Basically it mirrors my issues with Platinum. I've switched to Saunders NPV to see if it cures my ills befoe I run out of white fletch tite.

[hvyhitter]

Mine worked great till it was 90 degrees a few years back at Denton Hill. My arrows started to corkscrew in the afternoon and when I looked at my fletch you could see that the feathers had slid/smeared sideways a bit. The front and back end of each feather was still glued but the middle had moved while in my back quiver. Tossed the fletchtape and went back to glue

[GREATBROWNKNOCKEMDOWN]

Have not had that problem with any tape i have used, but when i started off using tape a friend told me to lay the tape on the fletching without Stretching, if you stretch it , it will shrink and peel. all my arrows have been in the heat, cold and wet, with no problems.

[Jake Fr]

I have found that in hi humidity they pop off easy I used to keep em in my basement but now on main floor do to this but I have never had a problem once I figured this out

[SteveT]

I have used tape several yrs ago and dug out some shafts, seems to be holding strong,however more recently have not always had as good luck with tape, so now i use it to set my fletcher,i can take the feathers off a few times to get them where i want...

[Mike Most]

Down this south Texas way, it's always hot, 118 in my garage, I had some of those issues but went to wiping the shaft and the feather base with alcohol prior to taping and they dont come loose any more.

I like the neat clean look. (it doesnt take the alcohol long to flash or dissipate) problem is sweating everywhere else.