Ozark Bowhunter

I am using Bohning Bond Tite and Bohning Platinum glue to fletch my arrows. My problem is after I have fletched them when I shoot them I blow the fletching off. It's like they are just barely stuck. If I put a lot on there then I have to clean up around the fletches. I have been scrapeing the old fletches off, then using 220 sandpaper to clean and rough up the area, then I clean the shaft with nail polish remover and let them dry for about 5 min. then I fletch them. I use an Arizona E-Z fletch and remove it after about 10 min. What am I doing wrong?

KBacon

The nail polish remover does have acetone in it.. but it also has oils in it that don't let the glue stick well.

If you're using the super glues.. just clean w/ water and let dry.

Justin

Fletch Tite Platinum isn't a super-glue, it's a solvent-based glue. Your best bet is to use Acetone or Lacquer Thinner to clean both the shaft, and the base of the vane itself before fletching. I've had problems in the past very similar to what you're experiencing when I didn't clean the base of the vanes. A lot of times there is an oily residue left over from the manufacturing process that prvents the glue from adhering properly.

The Mouse

HNIJustin hit the nail on the head. I had your exact problem when I switched from using AAE Fastset Gel (a super-glue type of adhesive) to Flex Fletch (a solvent type glue). The vanes just would not stick to the shafts.

After I started wiping the bases of the vanes with lacquer thinner, the problem vanished. Some vanes, like AAE vanes, actually have a chemical applied to their bases that improves adhesion of super-glue. As if super-glue needed any help...

Good luck.

WA Shooter

We have always used MEK to clean the shafts, and I use a Q-Tip to clean the base of the vane before applying the glue. I use Flex-Fletch vanes and they do seem to have an oily residue left over from the manufacturing process. With Goat-Tuff glue, those babys are on there good.

Use caution when working with MEK, it is highly volatile, and you should have plenty of ventillation and solvent proof gloves. It will absorb through the skin, and makes you feel like crap for a while.

Arthur P

All are good suggestions, but I think KBacon nailed the biggest problem, the nail polish remover. The oils in it will keep glue from bonding. Denatured (not rubbing) alcohol, acetone, MEK, even water are good cleaning solvents.

I've also run across a lot of vanes that have that oily parting compound left on them from the manufacturing process and they have to be cleaned off too. I think a couple of brands come with a chemical coating on the base of the vane to help them bond, so they should not be cleaned. I'm not much of a vane user and don't remember the brands right off. Maybe someone else can name them.

Ozark Bowhunter

O.K. Now where do I get acetone,MEK, etc.?

muzzyman88

Its funny this is brought up. I just started shooting the Bohning Blazer vanes and had a rough time getting them to stick. I also started using Loc Tite super glue gel. This was a tip I picked up over on Archery Talk. But the vanes didn't stick well at all.

My procedure in the past was this: Scape all of the old glue off. Lightly rough sand the shaft with 400 sandpaper, clean the shaft with denatured alchohol and then fletch. I never ever had a problem when I did this. The vanes always came off in peices when I tried to remove them.

But the Blazers are giving my a pickle of a time. But I think I have it figured out. Even though I was using a super glue, I wasn't leaving them in the clamp long enough. I also started to clean the base of the vane as well.

So far so good.

The dentured alchohol is cheap. You can get a big a@# can of it at walmart for a couple dollars in the hardware section.

WA Shooter

Any hardware store will have the chemicals in their paint section.

Ozark Bowhunter

Thanks for the help guys. I really enjoy reading all the tips on this site.