THE BEST WAY TO FLETCH Vanes 

  The following instructions will give you the professional skills needed

  to properly fletch arrow shafts.  WARNING ! Any modifications

  in the steps, products or timing may result in fletching adhesion failure.

  Before we begin, one fact that everyone has to understand, ALL

  shaft and vane materials along with the finished product are 

  handled many times before you receive them. The worker's hands 

  maybe contaminated with hand cream, residue from lunch or tools.

  Also remember to be safe when fletching. Have the work

  area ventilated. And above all, USE AN ORGANIC VAPOR MASK !

1.   Rinse the fletching area of the shafts with warm tap water.

          Notice, the water beaded up. That area is contaminated.

  2.     Cut a piece of an old clean towel. Make sure the towel has not been

          contaminated with fabric softener or perfumed soap. Wet the piece of 

          towel and sprinkle on some Bon Ami cleanser. Ajax will work in a pinch.

  3.      Scrub three shafts and rinse them under very warm water. Look at the area.

          The water " sheets " around the shaft. That area has been de-contaminated. 

           DO NOT wipe them dry! Shake the water off and let them air dry on a table

           with the fletch-end overhanging the table's edge. If these shafts get licked

           by the dog or touched by the kids, you have to do this step over again.

  4.     After the shafts have dried, place them in your fletching tool (s) and load

          the vane (s)  in the clamp (s). Do you see any residue from the Bon Ami on  

          the fletch area of the shaft (s) ? If you do, take a clean piece of a non-lint cloth or

          paper towel and dampen it with 91% ISOPROPYL  ALCOHOL. DO NOT use 

          rubbing alcohol of any kind. It has to much water and some contain oil. 

          Wipe it off in ONE DIRECTION ONLY.

          If you wipe back in the other direction, you will be re-depositing the 

          the material you are trying to get rid of. Also, wipe the glue channel

          of each vane with a clean piece of a non-lint cloth or paper towel in one 

          direction only.

    5.   For this step, make sure to use reasonably fresh fletching adhesive. For

          carbon, I like Fletch-Tite Platinum and Fast Fletch. For aluminum and

          wood, I like standard Fletch-Tite, Bear-Tite, Saunders and so on. Timing

          is important here. Apply the adhesive to the vane's base, put the

          adhesive down and set the vane on the arrow shaft. DO NOT set the vane

          down with the cement on it's base and put the cap on the fletching cement

          and then apply the vane to the arrow shaft. If you do that, or have been,

          your allowing the cement to "skin". That means the surface of the cement

          is starting to dry. When a vane comes off, this is one of the reasons

          why you see most of the cement on the vane and hardly any on the shaft.

    6.   After your vanes have dried, take each arrow and apply a spot of cement 

          to the tip of the vane and the rear of the vane. This gives the vane added 

          adhesion when dealing with a pass through and shooting tight groups.

               

        bideltavanes(at)aol.com

Copyright © 2004-2008 Bi-Delta Vanes & Archery Products
Last modified: July 22, 2008