Arrow building glue choice!!

[the badger]

Set to, to produce some flashy arrows for my new bow when it arrives and I have to say, I'm a little dissapointed.

I have used ally shafts, glued in the nocks and points.....no problems so far. Put on some hi viz wraps, to install the matching fletches (plastic vanes) on. Thereby hangs the tale.

Somewhere along the line either on these forums or at the club, It was suggested that multi purpose bostik was the way to go for fletches, all went well till I made a silly error on one. So I thought I'll just pull this one off and reposition.

The effect of the bostik has made holes (melted) the wrap. Its OK at the moment as I have spares but what when I lose a fletch, I will have to replace all the wraps etc (if I can get them off. I know now to use superglue, and I will with the other 6 I have.

Has anyone had similar probs?

[worthipa]

Originally Posted by the badger

Set to, to produce some flashy arrows for my new bow when it arrives and I have to say, I'm a little dissapointed.

Somewhere along the line either on these forums or at the club, It was suggested that multi purpose bostik was the way to go for fletches,

Shouldn't believe everything you're told, especially "down the club". Bostik is a solvent glue, that's why it melted your wraps! Can't recollect seeing anyone recommend it on here.

Many many threads on here about fletching glue, I always recommend Poundshop Superglue, can't beat it.

[Rik]

I always use bostik for non-bent vanes. But then I don't tend to use wraps.
I suspect some of the commercial fletching glues would have had a similar effect, as they are solvent based too...

Anyway, isn't the point of wraps that they get replaced when you refletch? They're a kind of sacrificial surface, so you don't do anything to the actual shaft. You can probably get away with not replacing them with bent-vanes (tape and all that), but other wise you're likely to be messing up the surface when you refletch in any case.

[Watch_Man]

I always use superglue from eBay UK Shop - Starloc industrial adhesives from shop4glue.eu glue-shop.com: as they sell flexible superglue which seems to hold fletches better than normal superglue. They also do a foam safe one which may work better on wraps.

[moley101]

I was recently recommended to use normal fletching glue (NPV/fletchtite equiv) rather than fastset/super glue when gluing onto arrow wraps to avoid damaging the wrap as you describe.