best glue for points and knock on wooden shafts

[sambow]

I am just about to assemble some arrows for my son. I've assembled many carbon and aluminium arrows for myself, but never worked with wood.

I am using taper fits for knocks and piles.

What is the best glue to use?

I am assuming its best to glue onto bare wood then laquer then rub down redo and then fletch is this a safe assumption?

[alanesq]

I use 2 part epoxy glue on all mine (Wilkos cheap home brand)
never have any problem with them coming off (despite the struggle I have getting my arrows out the boss !)

[Raedwald]

I use Areldite for the piles and fletching glue for the nocks, attaching to bare wood.

Haven't had a problem with either.

[Tarkwin]

Originally Posted by Raedwald

I use Areldite for the piles and fletching glue for the nocks, attaching to bare wood.

Haven't had a problem with either.

Ditto...in fact, the piles have lasted longer then the shaft in some cases...

[sambow]

thanks all. I was guessing araldite would be best for points but probably mistakingly would have used it on the knocks too.

[Dreadnaught]

If you warm gently on a gas hob a point held on by Araldite (or as I use B&Q's cheap copy) for about 10 seconds you can remove it if you need to.

I always score a spiral with the side edge of a half round file around the taper of the wood before applying the glue and fitting the point,I think they hold better.

Its a good idea to clean out the taper inside the point with acetone first as oil is often used when machining out the taper and rarely cleaned out before you get them.
Good luck

[Tarkwin]

Something I've considered doing, but not got round to trying...

Take a parallel or screw fit pile...compress the shaft until it is just slightly too large for the pile....apply epoxy (slow cure - always use slow cure unless you are carrying out field repairs) to the shaft.

Then heat the pile, causing it to expand, slip* the pile over the end of the shaft while it is still hot.

You might find that brass piles will discolour, depending on method of heating.


T.

*in the haynes manual sense

[sambow]

Originally Posted by Tarkwin

Something I've considered doing, but not got round to trying...

Take a parallel or screw fit pile...compress the shaft until it is just slightly too large for the pile....apply epoxy (slow cure - always use slow cure unless you are carrying out field repairs) to the shaft.

Then heat the pile, causing it to expand, slip* the pile over the end of the shaft while it is still hot.

You might find that brass piles will discolour, depending on method of heating.


T.

*in the haynes manual sense

That may go someway to answering one of my next questions. I have some wooden arrows to make for myself, but accidentally bought parrallel fit bullets, now I cant work out the best way to get them on the shaft! But thats tomorrows problem.

Does heating brass make it appreciably expand? (ie sufficient for the bullet to slip over an uncompressed shaft) and is glue necessary? I woukld have thought once it contracted it would be going nowhere.

[Raedwald]

The other suggestion for parallels is to crimp the ends with pliers to get a ridged effect. That helps the glue flow, the pile to slide and the air to escape.

There's a good "how to make wooden arrows" helpful hint on the Archery Centre website The Archery Centre - The specialists in field, traditional, and re-enactment archery.

[^HUN^]

I only ever use parallel insert piles, the taper tool never seems to match tapered piles. I use a file to reduce the shaft and fer-l-tite to glue the pile. For nocks and fletchings I use HMG.
Heat will not expand the pile enough to slip it over the shaft and yes it needs gluing.