Whipping fletchings

[RichardH]

Been making some arrows, and have used fletching tape - how great is that! Super quick.

Anyway, I thought I'd whip "up the fletching" - partly as a belt and braces thing, and partly to give it a go.

Here's my first attempt:



However, what do others do for the nock end of the whipping? I've tried a couple of ways now, but it always ends up in me wasting thread. First off I whipped the leading edge as per normal, but then instead of cutting the long end, I pulled it in then carried it on up through the fletchings. I then put a couple of turns round the shaft, then a half hitch ot two, then did some complicated twiddle and did another whipping from there, keeping the thread continuous, but when trimming all the ends, I realised I had ended up with two distinct pieces of thread anyway.

The second arrow I did I underestimated the thread needed, so have a shorter length of whipping at the nock end. Third one, I did it as a separate whipping but whipped over the tail end of the initial thread that came up through the fletchings.

Any definitive methods?

R

[Quadratus]

I'm not proud of it but I use..... superglue.

[Malcy]

I put whipping on my arrows. That knot at the end is a nightmare and I'm not sure how to describe it. You sort of make a loop then pass the end back through the loop then wind the loop round and pull the end tight

I had a go but it's way too fiddly for my sausage fingers...it's best if you have a friend who is really really really good at it

....oh I put some fletching glue on the end of the whipping just to make sure, not too much though.

[RichardH]

I manage OK to do the whipping - as per this pic:


Instead of cutting off the top end once pulled in, I take it off up the shaft of the arrow through the fletchings. To do this though you have to cut off the thread, and judge how much to cut off, so you can pass it through the loop. I guess I just need to practice.

However, it's what to do at the nock end that I can't decide - I need to work out a way of finishing off the thread I bring up from below. Maybe a touch of glue beckons....


I found a pair of needlenose pliers quite helpful when poking threads through loops - helps counteract sausage fingers.

[gwynn]

Nice job! What thread are you using?

[RichardH]

Silk thread from Flybow

I have found that the fletching tape isn't quite as wonderful as first thought -maybe because I varnished the shafts first. Some of the fletchings are "creeping" back into their curved shape - I guess because the tape is slipping a bit on the varnished surface, even though I cut it back with a medium/fine sandpaper before fixing the fletchings. So for the moment I'm back to FletchTite.

[ateallthepies]

Here are a couple i have done. I just end the whipping and put a dab of superglue on to hold. Then varnish to give abrasion resistance.

Steve.

[RichardH]

Nice job! I have been trying doing this with some ray shaped fletchings, which have a similarly low profile at the front, but I found that the thread going through the feather split the feather apart too much - perhaps my thread's thicker than yours.

So when you say "end the whipping" you mena you just keep going round then stop without pulling the thread through (as per ending a "normal whipping"), and use superglue to hold the end of the thread?

[ateallthepies]

Richard, yes i just stop winding and let the dab of glue do the holding. The thread i use is called 'upholstery thread' and you get it from hobbycraft in lots of colours. It is the thinnest strongest thread i have found so far.

Steve.

[gino]

Hey Steve,

I recognise those arrows lovely job though, well done.

G.