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3-Fletch by jig or by guess and by golly?

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richpierce:
For those who fletch shoots or cane shafts:  Do you use a jig or another gizmo or do you lay the cock feather down then work the other two in by spacing them evenly "by eye"?

I can't seem to even think about doing a spiral wrap through the feathers w/o a jig, so have been securing the ends with sinew wraps and one or two single (not barber-pole) wraps mid-feather.

JackCrafty:
Maybe I should use a jig.....but I've been doing my fletching by "eye" for a long time.  Besides, with NA style arrows...I don't need to be too neat and I don't have to glue down the quills if I don't want to.  ;D
First I tie on the rear of the cock feather with a couple wraps of sinew or thread.  If I'm using thread, I placed a dab of wood glue on the shaft and a bit of glue on the thread to hold it down.  Then I add the other two feathers with a few more wraps.  Then I adjust the spacing of feathers by eye.  I leave enough quill on the back (and front) of the feathers so I can get a good grip on them when making the adjustments.
After the rear of the feathers has been wrapped down with more thread/sinew, I tie down the fronts with a few wraps, adjust, and pull tight.  Then I finish wrapping down the front quills - usually about 1" of wrapping.

Oh yeah, I dip the feathers in water (and shake off the excess) just before I tie them.  The water expands the feathers, makes it easier to push the vanes out of the way, and makes the quill less brittle.  Feathers shrink a little as they dry....pulling them even tighter between the wraps.

Hillbilly:
I sometimes do them by eye, but usually use a piece of cardboard with an arrowshaft-sized hole in the center with marks 120 degrees apart. I mark the shaft at the front and back of the fletching area, then slide the cardboard on and mark where the feathers will be placed at the rear. Slide it up to the front of the fletching area, rotate it 1/8" or so for helical, and mark the front. Then glue and tie the feathers on.

huntertrapper:
ive been doin it by eye. ive only made about ten arrows though so far. and i have done the same mid wrap with sinew and it works pretty good. good luck. as much as i love bows and arrows, fletching isnt my favorite thing to do, but its got to be done. ;)

NorthernArcher:
I used a jig when I first started making arrows, but have been doing it by hand ever since I switched to primitive (natural) archery a few years ago and started making my own shafts from shoots.  It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it you'll find that it really isn't that difficult to space the feathers properly without a jig.  I start by marking the back of the shaft at the spot where I want the back of the feathers to be, which for me is about 2 - 2.5cm from the base of the nock.  Then I wrap the back of the feathers in place on that mark, using just enough sinew to hold them in place.  Then I do the same on the front.  When both ends are held in place, I move the feathers around a bit until they are exactly where I want them.  At this point I do the spiral wrap, from front to back, with a long piece of back sinew.  When that is finshed I double check the position of the feathers and pull them tight, then finish the end wraps.  Hope this helps.

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