Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: burchett.donald on May 12, 2021, 08:12:25 pm
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Wanted to show the orientation I use on the Eastern Two Fletch...I guess there's more than one way to do it but I've done some research and also from trial and error I've learned early on that I need rotation of my points for accuracy and to guard against wind plain...I have seen 2 fletch many ways even representing a flu flu type with wind drag...I prefer to use a 90 degree helo that gives me a rapid spin that delivers point control and quiet speed...I have here some pics that might help explain the orientation...You will see an overhead view of feather clearance of the handle along with the amount of helo to create spin to stabilize my points in flight...This is from a hunters perspective and what has been working for me...
Don
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Thanks so much for making this post! This will definitely help me with my next batch of arrows... very excited to give this a try! Those look really nice ;)
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Glad you have an interest Fox...Let me know if I can help...I soak the feathers in water before attaching and pull tight while wrapping...I found I have to use a sinew thread to tie the center of the feather down against the shaft to make them scary quiet...Once tied and dried I use pine pitch shellac to water proof all the sinew wraps...These can hunt in the rain
Don
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Great thanks! Do you use any glue? or is it all just sinew holding it on? also any chance you know what volume In TBB they had this type of fletch?
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Fox,
Yes, I soak my sinew in a light hide glue mixture...After it dries and pulls tight I brush pine pitch shellac over all the wraps...
Don
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Here are a few pics of the rear folded wrap...Looking closely at the photo you can see the folded quill, this isn't necessary...I start at the rear "90 degrees" perpendicular to the nock/string groove with a few wraps then fold over and continue wrapping until secure...I then move to the front and pull the wet quill tight, in line with the nock/string groove and finish wrapping, taking care to cover the quill well to protect my hand...You can pull the wet quill end tight towards the point end of the arrow as you wrap and then trim...The first time I made these I had a loud buzz from the quill vibrating against the shaft, it was remedied by the small tie in the center to hold it tight against the shaft...The artist's rendition in the above photo was probably very accurate showing the gap between feather and shaft...Keep in mind this isn't the only way to tie a 2 fletch but works for my personal application...
Don
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Thanks for the detailed pictures and description! excited to work on my arrows :)
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I Found Patrick's "build along" He uses the fold over method in this one... Very informative thread
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=13025.0
Don
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Beautifully fletched :) I've never really given these 2 fletch arrows a proper try out. These should work well with the goose feathers we get around here.
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I never wanted to try this until now, thanks for posting this Donald
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Thanks for the compliment bownarrow...Goose should work just fine...
Allyn, no problem...Be sure and check out Patrick's "build along" I linked above...That guy has talent
Don
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Great looking fletch job, Don! Your sinew wraps are as clean as it gets. When you say ‘pine pitch shellac’, do you mean pine pitch soaked in turpentine? Or some other mixture? Thanks!
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boomhowzer,
Crystalized pitch, hard crumbly pitch dissolved in denatured alcohol...When the alcohol carrier evaporates the pitch returns to it's crystalized state...I apply with a small paint brush and the alcohol helps it penetrate into the sinew wraps or sinew backing...Haven't had any cracking or flaking either...Seems to be flexible also...Water resistance is awesome!
Don
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Okay, so it sounds like the same concept, just different solvents. I've finished a bow and a few arrow shafts in the turpentine/sap solution and its wood protection properties are amazing. Better than anything I've ever used from the store, but I never tried it on sinew and hide glue because I was afraid the turpentine would dissolve the hide glue. I'll have to give it a try next time.
One more clarifying question before I get into it though. I know 'pitch' to be pine sap and charcoal dust mixed together and heated up (very strong glue). Do you mean this type of pitch? or are you referring to plain tree sap?
Thanks :)
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Plain crystalized tree sap...........................
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I have never used turps/turpentine, don't know what may happen...Denatured alcohol will evaporate quickly and leave the crystalized pitch with a clear hard, flexible covering...Like shellac, Pine Pitch Shellac..You may be able to see the pitch shellac covering in the pic...This was applied over a sinew backing...The Shellac darkened the sinew backing and made it very water resistant...
Don
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That's a creepy looking bow. :o
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That's an awesome looking bow
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That is a cool bow! What kind of talons/claws are those?
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Thanks guy's...Here's a link on the turtle claw handle...
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,63412.0.html
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Aside from the end tags your fletching looks exactly like what I used over half a century ago when I made a few arrows for a long bow I made in high school.
Pope stated the only good two vane fletching was on a wind vane but had very good results with mine. I used turkey feathers straight from the bird. I used dental floss to bind the ends.
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Many people today use a two fletch of some sort with good results. Building a proper arrow for your bow and your style of shooting, whether it be 2 fletch, 3 fletch or four fletch is irrelevant. You can get an arrow with Eastern Woodland two fletch to fly as well as any other fletching style but you have to understand arrows, paradox and arrow flight first.
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Seems to me that the extra drag of this sort of fletching would act to improve close and mid range accuracy while limiting maximum range a bit.
Close range penetration should also be improved by dampening yaw. The point being more likely to enter cleanly if there's no yaw.
They found that WW2 era armor piercing bullets penetrated better at 200 yards than at closer ranges because by then the yaw had straightened itself out.
Earlier in smoothbore muzzle loader days they tried putting a cord tail on musket balls, the drag of the cord dampening any tendency to roll.
I seem to remember such a tail being tried with arrows at one time, but can't remember details. Perhaps it was ballista bolts instead of arrows.
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As far as wind drag effect on 2 vs 3 fletch I haven't experienced any difference...I'm a hunter and try to keep my shots under 20 yds. max, so I'm not sure of long range performance...I do also bare shaft tune each arrow from 5 to 15 yards before fletching to make sure I have good arrow flight in close for maximum penetration...My "main concern" is that the helical fletching spins the shaft and point guarding against wind plain or cross winds in a hunting scenario...My arrows are all well over 600 grains...Here's a few link's to a couple in action...
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,54427.0.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EsTdG_eYTk
Don
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That was an awesome bow kill.
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Thanks Allen, I haven't forgotten that one hunt out of a thousand before and after...
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I just fletched up a shaft with the method you just described.... I've only fletched a few dozen arrows the normal 3 fletch, but practically none of them shot true. And I knew the shafts were good... but the first arrow I fletched eastern 2 fletch shot perfect.... boy that made me so happy ;D. so ill be fletching up some arrows for this season pretty soon! :)
Thanks for all the super good info on this kind of fletching Donald :)
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Glad you tried it Fox...! Appreciate your feedback brother...It worked for the Native Americans, tried and true...Would love to see some pics, keep me posted on your findings...
Don
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Glad you tried it Fox...! Appreciate your feedback brother...It worked for the Native Americans, tried and true...Would love to see some pics, keep me posted on your findings...
Don
:OK
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I’m planning to make a dozen of these soon but had a question - It looks like you oriented the feather with the underside facing up/away from the shaft when finished. The feathers look upside down from the other builds I’ve seen here, which have the most vibrantly colored side facing up when finished, if that makes sense. Have you found this to be a better orientation? It looks like your method would create much more spin than the reverse.
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Cory, I've only made a few of these now, but the method Donald uses seems to work really well. one arrow I fletched like this I did it so that the shiny top of the feather was facing away from the shaft, it didn't really work because it made the feathers kinda curl together and touch a little bit? hard to explain just go and take to feathers and put them together shiny side touching and then not shiny side and you'll see what I mean