Author Topic: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?  (Read 12459 times)

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Offline toomanyknots

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What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« on: December 19, 2013, 08:31:11 pm »
Or on arrows in general? I have been using the plain old elmers glue for the whipping, but it doesn't look super sexy, and wouldn't work with a varnished arrow really. I thought maybe I could use glue, and varnish over that, over the whippings, but no matter what I always get varnish running down (or up too) the fletching. I don't know if it is too wet, or I need to do super super thin coats, or what? The varnish I have been using was tru oil though. I gather the two main ones I have found people use a lot are super glue and pva glue. I think elmers ( the pva glue I use) is ok, but two coats or more looks like dull crap, and if you don't coat it with something else, then it can turn white when wet. It also cracks easy when hit on impact, or with lots of shooting. Just curious what yall are using...
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline Archeress

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2013, 11:36:37 pm »
Gidday.....i use tru oil on the shafts..about 5 coats with a steel wool sand inbetweens.   i put thread at fron at back of fletches and if i need to whip them along the shaft i will.  I used a touch of superglue just to hold the silk to shaft..then start wrapping.  same at the end of it all.       final process is to use a correct width brush so i can delicatly paint tru oil on the shaft between each fletch and on top of whipping..the other parts of the shaft are simply wiped on.
Archeress is a long way from home

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2013, 12:04:51 am »
Gidday.....i use tru oil on the shafts..about 5 coats with a steel wool sand inbetweens.   i put thread at fron at back of fletches and if i need to whip them along the shaft i will.  I used a touch of superglue just to hold the silk to shaft..then start wrapping.  same at the end of it all.       final process is to use a correct width brush so i can delicatly paint tru oil on the shaft between each fletch and on top of whipping..the other parts of the shaft are simply wiped on.

Thank you Archeress. Guess I just suck at painting it on, haha. It's good to know that I am not the only one using tru oil on arrow shafts. I will give er another go. I was having ok success tonight painting it on real light, the whipping was coated first with some clear wood glue though.
« Last Edit: December 20, 2013, 09:19:55 am by toomanyknots »
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline WillS

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2013, 03:05:44 am »
Once I've done all the horn inserts, and cut and sanded the string nock, I fit the head then do about 3 coats of Danish Oil (beeswax, boiled linseed oil and turpentine mixture - probably the same stuff as Tru Oil?) all the way up the shaft, so I do the whole lot.

I then glue the fletchings on, over the Danish Oil using superglue usually, then whip with silk starting at the base of the fletching.  I always whip all of mine all the way up, then finish at the nock end with a dab of superglue again.

At this stage, I then paint PVA glue over the shaftment and whipping, doesn't really matter if you get it on the feathers as it's clear anyway.  Once the PVA has completely dried (I usually leave it a day) I go over it with actual varnish (not the Danish Oil) that dries clear.  I've found that using Danish Oil on its own doesn't do a whole lot to keep the whippings in place if they really want to come undone, say you get a through-and-through on a target, or it goes into the ground and drives along the grass etc, they'll come undone if not properly glued in place.  As you say, the PVA turns white if it gets wet, so that's why I go over the dried glue with proper varnish at the end - something like yacht varnish works really well.

mikekeswick

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2013, 06:16:27 am »
Another way to coat the shafts is to dip them. Use a tin tube, I use a length of copper plumbing pipe, bung the bottom and fill with your varnish/oil of choice. Just dip the shafts in and pull it back out...done! Hang up to dry.
I use a water based two part lacquer for arrows. It is designed as a bar top coating for pubs etc.
The only thing is make sure you have finish/glue compatability!!

Offline AndiE

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2013, 11:07:15 am »
Hi

I use a repair glue or hot glue for the arrowheads so they can easily be taken off with heat. For the horn inserts and fletching I take a crafting-glue because it fits all materials. The glues are from Uhu and Pattex, I don`t know if you have these labels in your country.
I finish them with a tung oil / orange oil mix, linseed oil or clear lacquer, it depends on what the arrows will be used for.

Kind regards
Andi

Offline Archeress

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2013, 03:58:10 am »
aHHH wILLS...yes i was going to ask whether superglue stuck to tru oil ok..as in fletches..havent tried it..i just left the shafts bare till i have finished everything then wiped the shaft and painted inbetween fletches...sounds good..if it sticks..i will do it
Archeress is a long way from home

Offline WillS

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2013, 08:11:20 am »
Yeah it certainly sticks to danish oil, I've never used tru oil but I imagine it will stick to that as well!  I guess it won't be quite as good a bond as bare wood, but it's not as bad as a varnish, as oil seeps into the wood rather than just forming a skin over it.  Plus the real strength should be coming from the silk binding, so if the glue does end up failing you shouldnt lose a fletch!

Offline Dag

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2013, 01:44:45 pm »
Always used good ol' Elmer's glue myself.  Mostly because it is economical, and fast to apply/dry.  It does chip and flake off after awhile though.  Mine always dries very clear and I haven't noticed it ever turning white when wet.  Could be that I haven't paid attention though :)

I had used regular superglue before that but it gummed up really bad and looked very unsightly. 

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #9 on: December 21, 2013, 03:50:27 pm »
Always used good ol' Elmer's glue myself.  Mostly because it is economical, and fast to apply/dry.  It does chip and flake off after awhile though.  Mine always dries very clear and I haven't noticed it ever turning white when wet.  Could be that I haven't paid attention though :)

I had used regular superglue before that but it gummed up really bad and looked very unsightly.

I don't know how you would paint it between the fletches? Maybe find some slow drying super glue, if there is such a thing? I tried to with a brush, but it hardened the brush in about 5 seconds, haha.
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair


Offline toomanyknots

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #11 on: December 21, 2013, 08:34:44 pm »
http://www.gorillatough.com/index.php?page=epoxy

Will give it a try. Can you paint it on with a brush without it hardening too quickly?
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline PatM

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #12 on: December 21, 2013, 08:44:20 pm »
It's 5 minute epoxy, do the math. Why not just use regular epoxy if you want time?

Offline Pat B

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #13 on: December 25, 2013, 11:45:34 am »
I use super glue on wraps fore and aft of the fletching. I don't wrap through the feathers.  I use my finger to spread the super glue around the wrap. As long as it is liquid you won't stick to it. Once the super glue has cured I use 220 emory cloth to smooth it out then add more glue. Do this a few times and the wrap becomes a solid band.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Thesquirrelslinger

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Re: What all glue and varnish do yall use for whipping on arrows?
« Reply #14 on: December 26, 2013, 10:50:01 am »
you can buy THIN cyanoacrylate glues at hobby shops. Its sort of a slower-drying superglue. It is also very expensive- 5$ for an oz.  However, it is extremely strong, more so than superglue.
Works wonders on fletching, and also on wrappings.
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"