Author Topic: What glue for feathers?  (Read 12850 times)

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Offline richpierce

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What glue for feathers?
« on: December 28, 2007, 05:37:57 pm »
Do you use hide glue or something else to glue feathers to wooden shafts?

Offline carpenter374

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Re: What glue for feathers?
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2007, 05:47:50 pm »
you can use hide glue, but it's water soluable. some use super glue. that's pretty much what most commercial fletching glues are. Or, you can just tie the feathers tight at the back, leave a little extra quill sticking out, tie the front where you want it, the use the extra quill to pull the feather tight to the shaft. secure what ever you use to tie it with (sinew, dental floss, thread, or whatever) with a few drops of glue and it will be stronger.
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Offline DanaM

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Re: What glue for feathers?
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2007, 07:13:59 pm »
I use duco most of the time.
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Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: What glue for feathers?
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2007, 07:49:06 pm »
Super glue is fast. Duco works great and has an easy to work with consistency. Hide glue is a great option for primitive and is fairly easy to use. I have never used TB but I bet it would work great also.  Justin
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: What glue for feathers?
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2007, 07:28:12 pm »
Hide glue, contact cement, superglue, duco, fletch tape, all work well. If you're making accurate replica arrows, hide glue or no glue. Fletch tape, contact cement, or superglue let you stick your feather to the shaft and then wrap the ends-Duco or hide glue take longer to set up. I did find out the hard way this weekend not to use fletching tape over tru-oil and then take your arrows out into downpouring rain.  >:(
« Last Edit: December 31, 2007, 07:31:34 pm by Hillbilly »
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PK

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Re: What glue for feathers?
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2008, 01:40:02 am »
and straight pins to hold down the fletch

Offline juniper junkie

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Re: What glue for feathers?
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2008, 01:12:41 am »
I like to use CA glue (superglue) that you can get at the hobby stores, you can buy it in different thicknesses, I use the extra thick for fletching, and the thinner for filling checks in staves. there is a accelerator that you can get with it, just glue down your feather with the fletching jig, then spray with the accelerator and wait about 30 seconds and go on to the next one. it is more economical than buying the little tubes of superglue. you can fletch a arrow in about 5 min.