Trade arrow build along.

[PaSteve]

Glad I stumbled upon your arrow build a long BJ. That's looking really nice and the cresting just adds another layer to the detail work. Thanks for taking us along.

[Hawkdancer]

Great build along!  I think you will see quite a few of us copying your techniques!
Hawkdancer

[bjrogg]

Thanks Steve glad you found it.

My wife asked me. Why do you paint them?

I asked her. Why don’t you like it?

She said no. She liked it but wondered why?

I told her that when man hunted together in groups. They had markings on their arrows and fore shafts. That if you had your arrow in the killing wound. Your family got a bigger share of the animal.

I told her if I ever go buffalo hunting with a big bunch of my PA friends and my arrow is the killing arrow we will know and get a bigger share of the buffalo. And the more likely, when I lose my arrow at a shoot everyone knows who’s it is if they find it.lol

Well I didn’t get as far as I hoped today but I did get my Bjrogg markings on.

I finished the blue

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Thanks Jerry. Your welcome to copy everything but my markings. Gotta make sure I get all my buffalo.

I will let this dry overnight. Then give it a couple coats of clear satin poly tomorrow. Maybe even get some fletch on.

Bjrogg

[Knoll]

Enjoyable read, BJ. Thanks for taking time to document.
Ya gonna show at Elm Hall?

[Pat B]

Thanks for posting this build along, BJ. I'm sure it will be helpful for lots of folks and we want to be sure you get your fair share of the buffalo. 

[Danzn Bar]

looks good BJ,  Really like your self nocks..
DBar

[bjrogg]

Thanks Knoll good to hear from you.

I’m going to try to sneak out there part of a day and a night at least. It’s fair week and grandkids have animals there. They are pretty excited about it seeing how they couldn’t have spectators last year.

Right now it’s kinda looking like maybe Friday . Alway the spontaneous one.

Thanks Pat I’ve been wanting to do one for quite some time but it always seems harder than it should be to actually get it done.

Thanks Bill I really like yours to. You certainly make some fine shooting arrows and the ones you gave me get shot a lot.

This morning I put a couple coats of clear satin poly on to lock the color on. Then I gave it a light polish with steel wool.

This afternoon I started fletching.

First I picked three nice primary wild turkey feathers. I like to kinda match them up pretty fair.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Then Starting at least a inch from the end I start to pull the fletch off of the quill. Kinda like pealing tape off the wall after painting. You want to pull almost straight back.

Slowly peal it back till you get to the base and it separates.

Bjrogg

PS sometimes getting them a little damp with a wet rag helps. Fresh ones usually strip easier.

[bjrogg]

I have five marks on my parts washer. The out side ones are length of quill for 4 1/2 inch one set over for four inch. I cut the quill with scissors to proper length. Then I mark length of fletch and cut part of it off both ends of quill. This area of quill will be sinew wrapped.
Bjrogg
PS wish I had someone to take pictures. Hard to hold right with one hand.

[bjrogg]

I have a old Jo Jan Fletching jig . I put a mark on the clamp where I want the back of fletch to line up.
Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Before I glue fletch on. I take a razor blade and scrape area that glue will contact. It will remove some of my markings but most of it will get cover by fletch anyway. I think this helps the glue to adhere.

I turn the index to all three positions and scrape each of them. Then I wipe off any loose stuff so it doesn’t end up in glue.

Bjrogg

Ps if there is a stiffer side I put it towards bow.

[bjrogg]

Then I carefully apply glue to the fletching and place clamp in jig. I check to see that it is making good contact the entire length of quill. I use my razor to push any stubborn areas down.
Bjrogg

[Yooper Bowyer]

Good idea scraping down the finish, generally my glue sticks to my finish, but not if there is any paint there.

[bjrogg]

I’ve tried several types of glue. This is Bohning fletch tite. I find this usually works best if I give it several hour to set up in the jig.

It’ll probably take me till tomorrow night to finish and next morning to remove, cut and sinew wrap. Basically you just repeat the process two more times though.

Bjrogg

I’ll be back