Dip tubes

[Stone Knife]

I'm slowly going to work my way into building my own arrows. I'm going to order a Bitzenburger fletcher. My question is about dip tubes is the aluminum one that 3Rivers sell that will do a dozen at a time the way to go? And what type of sealer would be the best any other tips are greatly appreciated.

[Bear Gardner]

I have been building arrows since 1959 and make my own dip tubes out of Golf Club tubes. I put corks in the ends to seal or plastic pipe with a with a glue on caps. As for paint I dip my arrows in Clear Lacqure. Get it from Menards about 20.00 a gal. Have Built and sold over 20,000 arrows in 48 years and been useing the golf club tube. Its just one arrow shaft at a time though..........

[JRY309]

I liked using the plastic dip tubes with the big end.I could have a few different colors to dip with out buying the one where you can dip all 12 at one time.Unless you want to stick with one dip color,I found it was easier to dip with a single dip tube and hang the arrows with a clothes pin to let dry.I started out using Bohning products but you need a well ventilated area for the fumes and I would still using a respirator I used for painting cars.But then I went to doing it the with stains for crown and dipping the whole arrow with gasket lacquer.Then I would crest over the gasket lacquer with my Bohning cresting paints.It was alot quicker without the fumes.The Bitz is a excellent fletcher still have mine,but have a Jo-Jan multi also and it cranks out arrows alot quicker unless you are going to use fletch tape.

[702plmo]

I have used both but I love the big dip tubes,  it makes the process alot faster but the $ is a draw back.

[dino]

The draw back to the alum dip tanks is that paint does not store well long term in them and takes alot of paint to prime them up.  Advantages would be speed.  If you doing alot of arrows regularly that is the best way to go.  I have a 4x12 with a 12 arrow holder for caps and it is slick and fast, but I rarely use it.  

Big dippers and little dippers are nice because you can store your paint in them and you can usually dip alot of arrows without having to add more paint to them regularly.

[Aeronut]

I use a PVC tube with a screw on cap.  It keeps the paint and sealer fresh for a long time.  I use the long one for Minwax Polycrylic and the short one is for a 10" crest.

Dennis


   
 

[Bill Carlsen]

For many, many years I have done it the way Aeronut does it. Cheap and works as well or better than anything you can buy from a specialty supplier.

[Shakes.602]

Another VOTE for PVC!!

[bjk]

I do something similar to what Dennis has above...likely got the idea from him...I use a "gasket" with my system, though...same pvc tubes, water based finish (or any, I guess), then a piece of tshirt as a gasket...dip down through a very small hole in tshirt and pull back up...basically eliminates waiting to drip, etc...quick, clean and easy...dip through tshirt, hang...repeat after a half hour, few hours, days, etc... depending on finish and how durable.  

I use the "see through" caps for pvc and screw down the tshirt material when working, then some plastic to really seal when not working.

[Shawn Leonard]

Yup like Dennis except I use oil based poly and paint thinner. I mix it 70% poly 30% thinner. I just glue a funnel into the pvc and dump my mixture back into a glass mayo jar and put it in a dark spot. It last a long time that way. Shawn

[wenselkid]

Here's a tip I used many moons ago to crown dip. Wash out an empty plastic squeeze ketchup bottle. ALMOST fill the bottle with your favorite color paint. Dip a single shaft in and squeeze the upright bottle until the paint creeps up the shaft to the open top. Depending on what size plastic bottle you use, the top of the bottle is about perfect for your crown dip. And the dip always comes out the same and you don't have to keep adding paint as often. One squeeze bottle for each color. It doesn't get much cheaper than that.