Feather splicing???

[Mike Vines]

Can feather splicing be as simple as butting to pieces together in a fletching clamp, then applying fletch tape and then sticking to the shaft, or do you have to get out the exacto knife and just remove the membrane and replase it with your splice?

I would think the simple method would work as long as you have a nice joint.  Am I wrong?  Please let me know.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I will be interested to hear the answers here.  I was wondering the same thing.  I would think a dab of fletch tite or superglue at the base and tape would work great.

[JRY309]

I have spliced feathers by simpling butting them together in the clamp and gluing them with good results.I just cut them at the same angle.I even did some with a splice in the middle of the feather,that was putting 3 pieces together and came out fine.This was easy to do for the few times I did splicing.I'm thinking of trying to do it on the membrane type method.But did quite a few spliced feathers years ago by simply just butting them together.

[Mike Vines]

I figured that it would work, but I just wanted to hear some other's opinions.  

I like to learn from mistakes.  I just wish it wasn't always my mistakes.  LOL

Anybody else have any luck (good or bad) from butt splicing and using fletch tape?

[dnovo]

I splice a lot of my arrows by cutting pcs and butting them together. They turn out well. I do it for my own enjoyment of shooting purty arrows. I wouldn't win any contests with them but I do get a lot of compliments. I can't offer any advice on doing it with fletch tape though cause I only use glue. I cut my pieces out of full length feathers and glue them on then burn the feathers to the shape I want.

[R. Combs]

I have done both, and just butting them together works just fine and is faster than striping the membrane. I think that there is a lot less waste also. Make sure that the bases are squared up good to make a good tight fit.


Rick

[Chinook]

I have tried splicing in the past.  And it did turn out pretty good.  
Splicing gives you a whole new way to be creative with your arrow building.
I think one of the details you need to pay attention to is the thickness and width of the quills on the various feathers you are using.
I found it a good first step is to sort thru the un-cut feathers and rough group them by quill thickness.
I did not like the looks of my results when I just tried to use the pieces as they fell - and ended up with a thick piece of quill butting up to a thin piece of quill.
I used full length feathers, and spliced only about a 1 1/4" solid white or yellow on the back of barred.

I put the 2 pieces in my fletching clamp, and put a small drop of Fletch-tite on the ends of the quills, and pushed them together and let them dry.  When dry, I would stroke them to "marry" the feather barbs together.
Then would chop them to size and shape.  Another tip - put a pencil mark on your chopper at the point you want the splice to be after chopped.  Then line up this mark with the splice.  Makes it easier to get all the feathers chopped the same.

Hope some of these ideas help you out.
Chinook

[Chris Shelton]

hmm I dont know what you are talking about, lol.  I thought splicing was cutting them and fitting them together.  I must do some research on this membrane business.  

Mine came out with great results . . .
 

[Fletcher]

Chinook has given some great advice.  About all I will add is to sand the base to make sure it is even and flat.  Butt spliced fletching will sometimes separate sideways if the the bases aren't matched and flattened.  I use a strip of 180 grit glued to a piece of alum angle, with the fletch in a straight clamp.  It only takes a few strokes to true things up.

[mooseman1967]

This kinda gives you an idea and they usually turn out pretty good.
 
 
 
 
 

[pickaspot]

I have spliced lots of feathers but it sounds like I do it the hard way. When I started, I butted them together but worried that the base would be weak (and I prefer tape). Although I didn't have any troubles with those early arrows.

My technique is to pull a section of the feather free from the quill (back to front)the "membrane" that connects the individual feather barbs to the quill will stay intact. I do the same on a feather of contrasting color, snip the end of the new piece & make sure it fits. Then glue it in place, zipping the feathers together. All that is left then is to chop to shape.

Done this way, they are very durable and good looking...but it does take a little longer.

Jay

[highPlains]

When I make my 'Sunday go to meetin' arrows I do exactly what pickaspot said. But for my shooters I butt them up. If you are careful they look the same from arms length. But peeling off the membrane is much cleaner and nicer when you examine them closely.

[top cat]

How to in the latest Aussie Stikbow mag.
 www.stikbowhunter.com

Cheers

[joe skipp]

I use a razor knife and diagonally cut the pieces I want to splice right through the base. then butt them up in the clamp and glue them up. Has worked pretty well for me.

[Killdeer]

I'm a membrane  splicer, when I bother to splice. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet here is matching up the curvature and rake of the barbs on the quills. Try to use as similar a section of splice as you can to match the feather you are splicing to. This will result in fewer humps and bumps along the length of the vane, and a smoother, sleeker transition makes for a clean, workmanlike job.

The idea is to try to fool folks into thinking that the feather grew that way.    

Killdeer

[snag]

Originally posted by Killdeer:
I'm a membrane  splicer, when I bother to splice. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet here is matching up the curvature and rake of the barbs on the quills. Try to use as similar a section of splice as you can to match the feather you are splicing to. This will result in fewer humps and bumps along the length of the vane, and a smoother, sleeker transition makes for a clean, workmanlike job.

The idea is to try to fool folks into thinking that the feather grew that way.        

Killdeer

That is the difference between a great artistic job and just a functional arrow.

[Mike Vines]

Yes it is.

[sagebrush]

I do mine the same way Chinook does. Works for me. Gary