Feather burner thoughts

[rluttrell]

I am going to start fletching my own arrows; I was looking at some feather choppers and decided for me a burner will work better. the burner will work better because the feathers will already be on the arrow so they will be the same. Which one do you guys recommend?

[reddogge]

Young.

[drewsbow]

I recomend doing that outside      

[Steve Clandinin]

Your doing the right thing,The only way to go.If your married and want to stay that way do it outside !LOL

[moose eye levi]

Young feather burner. Getting the ribbon bent will take some time, patients and a few feathers but it's worth it.

[Rob DiStefano]

there really is no choice - it's either buy a young or scratch build a home made burner.  buying is just easier.    

there is a learning curve to using a burner, and setting one up with a ribbon will take some care and time.  if you like doing different fletch shapes/sizes, it's a chore of sorts to change out ribbons and reset it up again.  a reason why i have 3 youngs and about to get a 4th.   :D

oh yeah, burnt feathers do stink to the high heavens!  

[JRY309]

When I started out I bought a chopper,did a couple dozen arrows.Just wasn't satisfied,sold it and bought a Young feather burner.Still working great after over 15 years,I'm not limited to one shape and get better results.Burner for me all the way,it was alittle more cost bit is still working great.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I love my antique young feather burner.

It does stink bad, but I kinda like the smell.

[Ladams]

It stinks

[Dirtybird]

Call me a weirdo, but I like the smell of burnt feathers.

[rluttrell]

I get that part about its going to stink; I have never smelled it before so it will be interesting. I thought to would be good at making the feathers symmetrical for the fact that you do it after the feathers are attached.
I have not researched yet what different designs will do or how they affect flight yet.

[RkyMtn Joe]

Many years ago (mid 60's) I stopped at a country store in Eastern Virginia.  The owner was handicapped and working from a wheelchair.  In the glassed counter he had a multi-fletcher with a full set of RW clamps and a full set of straights.  He also had a cresting machine and a YOUNG feather burner, all for sale at the ridiculously high price of $25.00.

That sounds low today, but I had to do some serious scraping to raise the money for the items.  I still have (and use) the burner and the fletching jig but have replaced the crestor.

I have fletched and burned the feather profiles of literally thousands of arrows in the intervening years.

[RkyMtn Joe]

I meant to add that the feather burtner is a great way to go and part of the fun of "doing your own" is getting each set bent and shaped the way YOU want them to be.  Not that much trouble to change them in my opinion.

Joe

[Mint Hill Mule]

I have used the Young for about 22 years. Unlike most, I make the ribbon to the shape and size I want, then burn the full length feather, rotating the feather while holding it in my fingers (carefully). I can get 2  4" fletches out of 1 full length feather. Hope this makes sense. I've never burned one that is already attached to the arrow. This works for me.

[DEATHMASTER]

Mint Hill Mule I would like to see pictures of you doing the burn with your fingers.

[Rob DiStefano]

i can't imagine how you'd freehand burn a feather to fletch shape.