fletch ?

[b44mag]

ok i got a grayling jig and lw clamp.
i set it up like the directions said.
i looked at the pictures and put the cock out plate in (or so i thought i did).
i fletched some arrows they came out pretty nice the one set shot great the other set to stiff.
i got to looking at the feathers and the nocks and seen that the spacing just does not look right. now im stumped why. well i look at the directions take the jig apart and i have the cock down plate in the jig. the pictures were wrong in the directions and i never caught it. the cock out plate is marked cock down in the directions. i never looked on the plates.
well i did and they were marked c-out and c-down. i switched them out.
now my ? is.

does it matter if the fletching is set up cock down but shot cock out.

the bear arrows i redid im hunting with and are set up this way and seem to me to fly good but im new and just learning

should i cut the nocks off and put them on right way and remember to not try to set them on the shelf with the cock feather out ???

i thought the 3 fletch was spaced the same around the arrow 3x120 c-down or c-out.
maybe it just looks thaty way with the left twist and offset. when i set up the jig i used a old bear lw with a twist to match the way they were made.

the bear arrows i used 4 inch parabolic and look like the spacing is right but seems like there is one way smoother aganst the riser with less feather contact. the 5 inch shield feathers i just did look like they will hit the riser a bit more. now i havent shot the arrows that i just did yet cause its been raining here. maybe im looking into it to much but i want to learn to do this right. so i can make my own.
     
im confused to say the least but still loving the whole traditional thing.
ill get it right some day maybe not today but some day          
 

[Orion]

I'm not sure I understand your question and I don't have that kind of jig, but whether you fletch cock feather in or out doesn't make any difference.  In fact, unless you have some kind of index on the nock, there's no way to tell whether you've fletched cock feather in or out. The clamp positions all the feathers on the shaft the same way. You can shoot the arrow cock feather in or out by how you turn the nock when you place it on the bow.  Cock feather in gives a little more feather clearance for the hen feather nearest the shelf.  Regardless, if the arrow is spined right for the bow, the feathers do not touch the shelf as they pass because the arrow shaft flexes around the riser.

[b.glass]

Orion, is this true even if the bow is center shot.

[b44mag]

thats what i thought. ill leave them like they are.
thanks

[Orion]

b.  Amount of center cut really doesn't change fletching requirements, but does affect spine requirements.  An improperly spined arrow will hit the riser. Brace height and nock point height also affect arrow clearance.  A brace height that's too low can cause the arrow to slap off the side/sideplate of the bow, and a nock point that's too low can cause it to slap off the shelf.

First some definitions.  A bow that is centershot is cut past center, usually 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch.  A strike pad will bring the sideplate out a little bit so when the arrow is on the bow, the string will usually bisect the arrow, i.e., centershot.  In my opinion, these are the hardest bows to tune an arrow to.  Because the arrow is lined up perfectly centered, it doesn't know which way to flex as its leaving the bow.  Not a problem with compounds and trigger releases, but it is with finger releases.  Need to do one of three things.  Shoot a larger diameter arrow, build out the side plate and/or increase the spine considerably above the bow draw weight at your draw length.

Bows cut to center are easier to tune, IMO.  With strike plate material, the side plate is actually a little left of center for a right handed shooter and the arrow will be pointed left of the string (for a right handed shooter) when on the bow.  The arrow will need to flex around the riser as it's shot to go where its aimed.  Luckily, it's pretty easy to find the correct spine to yield just the right amount of flex.

Many bows, particularly D-style longbows, are cut 1/8-inch from center.  Adding strike plate material on these moves the effective side plate even more left of center (for a right handed shooter. There must be something about the degree of offset this imparts to the arrow being particularly compatible with a finger release, because I've always found these types of bows with moderate r/d and straight designs to shoot a wide range of spines well.

A very thick riser, side to side, can sometimes cause clearance problems if the bow is cut to or past center, even if the arrow is well tuned to the bow. Turning the cock feather in will improve clearance, but may not solve the entire problem.  If that's the case, raising the nock point as high as you can get it and still get good arrow flight will usually yield the clearance necessary.

Quite a long diatribe.  Hope I've answered your question.