Who else makes their own fletching? PICS

[Slimpikins]

My dad and I came up with a pretty sweet setup several years using a table top router and homemade clamp to grind the foot down on feathers. We just split the feather using a bandsaw, (being run in the picture below by my better half), and two swipes on the router finishes the foot. I didn't think to take more pictures of the actual apparatus, but I am sure you can get a general idea.    

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Ready to be Chopped!!
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[Steve O]

Do you use a fine tooth blade on the band saw, or does it matter?

[Orion]

I do my own as well. Have been for about 25 years.  I start by splitting the quill.  Then I cut to rough length, a little more than 5 inches, and sand down the quill a bit with the feather hand held in a straight clamp using a disk sander.  I use that clamp to hold the feather and make one pass by the sanding disk on a jig to even the quill base.  Made a vertical clamp that I use to run the feather by the disk sander again, this time in the vertical position to sand the sides evenly.  

Takes a bit of time and effort, but given the price of natural barred turkey feathers nowadays, well worth it. I ask all my turkey hunting friends to save the primaries for me so I usually have quite a few to work with.

[Slimpikins]

The blade on that saw is not all that fine. I stay off to the far side of the feather so it really doesnt matter. I have the guides set up on the router so that it takes off all the extra quill in two passes (first the bottom of the foot and then the side) and forms a nice even foot. I then take a drywall sanding block and knock off the rough edges.

I hear ya Jerry. Nothing beats it. I only work with Left wing feathers because for the longest I shot left wing and my dad shot right. But now we have such a stash that it really doesn't matter. My girlfriend and I went through probably 75 left wing feathers in an hour start to finish yesterday.

[macbow]

Good looking fletching.
Can't picture how the jig works with the router.

I do my own using a belt sander, but don't have a jig to do the sides.

[Carpdaddy]

Too scary for this old timer; my hands ain't that steady anymore. I split them with a knife and hand sand, slow but so am I.
 

[tippit]

You might want to consider wearing a mask.

[snag]

I do some. But I clamp a single edge razor blade in a bench vice. Then pull the feather through it to split the base in two. Then use a clamp and drum sander on my drill press to reduce the base. I go down to 220 grit to get a good finish on the base.

 

[longstiks]

X2 on what tippit posted. The dust can be VERY BAD for you!!!
Denny

[Slimpikins]

I agree, feather dust is bad news. That is why we rigged up the ventilation system underneath the router. I didn't have it hooked up for this picture, but the duct work you see beneath it hooks to a blower that takes every bit of dust away from the work station. The bandsaw doesn't produce any dust

[meathead]

I split the quills with a knife and then use a jig and drum on the drill press to to finish the base. The dust mask serves two purposes, it keeps the dust out of the lungs and it keeps you from tasting that crap for the rest of the day. Lol

[hitman]

I do my own also. Same process as Snag. Feathers turn out as good or better as factory.

[Roadkill]

Yep, please use a mask.
I made a jig for grinding and use an orbital sander.  not as fast but easier on these ancient digits!