Aluminum shaft help

[Maclean]

Could use some input. Diehard wood shaft shooter, but would like to try some aluminum shafts. I'm going to buy a bareshaft test kit to dial in the spine, but I have some questions.
The test kit includes 3 different spines all with the same outer diameter but different wall thickness. How do the inserts work with varying inner diameters? What kind of glue should I use for the inserts, hot melt or something else? What should I use to cut the shafts, a tubing cutter or something else? Once I get the spine dialed in and order a dozen, what type of glue should I use for fletching? Finally, I've been using Bohning classic nocks on my woodies for years and my strings are built accordingly. The aluminum test kit is the Easton Autumn Orange shafts and are supplied with the Super nocks installed. Any idea how the nock fit compares to the Bohning classics?
Thanks in advance for the help fellas.

[Michael Guran]

My experience has been I had to get a different string (skinnier) than what I use for my woodies and bohning Classic nocks. I tried filing the throat on a couple of them but it didn’t seem as good as it should be. I fletched a couple of dozen arrows before I heard that you shouldn’t use Duco on them. I haven’t lost a feather yet, so I don’t know if they’ll come off with age or I just got lucky. I wiped them down with 90% alcohol first. I’ve had hot melt inserts come loose in some really hard hits (stumps) so I started using gorilla glue and haven’t had the problem since. I will also add that that I’ve only been building arrows for a couple of years so I’m far from an expert so I’m hoping to learn from this thread.

[Michael Guran]

And I just use a tubing cutter on them and it seems to work fine.

[Flbowhunter]

I use a 6 dollar tubing cutter on my aluminums. I fletch with bohning fletch tite like I use for everything else. I haven’t shot a great deal of the bohning classic knocks but I would agree with the fact that the throats are wider. I would definitely use hot melt for gluing inserts in, at least while tuning. You could then use epoxy when building your hunting arrows. I use craft store hot glue for just about everything and I haven’t had a failure when the shafts and heads were prepped correctly.

[Maclean]

My experience has been I had to get a different string (skinnier) than what I use for my woodies and bohning Classic nocks. I tried filing the throat on a couple of them but it didn’t seem as good as it should be. I fletched a couple of dozen arrows before I heard that you shouldn’t use Duco on them. I haven’t lost a feather yet, so I don’t know if they’ll come off with age or I just got lucky. I wiped them down with 90% alcohol first. I’ve had hot melt inserts come loose in some really hard hits (stumps) so I started using gorilla glue and haven’t had the problem since. I will also add that that I’ve only been building arrows for a couple of years so I’m far from an expert so I’m hoping to learn from this thread.

Thanks Michael. I'd like to avoid having 2 different sets of strings for each bow if possible. Bohning makes press-in nocks that I assume can be used with the installed UNI bushings, but I can't seem to find any info on nock throat size.

[Michael Guran]

I had the same thoughts so I bought some Bohning replacement nocks. They seem to be the same gap as the stock Easton nocks. It would be nice if there was a chart with different nock gaps but I haven’t found one.

[Archie]

I'm 53 years old, have been shooting since I was a kid, and have never shot anything but aluminum.  The best way to cut aluminum shafts is with a dedicated arrow saw, to leave a perfect 90 degree cut edge, so that the shoulder of the insert can fit perfectly flush against the edges of the shaft.  In the past, I used a Dremel tool, in a jig that I set up.  Before that, I used a tubing cutter and then deburred the cut edges.  The problem I had was that the tubing cutter can slightly indent the aluminum as it cuts, and then the deburring tool made a slightly angled "ramp" on the inside edge of the shaft.  I started to notice an unusually large number of times where my insert was being jammed back into the shaft upon a hard impact, ruining my arrow.  Now, if I have to use a tubing cutter, I put something inside the aluminum shaft (an allen wrench, a smaller diameter shaft, etc) that fits snug enough inside to keep the tubing cutter from indenting the shaft. When using the tubing cutter, I cut and tighten very gradually.   I also am very delicate and careful with any deburring. 

[Maclean]

I'm 53 years old, have been shooting since I was a kid, and have never shot anything but aluminum.  The best way to cut aluminum shafts is with a dedicated arrow saw, to leave a perfect 90 degree cut edge, so that the shoulder of the insert can fit perfectly flush against the edges of the shaft.  In the past, I used a Dremel tool, in a jig that I set up.  Before that, I used a tubing cutter and then deburred the cut edges.  The problem I had was that the tubing cutter can slightly indent the aluminum as it cuts, and then the deburring tool made a slightly angled "ramp" on the inside edge of the shaft.  I started to notice an unusually large number of times where my insert was being jammed back into the shaft upon a hard impact, ruining my arrow.  Now, if I have to use a tubing cutter, I put something inside the aluminum shaft (an allen wrench, a smaller diameter shaft, etc) that fits snug enough inside to keep the tubing cutter from indenting the shaft. When using the tubing cutter, I cut and tighten very gradually.   I also am very delicate and careful with any deburring.

Thanks Archie, I appreciate the input. I  think I'll start with a tubing cutter and deburring tool, using a rod inside the shaft to minimize deformation. Great tip.
The straightness on the Easton Autumn Orange shafts is pretty impressive at +/- .002  That's equal to or better than higher end carbon shafts.

[Archie]

I'm 53 years old, have been shooting since I was a kid, and have never shot anything but aluminum.  The best way to cut aluminum shafts is with a dedicated arrow saw, to leave a perfect 90 degree cut edge, so that the shoulder of the insert can fit perfectly flush against the edges of the shaft.  In the past, I used a Dremel tool, in a jig that I set up.  Before that, I used a tubing cutter and then deburred the cut edges.  The problem I had was that the tubing cutter can slightly indent the aluminum as it cuts, and then the deburring tool made a slightly angled "ramp" on the inside edge of the shaft.  I started to notice an unusually large number of times where my insert was being jammed back into the shaft upon a hard impact, ruining my arrow.  Now, if I have to use a tubing cutter, I put something inside the aluminum shaft (an allen wrench, a smaller diameter shaft, etc) that fits snug enough inside to keep the tubing cutter from indenting the shaft. When using the tubing cutter, I cut and tighten very gradually.   I also am very delicate and careful with any deburring.

Thanks Archie, I appreciate the input. I  think I'll start with a tubing cutter and deburring tool, using a rod inside the shaft to minimize deformation. Great tip.
The straightness on the Easton Autumn Orange shafts is pretty impressive at +/- .002  That's equal to or better than higher end carbon shafts.

I just picked up some new-old stock autumn orange shafts this week myself.  As for the deformation of the shafts... there have been times that I've had inserts that seemed to fit just a hair too loose in the shaft, and I've wondered if it wouldn't be a good idea in that case to cut with the tubing cutter to just barely tighten the opening on the shaft.

[Hud]

Aluminum will oxidize but Autumn Orange is anodized. The AO Super nock sides in the shaft and can be turned, while classics nocks and feathers use fletch tite. Inserts come with both for, but not the Adapter for the points.  Use Hot Melt, or another.  If you dip, clean the Alu with Ajax and water, don't handle with greasy fingers before fletching or dipping. Clean both before fletching. Adapters are either Alu. or steel, the steel will add 100 gr. to a typical field tip or broadhead. Check the 3Rivers Spine chart for wood, alu. spine with various weighted points and draw lengths.

[NY Yankee]

Get a small, inexpensive chop saw from Harbor Freight or wherever. Use the abrasive blade made for metal cutting. It goes through aluminum like a hot knife through butter. Then deburr. I use the wire wheel on a bench grinder to gently deburr inside and out. Make sure the blade is square before you cut and you will never need to square the mouth. I use Gorilla Glue hot melt sticks for inserts.

[Wild Bill MCP 808]

You could take them to an archery shop that has a saw let them cut them for you for a couple bucks. You do the rest. You will like the aluminums they seem to stabalize quickly in flight plus they are straight and consistent.

[STICKBENDER98]

I've been dipping cresting and fletching my arrows for the past 15-20 years now, I started with Bohning paints and adhesives, and have switched to True North Paints for the last 10 years.  I have had excellent results with both on wood, carbon, and aluminum.  From my experiences with aluminum, with both paints, I have really good adhesion with Bohning Fletch Tite when used with their paint, and have used Duco with True North paint with fletching shafts. I wipe shafts down with cleaner before I dip, I will use a clear dip if I'm not going to do any sort of colored cap dip or cresting to help with the glue adhesion.  As for inserts, as stated above gorilla glue on both aluminum and carbons.  No issues with it on either type of shaft.  For the nock issue, the Bohning Classic does have a wider throat than other nocks, so a thinner string is needed for other nocks, but depending on what I'm shooting for shafts and nocks, I use dental floss to build up serving where nock snaps on for the classics, and it can easily be taken off for other nocks.  Good luck, and have fun with your adventure that traditional archery!!!


Jason

[stagetek]

I can't even guess how many wood, aluminum and carbon shafts I've cut with this. $25.00 at Harbor Freight.

[Wudstix]

Looks like a good deal.  Cutting wood with a hand saw is a challenge.