power bond / insert failure with gold tips

[Brent Hill]

I just got back from South Africa today and outside of the current topic, had an amazing trip   To the point, I shot a huge warthog with my BW and 35/55 Gold tip arrows ( 29 inches with standard gt tip insert glued in with power bond and 1964 bear razor head glued with power bond onto a 125 grain steel broadhead insert) Despite somewhat decent arrow placement, I did not recover the animal.  The arrow was recovered within 10 feet of where the animal was hit and the first 10 inches of the arrow was covered in good red blood.  However, the insert / broadhead was not in the shaft and presumably remained in the animal. We tracked the hog over 1500 feet with periodic blood and tracks found and I have no question as to the trackers's abilities ( we found the rest of my animals).  My question is whether anyone else has had this problem with powerbond in cold weather (We were hunting in 30 decree weather last week) or in any weather for that matter.  I have used Gold tips and the standard GT inserts with goat tuff glue for years with no problems and only changed glues to get more time to set up the old razorheads on the bh inserts.  I am now considering using the one piece brass bh inserts that glue into the shafts to eliminate extra possible weak points in my arrow set up but I'm still concerned about my glue choice.  Thanks

[BobW]

Brent:

I've had problems with PowerBond on steel and aluminum adapters into BHs, as well as aluminum shafting bonding to carbon on a "radical" method of footing where I use the footing to actually lengthen my arrow.  Have had better results with GoatTuff.  These were not cold conditions either (low to mid 80's).

[Bowspirit]

I've had problems with the inserts in certain carbon shafts popping out with powerbond.

[fyrfyter43]

Yep, I've had problems with inserts coming out with Powerbond. I used itto glue brass inserts into GT shafts. The inserts were roughed up with sandpaper and cleaned with acetone. The inside of the shafts were roughed up with a .270 rifle cleaning brush and cleaned with acetone.

I also had failures with hex heads that I had glued onto steel adapters using Powerbond. It turns out that the Powerbond never fully cured. It was still tacky several weeks after gluing the hex heads on the inserts.

[bm22]

i had problems when i first started using goldtips with power bond, number 1 thing to remember is you have to clean you arrow. i took fine steel wool and rubbed the arrow and insert and used two part 5 min. epoxy and have never had a problem.

[Charlie Cole]

Never used powerbond myself, but I've heard that cleaning the inserts or shafts with alcohol can leave behind a residue that some glues don't like.

just another variable to toss in the pot.

[JRY309]

I have used Powerbond on my carbons except for the HIT epoxy for my Axis and Beman MFX.I clean and etch before using Powerbond and have never had on pull out yet.

[joe skipp]

I stopped using PB entirely. I now use JB Weld 2 part expoxy for all my customer inserts for Carbon Arrows and have never had a failure yet. Its a 4 hr cure....but its good.

[DesertDude]

Another little trick....take out the nock so air can reach the glue to help set......

[TomK]

Like Joe Skipp, I've never had a problem with JB Weld.  Sorry you didn't recover your hog.

[Kevin L.]

I've heard of similar problems with PB. I mostly shoot wooden arrows, but I recently got some carbons as a gift and I glued the inserts with Clubmaster golf shafting epoxy. I've been using for several years to attach nickel-silver ferrules onto bamboo rod blanks with great results.

[beachbowhunter]

Originally posted by Bowspirit:
I've had problems with the inserts in certain carbon shafts popping out with powerbond.

Same here. I use Goat Tuff.

[zilla]

I only use power bond to lock serving and tied nock point in.  For carbon inserts and broadhead adapters I have found that Arizona Archery Epoxy works better than anything else I have tried.  I always abraid my carbons with a very small rat tail file, and clean all parts with denatured alcohol..

[B M A]

I use the GoldTip arrow adhesive on the Goldtips. Works great.  
First I clean the shaft with alcohol then run a wire brush that comes in a gun cleaning kit in the shaft.  Then again clean with alcohol & at the same time clean the inserts.  No problems.  Glues dries quick and strong.....

[L. E. Carroll]

I'm new to GT's and have had several inserts pull out in my target when removing arrows.  Being from the wayyyy old school I pulled several that I could rotate after they had been glued in when cut at a shop [don't know what glue was used] I then glued them all with hot melt. They seem to be working but after reading this and seeing no mention of hot melt I'm wondering if I screwwd up??? Please advise.... Thanks,
Gene

[JC]

Another vote here for good prepping and JB weld. Failures with everything else I've tried, but not JB.

[Smallwood]

i too, have not had good results with powerbond, i either use hot melt glue, or jb weld after i etch and clean the inside of the shaft. I haven't had any problems since.

[dino]

I've never used JB weld, but I've have to remove some inserts that were installed with that stuff and it is the toughest there is to get out wether it be broadhead adapters in points or inserts in shafts.  I dread every time I get something glued in with it. dino

[Brent Hill]

Thank you for your responses.  I never thought of jb weld but i believe that it takes a while to set up and will hopefully work well for installing broadheads to steel inserts.

[M60gunner]

I also use the Clubmaster expoy that Kevin Little uses. My thinking was if will hold golf clubs together it should work on arrows. IMO it is the shock of the hit and brittle glue that causes the problem. If the glue has not set up after a long period of time it could be not mixed correctly. Been there and done that. I found that most of the fast set glues that I can get at the home store become brittle after awhile. Not sure if it is heat or cold or just age of the glue on the shelf at the store.
Thanks Mark for the tip,I learn something all the time from the folks on this site.