Removing feathers from carbons

[Kevin L.]

Hey all,
 I have some factory fletched carbons I'd like to strip the feathers from, so I can re-fletch them with a helical. What's the best method for removing the existing feathers without harming the shafts?

I know it's been hashed over before, but I couldn't find the thread.

TIA,

Kevin

[amar911]

I have that same problem and would like to know too.

Allan

[frankwright]

I rip as much of the old feather/vane off with my thumbnail. I then moisten a rag with Acetone and wet the remaining quill/glue and after a few minutes I scrape it off with a dull knife.

Don't try a razor or a sharp knife as you will cut into the shaft.

When everything is removed I wipe it down with more acetone and it is ready to fletch.

Some folks say acetone will ruin carbon shafts but I have a tube of acetone I dip my shafts in to get rid of old wraps and feathers and it has never hurt any of my shafts.

[fireman_3311]

I rip them off as well, then scrape off the excess glue with a dull knife...I then wipe them down with rubbin' alcohol, and refletch!!!!

[Trooper]

I use a dull knife.

[Predator1]

Razor blade works for me. Never had a problem gouging the shaft and can strip a shaft in about 15 seconds. Clean with laquer thinnner on a piece of scotch brite and its ready.

[p1choco]

I use fletch tape, so it's not to hard to remove it.    Razor blade works well for me too.  I bought one of those fletch removers a while back it didn't find it to be consistent.  I gouged too many shafts to keep on using it.

[deadpool]

i use a kife with a wide serraction, and am very careful while removing the feather

[dino]

Just stripped 2 dozen shafts getting ready to refletch them this morning for a customer.  Very hard to describe the exact technique.  But I have always used a standard razor blade knife and I can do it the same with a dull or new blade.  Duller is safer but the angle is the key.  I work from the nock end of the shaft scraping toward the center holding the blade at a shallow angle to scrape over the shaft without gouging the surface.  Too steep and angle with gouge and too shallow will not scrape off the glue residue.  I start with a shallow stroke to remove the majority of the feather thru the meat of the quill and then increase the angle on following passes to remove the glue.  Just work cautiously, start shallow and increase the angle and you will get a feel for it. dino

[Doc Nock]

Good suggestions and I learned some new ideas.

At a shop I worked part time, they used an ole alum arrow fletch remover... it's just a shallow U groove and like w/ knives above...shallow angle.

I went to One Stringer Wraps to avoid it in the future!

[Kevin L.]

Thanks guys, I'm going to strip one or two and see how it goes. I have one with a small dent near the tip, about halfway down the insert and one that spent a week under the pine duff before I found it, so the fletching is nasty and matted. I'll start with these two and go from there.

Part 2 of the question, what glue? I've used tape in the past and didn't really care for it, not sure if I got some old stuff or what. I have Duco and Fletchtite Platinum on the bench. Do I need something different or will one of these work well.

Kevin

[dino]

Kevin,
I must admit I don't use much Duco so I don't have alot of person experience with that.  But I use Platinum on Carbon Express, Gold Tips, ADs, Grizzly Sticks and cap wrapped arrows without issue.  Axis, Bemans or anything from Easton I use Cyanoacrylate (super glue).  Hope that helps. dino

[Kevin L.]

Dino,
 I'm not sure who manufactures the shaft. It's the Stalker Xtreme from Cabela's and is a dead match for GT 5575 as far as weight and deflection goes.

[Smallwood]

i worked in an archery shop for several years, and the best tool we found for removing feathers/vanes even ones glued with super glue is a fletching removal tool called the Zip-strip.
By far the best and easiest to use, if you use any other you will be working too hard.

[BobT]

I generally just scrape them off with my pocket knife.

[zilla]

On my carbons I use a wrap first. Then to remove the feathers, I put the wrap part in boiling water and pull the whole sheebang off, and install a new wrap.

[dino]

Kevin,
If they are a GT brand made for Cabelas then platinum will work.  Zilla is right too, wraps take all of the guess work out of and are simple to remove and refletch. dino

[jhansen]

Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT) makes a dandy knife called the KISS.  It has only one bevel which means the offside of the blade is flat.  I lay the flat side on the shaft and strip the feather.  No danger of gouging.  I use Fletchtite Platinum on carbons.
John

[Kevin L.]

jhansen,
 I didn't think of it, but I have a KISS knife. I was managing a hook and bullet store in Alabama when we picked up the line and the rep gave all employees one.

[Schafer]

Knife