Fletch tape

[Mike Mecredy]

If I did a video on using it it would have to be rated "R" for stong language and violence.

[B/W lvr]

When I found tape I sold all but one of my Bitz's and my Jo Jan multifletch as single stage was just as fast since I didn't need any drying time.Love tape am never going back to glue!!!!!
As far as glue goes Saunders NVP is the best there is and would be my go to glue if tape wasn't available. Frank

[amicus]

In the South Texas heat fletch tape can be a problem. Ive tried and retried it. No luck. Its neat and clean but by the time I can remove the backing I would of fletched a dozen arrows with glue. I use goat tuff and it dries fast sometimes too fast.

[Killdeer]

My strong language and violence does not occur while using it. I am pretty good with my hands, indeed, adroit. Yes, I put the damn feather in the clamp, apply the tape, rub the plastic till it is warm and cuddly on the quill, remove the plastic, clamp to the shaft, rub everything that I can reach, and go to the next. Pull the arrow from the jig, and rub down the quills some more. Why can't I get MY quills rubbed like that?   :mad:  

My cussing starts when I pull an arrow out of the quiver and see that a feather's insistence on crawling has unseated the drop of glue at both ends of the fletch, dragging it kicking and screaming to wherever it decides to camp for the nonce. Or it is leaning like a lovestruck drunk at the feather next door, which of course, is leaning as far away as it can from the oafish lout it finds itself neighboring.

Or it has fallen off in front of the rugged Bunny Hunters of Albany. With all that futzing around making sure the tape has stuck, I may as well have used the glue, and saved myself some embarrassment.

Killdeer

[KentuckyTJ]

"Oafish Lout" Oh man Killie I'm from Kentucky I'm gonna have to look that one up. You are killing me girl.      

Yep super glue gel is faster and holds better, don't understood the tape craze. But what do I know???  

[vermonster13]

I only put a drop of glue at the front of the fletch. It seems to keep it tighter to the shaft and ended the separation anxieties. I think when it is shot it helps to keep pushing the fletch tighter to the shaft. Just a thought.

[coaster500]

[BobW]

this is almost comical.  The division is deep, and no middle ground.  I, myself, am on the "love it" side.  Rarely have a problem with it.  Some times I may get one that just gives me problems, but I believe it is usually a hygiene thing (likely oil from my hands on the shaft or wrap).  As to it holding up, I have feather failures (quill stays attached to the shaft and feather tears off the quill) rather than the tape failing.  I have used it on bare carbons (cleaned), and One-Stringer's wraps over wood arrow shafts.  I shoot a long feather (5"+) with a heavy helical on my woods, and have also used it on 4" on my carbons.  Man, I do not like glue.

No problems here.    

[Jeff Strubberg]

I've never lost a feather with fletch tape, but I have watched them lay over in hot weather.  

If I  have to dot the ends with glue, I will just use glue for the whole job.  Glue doesn't move.

[pitbull]

I hate tape, impact tough gorilla glue for me, dries fast and also works great on inserts, even brass. No need to put a drop on each end either with this stuff.

[HOWITZER]

Man I love my fletch tape also!  No more glue on the hands and if a feather gets worn out it's much easier to scrape the tape off than it was to scrape the glues off.

[xtrema312]

Well I got acetone now to do prep in place of alcohol.  My back end of the feather still crawls.  I don't think it stays long enough for the glue dots to dry.  I don't see how you can keep the things in place with a good helical.  I would have to glue the back end and keep it in the clamp until it dries.  What is the point of that?    I don't know, maybe I have a bad roll.  It would work great with straight or offset vanes.  

I also have used gateway and AMG.  Maybe you need Truflight for real nice grinds and minimum base material to keep them in place.

Tape is fast and easy for me, but so is glue, and I don't see a mess issue with glue.  I think my next tube will get the super gel.  Sounds like the best of both worlds.

[Mike Mecredy]

I can't believe this went for 5 pages, that's a record for a topic I started.

[harvestmoon]

After the messing around with glue and bifocals to see if its a smooth and even flow...never again
! It's fletching tape for me.  Just don't do it real early in the morning unless you can thread a needle when you wake up.

[inthere10x]

"love it", fletching tape has done away with the wife yelling about glue getting glue on the kitchen table.

[Prairie Drifter]

Originally posted by xtrema312:  

I also have used gateway and AMG.  Maybe you need Truflight for real nice grinds and minimum base material to keep them in place [/QB]

I found the same thing.Seems to depend on the feather grind

[Dave Worden]

I use a dental pick (old ones are free from my dentist) to wet out the adhesive to the feather.  Just use the rounded portion and push the tape onto the feather.  Then I use the pick end to grab the red release tape.  Works well for me.  I do add a drop of glue to each end of the feather.  Using fletch tape really speeds up my arrow building since I only have one jig.

[Diamond Paul]

It takes a couple of arrows to get the hang of it, but once you get a little system down it's real simple.  The hardest part is getting the top layer off the tape once it's on the feather so that you can stick it to the arrow.  Remember to leave just a touch of tape longer than the feather when you cut it off; this makes it easier to remove the top layer.  I can't believe anyone uses anything else anymore.

[yaderehey]

It's funny how everyone's mileage varies so much.  My worst fletching experience involved Duco.  I made up some woodies and shot them all summer without a hitch.  Then I backpacked 8 miles up into the mountains for an elk hunt and about the second day my arrows started shedding feathers like my golden retriever sheds hair.  Very weird and very disconcerting!  It sure made me run back to Bohning fletch-tite pretty quick.  I do have a couple of recently purchased rolls of tape and some wraps and I'm going to give it a go.

[ISP 5353]

I have had fletch tape fail in hot weather and will never trust it again!