I did it my way - Feather burning (pic heavy)

[saumensch]

Hi,

as im a guy who likes to find cheap selfmade solutions i was thinking how i could save the money for a feather clipper.
This is what i came up with:

The Prototype:
       

I took two pieces of sheet metal, cut out my desired fletch form and fixed them to a glueing-bracket:
     

Open the clamp
     

put a full feather inside:
     

cut the excessive feather off:
     

[saumensch]

hold it in the flame of a gasburner
   

this is how it comes out:
   

sand the burned pieces of (two strokes are enough on fine sanding paper):
   

finished fletch:
   

Total cost for metal and clamp: 3$
and i can make me any form and length i want.

Personel advice: Burn outside or live alone      

Hope you liked it.

[blackie65]

Sweet

[KyleAllen]

I made one similar a while back. My word of advice, next time put the feather in the clamp before you glue the clamp together. This allows for a perfect fit. If you glue up with the templates flat together, it does not allow for the thickness of the feather.

nice work though

[saumensch]

Thx for the advice, will try.

[Bud B.]

Did you trim the feathers close before burning or burn off all the excess?

The flame looks a bit strong which could possibly lead to burning below the line of the clamp.

I haven't done it but looks good to me. What about heating a thin wire for running along the edge of the clamp?

[saumensch]

I tried triming the feathers before burning but it doesnt make much difference except the amount of smell in the air.

Flame doesnt burn inside the clamp, in fact youll need the flame that strong to get everything down to the clamp.

Wire might work too, havent tried. you would have to make sure the clamp is very thight because otherwise the awns (correct term? those single things of wich the feather consists)might move and ruin the result.

[Bud B.]

Looks good for sure.

I tried trimming some found turkey feathers with scissors. It did ok, but not like what you'd want. How'd you cut the metal?

[saumensch]

roughly shaped with handsaw for metal, fien shaping with a dremel and avrasive wheel

[BradLantz]

ahhh the sweet smell of feathers burning .... nothing like it

[wildgame]

thats using your head! looks like the feather came out looking     good.

[Steve95]

This looks great but are the steps you need on your method going to add up to so much lost time that its not worth trying to reinvent the wheel. I have a Young Feather Burner but when you add up the cost of arrow parts you can buy arrows pre-made for less. I have made over 20 dozen arrows and used my own ground wild turkey feathers. Most things like this require such quanity that its hard to justify. But the experience of doing it yourself is worth something. Good luck

[Over&Under]

Forgive my as I am ignorrant to the burning thing.  

If you cut them to shape, why the need to burn them?

[straitera]

"Burn outside or live alone"...excellent.

I burn feathers in the house to substantiate Ruth's complaining considerably. Hope she doesn't see this. Great job on the homemade gizmo.

[ti-guy]

Forgive my as I am ignorrant to the burning thing.

If you cut them to shape, why the need to burn them
well,over&under,originally you use an electrified(then heated) wire to burn the feather.you can shape it as you wish and it doesn't burn everything it just kind of melt.The way saumench does it, it totally blast the rest of the feather.

[highcountry]

Cool!  Now do it in the house, we want pictures of your room mates face when they smell it!  

[Celtic Dragon]

If you just want a wire cutter to run around your shape, have a look in in model aircraft shops for foam cutters. Basically its a hot wire that they use for forming polystyrene cores for wings.

Something like this, sorry, its a british page, but you will get the idea.

 http://cgi.****.co.uk/HOT-WIRE-POLYSTYRENE-FOAM-CUTTER-BATTERY_W0QQitemZ310274299955QQcategoryZ70109QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DDLSL%252BSIC%26its%3DI%26it u%3DUCI%252BMRU-220%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%252BDDSIC%26otn%3D8%26pmod%3D220697444096%252B220697444096%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5317638472552698621

[lpcjon2]

Maybe try a heated old knife blade to burn them.Great idea you came up with.