Bitzenberg fletcher

[Bearded Bear]

I am having trouble with my fletcher. It seems inconsistent. THe helical twist is not consistent arrow to arrow and the middle of the fletching seems to not touch the shaft when put in the clamp.It is a dial-o-fletch version so I think it is simply a matter of adjustment. Can anyone offer advice?

[3undr]

i have the same fletcher and yes it is just a matter of adjusting it. with a bare shaft in the jig adjust the knobs until the clamp touches the shaft without having any space between . takes a little tweaking but once you get set it will produce consistant arrows.  imo  the best fletcher made

[Possum Head]

Same as 3undr!Just a slight tweek will do it.It's a fine jig.

[greg fields]

don't push your fletch all the way up against the clamp before gluing.  as you put the clamp in the jig and push against your arrow, the fletch should be able to slide in the clamp a little getting rid of the space...  I agree with tweaking your clamp though..

[T Folts]

I set my feather in the jig clamp then run a thin object down the quill(dull knife) to move the quill away from the clamp then put the feather on the arrow, this helps make positive contact with the shaft.

[bornagainbowhunter]

I have the same jig.  It is sweet.  You just need to adjust it a little.  

God Bless,
Nathan

[PEARL DRUMS]

I load the feather in the clamp right flat and flush, then pull the quill of the feather up about 1/16"+ to ensure it touches the shaft throughout the length. As stated above, adjust the offset first.

[bigbadjon]

I load the feather flush. Then I put the clamp in and push it forward until the clamp hits the jig. I then put the front of the jig down and rotate to the rear of the feather so that you make contact all the way to the back.

[Jim Wright]

If you want the best possible fletching to shaft fit, file the clamp down to fit the shaft. A 10" half round bastard file works very well, simply place a shaft in the jig and eye ball the clamp against it. Shine a flashlight behind the clamp/shaft surface to see the gap. File the clamp down, checking the fit as you go. It really is an easy process as the clamps are aluminum and file down very easily. The clamp for my 11/32" wooden shafts needed a small ammount of metal removed, the one for "skinny carbons" such as my Beman MFX shafts require a little more removal but the finished clamps do a beautiful job.

[Bjorn]

I had just a bit of daylight between the feather and shaft around the middle-not uncommon-filed mine a tad too. The clamp is very soft metal.

[Davesea]

I use contact cement to glue fletching.  Allows you to push down on areas that aren't in full contact after you pull the arrow out of the jig.

[metsastaja]

I follow the directions that came with the clamp and adjust for different diameter shafts. I also inspect the clamp edges for any glue or tape build up.

Make sure you remove the magnet protector before setting clamp or using. I forgot once and it was a mess.    

[Doc Nock]

For glue residue, I found some teflon strips to put on each lip of the clamp. They're thin so the #'s show on the clamp. The glue just peels off the thin teflon strips and keeps the edges clean.

they also allow the feather to slide "UP" into the clamp. I leave a bit of the quill stick out, but align the back of the fletch on the # I want for offset from nock.

When I push down on the shaft, it pushes the quill up to the lips of the clamp for a positive fit to the shaft the length of the feather.

Words make it seem harder to describe, eh?  

[Bearded Bear]

Wow, you guys are the best thanks so much.