Overlooked arrow building issue......?

[snag]

So, there is a lot of talk about cresting, splicing, what paints and sealers to use. But does anyone think about or address the feather itself? The leading point of the fletching? Do you know what I mean? Maybe this doesn't matter to others. I find the point being inconsistant one fletching to another is not...well perfect. Ok, I'm a frustrated perfectionist...there I said it. But I have started to think about this and am trying some things out. I take a small scissor and trim that front end base at a slight angle. Then I am trying to burnish the quills on that front end so the transition from shaft to quills is more gradual. Just seems to look more finished. I'm thinking of trying to softly grind this area down a bit with a dremel tool..? Of course I place a small dot of glue at that point also. Anyone else like me in this regard...or am I just picky?   :rolleyes:

[VTer]

I use the glue to make the transition. If I still feel a bump after the first dab, I add another. One man's "picky" is another man's "not good enough". Who's to say!

[chanumpa]

Oh,your just picky.No just kidding.I sometimes just take a wood burning tool to mine for customization/experimentation,etc.That dremmel will work too.I do something similar to my self arrows that I shoot out of my self bows at mtn.man rendezvous.It lessens the blood on my hand that those large quill points can cause
when shooting off the hand.

[snag]

Good point Chanumpa. I had thought of this while shooting off my hand with my first selfbow...ouch!

[jcar315]

I thought I was the only one Snag. I too use the scissors on the leading edge.

[magnus]

I trim both front and back if need be. Makes a cleaner looking  feather. I believe that's another good reason to wrap the front with thread or sinew.

[Tree Rat]

I'm not that picky as in I see it but usually don't mess with it.

Ther are multiple issues with fletching points.

1) some choppers don't cut it clean and leave a bump

2) quill thickness

3) quill tip shape - squared or angled

4) transition bump

The cut issues can be managed with changes in cutter and or technique as well as additional trimming steps.

The transition bump can be helped by thinning the quill. I know guys that use a dremel to burnish the tip.

I'm too impatient for most of this unless I am doing a special set of arrows.

[snag]

Tree Rat, sometimes I wish I wouldn't be so picky.       But at this point this old dawg is hard changing his ways I guess.

[Bill Sant]

Snag,  Arrows is what I do and all the guys say I'm anal about them, (but they never tell me not to do it).
  I use a dremel sanding drum and mill off the ragged edge off the die cut feathers to a tapered point.  Then just hit the point of the feather with a downward stroke.  It really helps to do it before fletching, and then with a dab of glue after the feather is on the shaft, there is never a hump or sharp edge.  It makes a nice clean, uniform looking fletch.
It seems like more work than it is and only takes a minute or two to do the whole 36.  I love your arrows.  There is never too much effort to make em how you want.

[Izzy]

Most of my vintage factory arrows were made like that. Definitely makes em look better and could prevent an arrow from getting caught up on the shelf material.

[snag]

Bill, sounds like we are alike in this way! Thanks for the compliment and the input. I am going to give this a try. Maybe it will satisfy my desire for perfection. You're right about how others don't mind how anal we are with arrows! haha

[Bjorn]

Snag-you finished your selfbow?? Did I miss the pics?

[Killdeer]

When cutting feathers to length, I cut the leading edge at an angle. Once on the arrow, I take a sharp knife and bevel the leading edge down to the shaft. Sometimes I gouge the shaft, and sometimes if the knife is not real sharp the quill point breaks off instead of getting skived.

Killdeer

[reddogge]

I do like Killdeer does. I burned my last bunch so I had to trim them on the shaft. Since I was a decoy carver I have a pretty steady hand with the knife though.

[JRY309]

I felt the same way years ago when I first started making my arrows.Wasn't happy with a chopper,I made a jig to cut full length feathers to length and cut the leading edge at an angle.And I bought a Young feather burner.On die cut feathers I find AMG to be very consistent on length.

[kung fu kid]

I ditto what Killdeer said.  I would fletch the arrows.  Then using a safety razor, I would bevel the front tip to about a 25 degree angle and top it with a dab of glue.  Works like a charm.


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Winston S Churchill

[barredfeather]

If you have ever had the leading edge of a feather quill come loose at the right time and had it stuck in your hand, you will find that all the litte things everyone has reported doing, is very important.

Jerry

[Knapper]

I cut and burn all my own feathers so that is not an issue.  The reason that I cut and burn is that I shoot as long as a feather as I can while burning as low as I can and still have great stabilization of the arrow.  Most pre cuts are way too high and they make noise in flight.  Go to your local bow shoot and stand safely to the side a little down range of the practice range.  You will not even have to be close.  Try it for your self and have someone shoot your arrows and see if they make noise.  Lastly,  I can vary fletching shapes to meet my whims.

[karrow]

i also trim trim the front quill of the feather with a razor blade until it transitions smoothly i do this by running my finger back into the feather as if it were shot of the shelf or hand. then i add the glue

[Mark Baker]

I burn my feathers too....makes them "finish" the same.  I then do like Killy and use a sharp razor blade and bevel the leading edge into the wood (or shaft).  

Another option not mentioned is to finish the front edge with a fine thread wrap, then glue that.   Many of the primitive arrows I do, especially cane, I like the wrap the front and back of the fletchings.  You could even use alternate colors to "decorate" much like a crest.