need help with hot melt inserts please

[greenbear]

I need the sage advice of the wise....  I've been looking at the previous posts to glue brass inserts with hot melt- tried most and am pulling inserts out after shooting the arrows for a bit.

I find that the glue sets extremely fast (using 3ra melt with a wal mart glue gun) and I guess it's not enough glue?  Should I be applying glue in a different manner?

I'm currently shooting GT hunter XT and 100 grn brass inserts.  

Thanks everyone.

[drewsbow]

I wouldn't use hot melt on inserts for carbons. I use two part epoxy with good results. Drew

[Smithhammer]

I've had pretty good success with carbons using Ferr-L-Tite Cool Flex. It's designed for a lower melting point so it doesn't damage carbons. I like it for tuning, when I'm still playing around with weight and inserts. But once you know what you want to run, epoxy it and fuggetaboutit.

[jsirm20]

I used hot melt on some carbons, same glue and method that some claim is adequate. I had inserts come loose after some impacts. Ill be using epoxy on most arrows now. The hot melt may be worth using if your experimenting with insert weights on a few arrows.

[stringstretcher]

Get you a good quality hot melt and you will not have that problem.  Look at the "glue stick" I think it is called from 3 rivers or Big Jim.  Been using it on everything for about 10 years and have not lost an insert yet????

[greenbear]

Thanks all.... I'll have to get the epoxy

[greenbear]

Hey stringstretcher... I did get my glue from 3RA... any tricks you learned over the last 10 years you could share?  thanks.

[stringstretcher]

Make sure to wipe the inside of the shafts out good with acetone or denatured alcohol.  Did you get the glue sick, or some other kind?

[Ray Lyon]

Greenbear,

Get ahold of Tim at Kustom King and get one of his "big block" hotmelt glue blocks. He recommended it to me and I've used it with both brass and aluminum inserts in my Axis shafts with no pullouts (even had to wiggle a few practice broadheads out of stumps after going through my shooting bales).  Tim says its a softer hotmelt but it works great.  I used to use epoxy, but this is all I've used for the last two years.  Allows me to go back and forth between brass and aluminum inserts if I want to change my front end weight with same heads.

Here's the link from Kustom King website:
 http://www.kustomkingarchery.com/Quick-Stick-Glue/productinfo/6600/

[greenbear]

Thanks so much everyone.  Got a link to Mr. Big Jim's video for "how to".  I tried searching youtube for it, but to no avail- now I have access to it and will be under its tutelage.

I now have the glue sticks and they just haven't worked great for me.  I'm sure they are perfectly capable with the right technique, which I obviously lack.  I have cleaned the shafts with acetone, followed by denatured alcohol and finally a water rinse.  

I'll be studying the video for sure, and will have to try the melt in which was recommended.  

Thank you to everyone for your help.  I'm sure this is a topic that is brought up now and again and I am appreciative of the collective advice.

[Stone Knife]

The hot melt that Big Jim sells is awesome stuff, I have always used JB weld or epoxy but after trying the hot melt from Big Jim, I wont go back.

[BBWV]

I use hot clue from 3-Rivers on carbon and have never had any trouble pulling out. Just make sure you have cold water to dip them in asap, and if you break a arrow you can heat it up and pull your insert out and use again.

[Doc Nock]

Drew is someone I admire a lot, but will disagree on the hotmelt.

I worked PT for 2 yrs for a large wholesale archery distributor in their smaller retail store locally.

All they use is the brown hot melt sticks. They have a "melt pot" that they plug in each AM and we use that all day, adding sticks as we deplete the pot.

Their backstop is masonite on edge with big all thread cranked down. I've nearly threw my back out pulling arrows out of that miserable backstop...and we'd sell arrows, cut them, never clean them and just hot melt alum and brass inserts and take them out to the customer who'd pay for them, turn around in 10 min and shoot them. Only had one insert pull out I knew of in 2 yrs working there PT.

Go figure. I use it at home, but do use a q-tip w/ alcohol to swipe out the inside of GT's. That's it.

White/clear glue gun glue won't cut it though I fear.

I get my sticks from Braveheart...but there are more than one brand I've used successfully.

[stringstretcher]

I think that Big Jim's is the same one that 3rivers has and it comes from Tom Parson's

[chopx2]

regardless of epoxy or hot melt the key is to prep the surface on the inside of the shaft. Rough it up slightly with sand paper (sand cloth in the plumbing section is great as you can roll it up without it cracking. Then clean the arrow  well with q-tip with alcohol or acetone if the inserts looks shiny like they may have oils on them use acetone instead of alcohol. Takes a few minutes on a dozen arrows but the inserts will stay in much better regardless of JB, epoxy, cool set hot melt, etc.

[chopx2]

BTW make sure to clean any metal adapters or inserts with acetone (nail polish remover) to get oils off before gluing.

[Bud B.]

I used a propane torch and melt the glue on an insert with a field point in the insert. Heat up the insert to the point it gets melted glue easily on it by touching the glue stick to the insert. Insert quickly into the shaft as you're twisting. Dip the tip in cool water immediately to keep the carbon from overheating. Never put the heat to the carbon.

But, I now use Gorilla Super Glue. It stays pliable long enough to get a good seat on the insert. But do be somewhat quick about it. Once it seats, it's set.

[metsastaja]

It is all in the preparation.

I fill small dish with alcohol or acetone and soak the inserts.

I use a brass gun brush attached to drill to scuff and clean inside of shaft. Then swab using an over sized Q-tip (made for baby ears) doused in isopropyl alcohol or acetone till comes out clean.

[reddogge]

Like others I rough up the inside of the shafts and clean with acetone but also rough up the inserts and clean. I use slow cure epoxy.

[joe skipp]

JB Weld 6 hr epoxy for all inserts going into carbon shafts, brass especially.