Feather Splice How-to...Motor City Machete style

[Mike Vines]

I have been seeing a few guys post questions about wanting to learn how to splice feathers, well after seeing the replies talking about doing a butt splice (cutting feathers and butting their ends together then glueing on), I decided I would fill you in on the secret of "Membrane" splicing, so here it goes.  I have and continue to membrane splice a feather in under 30 seconds.  It really is easier than it looks, and it looks simple.

After you read this, I'm certain you will splice your own, so please post a reply on this thread letting us know how you did, and preferably, you will post a picture to show your creative "Membrane" splice.

First you start out with a full length feather (precuts can be used, but it is a pain in the butt)

         

Start at the rear of the feather and (for right handers) hold the feather tip (rear) in your left hand.  Pinch the feather and with your right hand, grip the feather and pull the feather back onto itself towards the tip.  The feather will pull free from the quill leaving the feather and membrane in one hand (right) and the quill in the other (left).  Use an exacto knife to cut the feather at the front where you want it to stop at.  You will get the feel for how much presure to use after a couple feathers.

This will be in your left hand...

         

This will be in your right hand...

         

[Mike Vines]

Once you have the 2 separated, you will be left with this...

 

Then do the same exact thing with a different colored feather (one that you are wanting to splice with) I chose black to show you the contrast...

 

Once again, use the exacto knife to cut where you want the process to stop at.

Take your front splice with the tail end of the quill still attached, and then take your rear piece with the membrane attached to the feathers, and mate them together to get an idea how they go together.  It's OK to sit back in amazement at natures own "velcro".  It is amazing how the feathers stick together...

 

Pull the 2 pieces apart and grab your handy dandy tube of duco cement, and apply a nice (not to much or little) bead down the membrane of the one you are wanting to stick on the quill...

 

Then mate them together again, and stick the glued up membrane down on the quill.  It will go together like Peanut butter and Jelly...

 

[kyfiddledave]

Great job!!! It sure looks easy enough.......       Thanks!

[Mike Vines]

Once the glue is dry (doesn't take long) you can either cut them to length to use on your burner then go about fletching them to the shaft and burn them into shape, or you can get out your feather chopper like this...

   

Then after lining up the splice where you want it ( a couple pencil marks...One on the feather, and one on the chopper...go a long way), give it a little "Love" tap and then Voila...

 

It really is that simple.  Not including dry time, it is under 30 seconds, and that's with not to much practice.

Just for craps and grins, I did this while the glue was drying before I chopped the other feather, and while I wrote this, the glue dried enough for me to chop it to show you that you are only limited by your patients, and creativity.  Enjoy, and please post your pictures of the splices you do.  I along with everyone else, would love to see them...

   

[Cookus]

You da' man Mike! Thanks for the tutorial and Merry Christmas brother!

[Mike Vines]

I just noticed in one of the pictures, there is an arrow with white with red spliced feathers.  My son did that last year.  I will also mention he had just turned 8 when he did it.  It is that simple.

Merry Christmas to you to Kenny.

[Sockrsblur]

Wow Mike, that is to cool!!! Thanks

[wooddamon1]

Here's my first and only attempt at membrane splicing so far:

 

I followed a similar tutorial on RMSGear's website, yours is very good, too.

[David Yukon]

Great tutorial, I'll have to try it some time this winter!! The only thing I need is a chopper...
Thank you
Cheers

[Butternutz]

That is cool!    

[hardwaymike]

Mike watch out for that snake! lol
I am saving this thread to my favorites so I can find it again after my shipment gets here in (hopefully)mid-January. I am glad you did this with pics.  I forgot to put a chopper in my wishlist at 3rivers,lol. How did you get the little red accent in there Mike? If I knew how to draw on the computer/smartphone(errgh) I would show ya what I am going to try. But it will be banana cut in this order(maybe,lol). White-black line, pink, black line, white. Make sense?? Thanks again Mike, Mike!

[agtex42]

Great write-up!  I just recently started membrane splicing and it really it as simple as you made it out to be.

I've found the following tips to be benefitial as well, the little details really help make for a quality finished product:

1) Match your spliced pieces with the base before gluing up.  You want to make sure the angle formed by the feather and the base is the same on both pieces.  Simply take your spliced piece and put it on top of the quill of the base feather, when viewed from behind the feather "frills" should line up.  It's possible to get mixed anlge feathers to velcro together but they won't hold up well when shot and you won't have a nice clean line when the feather is chopped.

2) When you remove the membrane from the quill you will most likely have some extra skin on the non-base side of the feather (left side for left-wing / right side for right-wing).  Use your exacto and trim this small section off before gluing your feathers together for a cleaner look.

3) Get yourself a cutting board so you can layout your "design" for multi-splice feathers.  Having a blueprint to work off of will help with consistency issues when you're trying to make enough feathers for a dozen shafts.

Feather splicing is a ton of fun and your options for custom creations are pretty much only limited by your imagination!

 

[Nathan Killen]

Is there anyone here on TG that sells custom spliced feathers ?

[Rustic]

Thanks Mike...    I'll have to give this a try....

[wixwood]

Mike,
Thanks for taking the time to show this. I have been butt splicing for years but will be giving this technique a try next time I build arrows.

[Mike Vines]

Anytime guys.  If you have any questions, please ask.  Also, post your pictures of the feathers you create on this thread if you don't mind.

[Chromebuck]

Mike,

Not so much a splicing question, but given your feather prowess I must ask.

If you look at the chopped feather resting on your chopper I can notice the irregular divot at the front tip.  I have been plagued with my chopped feathers having the same issue.  Do you know a way to avoind this?

Thanks,

Keith

[Mike Vines]

there is a way, and someone posted it on here a couple years ago.  You could either hold the base of the quill when you are chopping, or use an extreamly sharp pair of scissors to nip them into shape when your done chopping.  It does not happen to all of them, but the ones it does, I just trim up with scissors.

[Chromebuck]

Roger that.  I use scissors also.  Just makes me cringe getting that result on natural turkey feathers $$$.

I think I once saw a post suggesting to use a pop-cicle stick and close your chopper on it and trace the blade imprint.  Then using a scroll saw cut out the blank.  That way it's not your fingers holding down the hurl with potential of a very nasty manicure.

[Mike Vines]

It's not that bad.  It's not rare, but if it does happen, it's easily fixable.  Look in some of the pictures, you will see a grey feather with polka dots.  It came off the same chopper a couple minutes earlier, and no problem.