Epoxy or Cool-Flex for Carbon Arrows?!

[FarmerMarley]

Hey Guys,

I've been using the Bohning Cool-Flex on most of my inserts into carbon shafts and for attaching glue-on BHs to BH adaptors.

For the most part it has worked fine, but a couple failures lately has got me real frustrated! (including losing one nice BH coming off in middle of a BH target     . I still have to dig it out.).

I have been trying to use the cool-flex because I like the ability to heat reverse the bond and change things up in the future (I'm a tuning nut I guess and like to tweak my gear all the time.)

I'm thinking of switching to epoxy. I don't like the expanding glue like the Insert Iron. Epoxy can be heat reversible too I think...

What do you guys use and suggest?
Epoxy? What brand?

Thanks

[Flying Dogg]

The various epoxies that I have used were not heat reversible. I would like to know myself if there is one that is.

[happy1]

I have been using Kimsha Quick Stick and it is heat reversible.  Have not lost a point in a target yet.

[KentuckyTJ]

Areed, Kimsha's is the best

 http://www.3riversarchery.com/product.asp?i=5492

I have found Insert Iron to be the best. I never lose inserts in targets and they are easy to get out if needed with a little heat (but not enough to damage the shaft).

Bisch

[Pheonixarcher]

I've used the cool flex on all my inserts in the past year with no issues. Even did a dozen for my cousin's compound. Haven't used it on the adapters though.

[LookMomNoSights]

Don't know if I'll be any help here.....I use super glue on inserts (its actually G5 blue glue)....you may as well weld them to the shaft with that stuff!  Im sure you are committed once you press the insert in....but whatever...no need to remove it if my arrow is tuned.  I started using it because I was very dissatisfied with Bohning Insert Iron.  It was fine for softer targets...but anything remotely hard,   even deep 3D penetration....and you may not get your point back,  either that or get that 16th or 8th inch gap between your insert edge and shaft.  Id catch myself stabbing the arrow on a hard oak to seat the insert back into place      I tried prepping shafts,  not prepping them, using more product, less product....end result was I wont buy it again.  Seemed very much like Gorilla glue (smell,  appearance,  drying properties) but did not hold as good as Gorilla.  
 I use 8 hour epoxy on broadhead adapters with ZERO problems!!!  And a little heat will allow you to take the broadhead off the adapter if desired. With the 8 hr,  you can get a good broadhead spin to start,  wait about 3 to 4 hours,  then go back and check with the epoxy partially set up...lets you fine tune even more if need be,  with ease!  Just my own experiences  

[Medley]

Bisch- you say that, and you have said it before, but......

 I don't know how you do it, but I cant get it to reverse, and the manufacturer tells me its not going to work

[rraming]

Insert Iron is heat reversable, I think the epoxy is better at holding stuff together though. Insert Iron holds well, although shafts get hot going into targets, never lost on pulling it out though. The bottles thickens and becomes unusable after a few months. Trade off I guess if you want them removable.

[Green]

X 3 on the Insert Iron.  I've had a bottle for about a year, no pull outs, it is heat reversible, and as long as you squeeze the glue to the tip of the neck before screwing the cap on, it seems to keep well.

[FarmerMarley]

Thanks for the experiences guys.
The cool flex was working pretty good for me too. I can't figure out what in my method might have messed up my latest attempt.

I'm mounting 225gn Tuffheads onto 125gn steel screw-on BH adaptors. Heated adaptor and cool-flex, Got good coverage on adaptor, pushed into BH, heated BH ferrule just a bit, then twisted to align, and put into water to cool.

Then when I was screwing them back onto the shafts I realized they seemed stuck but the BHs kept rotating when I was twisting them on!!

I might heat them up again put on more Cool-flex and give em another chance before I switch to epoxy.

[Keith Langford]

Ive never used anything but regular old hot melt glue sticks,like for hobby and craft stuff. In 36 years Ive never ever had a fieldtip,broadhead,insert come out,plus you can tune your broadheads by spinning and add a little heat and the insert will spin and center itself and you can postion the broadhead how you want, I should add I use a Dixon broadhead tuner for the spinning. I dont know why anyone would use anything but the hot melt,and its cheap

[Yellow Dog]

I tried the Cool-Flex about four months ago just for the same reason. I now have a Zwickey Delta buried deep in my Block target after about the fourth shot. Went back to Easton HIT adhesive, never had a problem with it as long as I stored it in the fridge. Been using the same tube for the last five or six years. I can easily knock out the inserts by dropping a drill bit down the shaft and get it going like a slam hammer, takes a few minutes but you can knock the insert out without any damage. The one time I forgot to put the tube back in the fridge and tried to use it at room temperature it would set up so fast I hardly had enough time to push in the insert and index it before it set up.

[Lon]

Recently tried the coolflex myself same issue, points pulling out. Went back to ferrule-tite as I heat the point not the shaft.

[Craig]

Low heat glue stick from Three Rivers. I have been using it for years and never pulled out an insert unless I heat the point. I use brass inserts and if I ever break a carbon arrow I can remove the insert so I can use it again.

[FarmerMarley]

Thanks for all the tidbits of experience guys.

Update: While preparing to re-glue the BHs in question I noticed something interesting. The give is only in rotation, but when trying to pull the BH off there was actually a LOT of resistance...It seems that the hold was working in one direction but not the other.

I heated them slightly and removed. I think that there was not enough resistance from the adaptor in the rotational direction (the grooves make more resistance forward and backward).

I'm gonna sand them a bit this time, and really try to get the Cool Flex to the perfect temperature to get in the crevices and really hold.

I guess I want to figure out how to make it work with the Cool Flex since I had just bought two more sticks from 3Rivers!!  

[Fanto]

I never had one let go with coolflex.

except when i shoot a solid rock or concrete

[wapitirod]

Originally posted by FarmerMarley:
Thanks for all the tidbits of experience guys.

Update: While preparing to re-glue the BHs in question I noticed something interesting. The give is only in rotation, but when trying to pull the BH off there was actually a LOT of resistance...It seems that the hold was working in one direction but not the other.

I heated them slightly and removed. I think that there was not enough resistance from the adaptor in the rotational direction (the grooves make more resistance forward and backward).

I'm gonna sand them a bit this time, and really try to get the Cool Flex to the perfect temperature to get in the crevices and really hold.

I guess I want to figure out how to make it work with the Cool Flex since I had just bought two more sticks from 3Rivers!!      

if you have access try sand blasting them just enough to give them a nice texture for the glue to bite into. The blasting will make a better surgface than just sanding.

[wapitirod]

.

[HenrikBP]

I use the Cool Flex and have had no problems. I prep the shafts and inserts thoroughly before mounting though: I brush the insides of the shafts with a bore brush, and then clean with at least 2 Q-tips dipped in alcohol. It's amazing how much crud I get on the first one or two Q-tips. I also scuff the surface of the inserts with sand paper, and then wipe and clean them with alcohol on a paper towel.  Let everything dry thoroughly before mounting

I use an adjustable heat gun for mounting and removing the inserts. Makes it super easy to heat the insert and Cool Flex to "just hot enough", smear the Cool Flex on and mount insert in pre-heated carbon shaft. I use an insert tool to get a good seat.

I shoot carbon shafts into Rinehart targets and have yet to loose an insert. Actually, the only insert I've lost was a "flier" that stuck in the wood frame of a range target.