Fletch Tite Platinum - Revisited

[LA Trapper]

I am fletching up some Gold Tip Traditionals.  I have had issues with Platinum in the past.  I prepped the shafts with denatured alcohol or used Dawn dishwashing soap to degrease, rinsed thoroughly and let dry.  Fletching just fell off using either method right in the middle of a hunt.  Been doing this for years with good results until the last time I used Platinum.

Well, I am back again attempting to use Platnum.  I went to the Loc-tite gel in the blue rectangle shaped bottle with great results.

Here is a post from a couple of years ago, where some Trad Gang members had no issues and some had fletching just fall off with aluminum and carbon.

Question is, has your experience with Platinum improved or have you just gotten away from a product you don't trust?

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=096846;p=1

Please let me know.

Billy

[BWD]

Never had any problems with it on carbon shafts.
Never tried it on aluminum.

[wapitirod]

I'm new to building arrows but in the past couple months I've done 14dz aluminum and carbons and haven't had one feather come loose yet with the Platinum and that's all I use.  I just prep with the alcohol like your talking about.  I just use a clean rag and saturate it with the alcohol and briskly rub down the knock end of the shaft.

[onewhohasfun]

I would start with a fresh tube. Once opened, 12 months seems to be max shelf life for me on Platinim. I now use tape and prefer it to glue. Holds well and easy to refletch.

[Jmatt1957]

onewhohasfun has the answer

[JV Rooster]

I hace used Platinum on some aluminum arrows and the fletching fell off also while hunting in cold weather. Never used it again.

[old_goat2]

I have had zero problems with it, gone through several tubes in the last couple of years. I mostly do wraps but have glued a few feathers straight onto the shaft. Not sure why you would use the dawn and the alcohol, the alcohol is sufficient to degrease by it's self. I'm suspecting the dawn soap is leaving some sort of residue. Good luck and shoot straight.

[ishoot4thrills]

He's not using both the Dawn detergent AND the denatured alcohol. He stated that he's using one method OR the other, both with unsatisfactory results.

Do yourself a favor, use fletch tape.

[Pete McMiller]

Never had a problem with Platinum.  I prep with acetone and scrub vigorously either carbon or aluminum.  Once fletched and dry I put an additional dab on both ends of each feather and sometimes down each side of each feather.  May be overkill but that is the way I have been fletching for 25 years and I almost never have feather issues unless I wear them out or shoot thru something that rips them off.

[soy]

No problems with wood or carbon But can't seem to get it to hold on to aluminum  

[Possum Head]

About 3 strokes with a paper towel and isopropyl alcohol is all the prep my arrows get. Never a bond issue for me (even when shot through 1/4" plywood on occasion). Shelf life is disappointing as I usually chunk about 1/3 tube.

[huskyarcher]

Acetone, acetone, acetone to wash my friend, let it air dry and pour to it. Never had any problems.


BUT- If your open minded about change, try fletch tape, i bet youl never even think about fletch tite again

[MCNSC]

I have had the same problems with Fletch Tape, feathers come loose. It must be a shelf life issue. Last I fletched I used Gorilla Glue instant adhesive. Haven't had a problem. Not as fast as Fletch Tape but much faster than Fletchtite.

[Easykeeper]

Never a problem for me, but I'm usually putting feathers on over wraps or paint.  On bare carbon, acetone and 0000 steel wool has given good adhesion for me.

[Alexander Traditional]

I've done two dozen over wraps and haven't  had a problem yet.

[dnovo]

I quit using the platinum a couple years ago and went to Duco. No problems with it. I am using it for wood arrows though.

[Stinger]

I have been using it for years and never had a problem on aluminum or carbon.  The only prep work I do is to run some #0000 steel wool over the area a few times prior to gluing.

[BRIARS]

I like Duco on wood, it works great.

As for aluminum, I have had bad luck with any of the old glues we used to use. Platinum I tried and the same result, frikin feathers just fall off.

I prepped exactly like you did. I have tried acetone and 93%+ alcohol both followed by dawn dish washing soap. NO luck.

I finally just went to the Locktight Gel and it works perfectly and dries quicker.

I will not be repeating my mistakes with the old stuff. Don't ask me why it does not work anymore but it is not worth the frustration.

[xtrema312]

No problems for me on wraps, GT trad, and CE heritage.  

I have had problems on the Beman black shafts.  Those are hit and miss.  I have had a feather fall off at times on the Beman shafts.  

I prep with acetone only and just let dry.

[stagetek]

Never had issues with Platinum. I've used it on carbon and most often on aluminum.