Fletch tape question

[M60gunner]

I know from reading here many DYI arrow makers like fletch tape. I have had mixed results myself. My question is: how well does it hold up to summer temps above 90 degrees on carbon and alum arrows?
Thank you, Tom M

[OBXarcher]

I have used it for 10 yrs. works great on carbons. Never tried aluminum

[Mike Vines]

I had it fail in Michigan summer weather, and figured since I was using duco on the front and back, I might as well skip the tape all together and just glue the whole thing.  I have been pleased ever since I gave up using fletch tape.

[Bowitis]

I've always used the tape over wraps, I have not had a problem.
  I would not leave them in a hot car, I have never really pushed it to see what they could take.

[Rob DiStefano]

i shot a hog with this arrow, and recovered the hog but the arrow was lost in the south carolina bush for over a year before terry found it.  tape fletched and while the feathers were eaten by the bugs, the quills were Firmly attached to the shaft and hadda get scraped off with a knife edge.

 

 

 

[Rob DiStefano]

here's another 4-fletch, complete hog pass-thru, quills are Firmly attached to the shaft.  i only use fletch tape for all arrows, no need to use glue, but i do put a tiny dot of duco fore and aft of each fletch to smooth out the quill ends.

 

[curlis]

Love the tape. That's all I use.

[curlis]

Love the tape. That's all I use.

[curlis]

It must be twice as good.

[Stump73]

Shot in the heat with them last summer, in the rain, snow, and and hunted and shot during a very cold winter this year and I'm still shooting them. They havnt cme off through all that.

[dragon rider]

Generally if you're going to have any problem with tape it's because it's too old.  Unless you use it pretty fast, keep your supply in the refrigerator or freezer between uses and you should have no problem with it.  

I've used it on carbon, aluminum and wood - never had a problem with it - can't say the same thing for any of the glues I've tried.  

I do roll the front of the quill with an arrow shaft and put a drop of super glue on it, but that's to keep it from cutting me, not to keep the fletching on.

[Paul_R]

I've noticed that the roll will air dry over time even in a plastic bag. +1 on the use it up asap advice. Other than that, great stuff!

[Bud B.]

Nothing but positive results here. I too put a dab of glue to ease the edge of the quill just in case it hits my hand as it passes in shooting.

[Flying Dutchman]

Originally posted by dragon rider:
Generally if you're going to have any problem with tape it's because it's too old.  Unless you use it pretty fast, keep your supply in the refrigerator or freezer between uses and you should have no problem with it.  

I've used it on carbon, aluminum and wood - never had a problem with it - can't say the same thing for any of the glues I've tried.  

I do roll the front of the quill with an arrow shaft and put a drop of super glue on it, but that's to keep it from cutting me, not to keep the fletching on.

Times two! Store it in the fridge and you will be ok!

[arrow flynn]

Iused some old stuff and to compound it I used over some bad wipe on poly and they came off not all but enough for me to go back to glue.platinum gets it done.

[lt-m-grow]

UMMM do more searching on here before you buy...

You will find that there are as close to as many lovers as haters for reasons that I don't get as many folks on both sides seem to be seasoned arrow builders.

I will offer that in my opinion the "fixes" that are offered to the haters have not proven to be fixes as implied.  Thus, I have no clue as to why it works so well for some and not others.  

But let me offer something more productive...you don't need to use it.  Glue is tried and true.  And if speed is the issue ... use Gorilla super glue, instead of seconds it will take  minutes, which is frankly fast enough for arrow building.  

And actually applying glue to the quill is a lot faster than putting on the tape straight and taking off the covering so maybe it is about the same time...

[Rob DiStefano]

to each their own, it's all good.

for decades i used slow curing fletchtite and duco.  then the faster curing superglues.  the fletchtape back then pretty much, well, sucked.  completely inferior to the bohning tape of today.  

with good tape and a good fletch process, the arrows are completed and ready to shoot as they come off the jig, and it takes far less time to fletch up a dozen or three while i'd still be working on the first arrows if i was using glue exclusively.  

too many folks just dunno about shaft preparation and how to best lay down the tape, and/or they're using the wrong tape or tape that's too old.

i'm a video, click me ...
 

[tarponnut]

I've had great luck with it at all temperatures and conditions, however, the last roll I bought doesn't stick well at all. I keep having to add fletching glue fore and aft on the feathers or they are curled off by morning.
Just a bad batch, hopefully.

[M60gunner]

I want to thank everyone for their responses. I have learned some new things about the tape.
One of my reasons behind my question is my present location and it's environment. Rocks, stones, hard as rock soil that tears apart feathers when the arrow has a mind of It's own. I want to use tape as it looks like I could make repairs faster and cleaner than glue.
Thanks agian, Tom M

[Slickhead]

I believe the heat actually helps them
I normally warm them with a hair dryer when fletching.
Then unning my nail down the edge.

Its the only use for a hair dryer I have anymore