Glue Advice

[Trad Bound]

I'm about to do my first set of wooden arrows painted and varnished with plastice vanes (I'll move to feathers when I get my training wheels off). I know a lot of you use Loctite (with very good results) has anyone used Pacer Zap a Gap as this has come highly recommended to me from someone in the fastening industry.
Looking up websites it seems to be similar to Loctite, it's availability seems better, available through most hobby shops or online and it is half the price or twice as much for same price as Loctite. Your feedback is most welcome.

Robbo, that Samick SHT I've been waiting two months for has not arrived so I've been offered a Talon Hyper, at a very good price, so once I'm setup we will get together for a good shot and chat.
Cheers Tony

[stace]

Trad
I have paid around $22 for 25ml of Locktite 406 (have heard otthers talk of around $16-$18)while the Zap A Gap I have I think was $13 .Havent tried the Zap (been using on riser sealing )but will give it a go and see how it compares .
There is a Locktite GEL whick I feel would be easier and less messy I think it is 452? but someone here can verify that for you
VANES? on woods are you still using a compound? ,you will get better arrow flight with Feathers and they are more forgiving .They are more expensive but worth it I feel and look sooo good
All the best for Christmas mate
stace
ps there are dozens of arrows in a 25ml bottle of Locktite

[perry]

I have used locktite for gluing every thing on arrows and it works fine , but its best filling drying checks on selfbows . I dont know anything about the zap a gap stuff . Over time I have settled into using epoxy's for the points and ever since I switched to using Fletching tape I have not looked back ,great stuff simply its very narrow double sided tape .I have used it in freezing conditions , pouring rain and drizzle , scorching heat out west , hot & high humidity on coast and its never failed me .
A bonus is that when you use it on fancy crested and finished arrows you dont damage them come refletching time , try that with any glue - love it . regards Perry

[Mick Smith]

Tony

I have been using Locktite 406 for a while now. I paid $22 for it. It's the liquid form and it can be rather messy if I apply too much. It's rather hard to see when you apply it to the feather and as a result, sometimes there's not enough glue to do the job, or there's too much and it runs down into the "plume" of the feather, sticking it all together. It might try the gel version of this glue when I purchase my next bottle. I've lost a few fletches unexpectedly when using Locktite 406 and upon closer inspection, I've discovered that there was very little glue holding it on. I blame this on my failing eyesight and the fact that when applying the glue it's almost impossible to see even when I'm wearing my glasses.

I have just finished making a new set of field arrows. I dug out an old roll of Bohning fletching tape that I had in my box of tricks. This double sided tape is great to use. It's fast and convenient. I have had many arrows completely pass through rabbits and I've had my arrows saturated in pouring rain, yet I've never had a fletch come off, when using fletching tape. It's essential to put a drop of Fletchtite glue at both ends of each fletch to ensure there's a little ramp from the shaft up to the quill, as the quill sits slightly higher on the shaft with the tape beneath it. The drop of glue at each end helps to hold the fletch on as well. The only drawback with using fletching tape, in my experience, is it won't hold a particularly strong quilled feather perfectly straight on the shaft as there's enough "give" in the tape to allow the quill to curve slightly under it's own natural tension. It doesn't seem to effect arrow flight though.

So, as you can see, I'm yet to find the absolute perfect solution for sticking on my feathers, but the above two methods certainly work very well indeed.

Mick

[Sparra]

Gaday Fella's...I use locktite 454...It is in a tube and it's a gel..I have never had fletches come off on woods or carbons and you can see it really well when applying it...I am still yet to find something decent to glue broadheads onto woods and adapters into carbons...Any idea's most welcome..
Sparra...

[ged]

All I use is loctite 406.It doesn't cost me a cent as I use it everyday at work.I have found it to be messy if your not careful because it runs like water,so what I did was cut the tip off the bottle so there is a hole big enough to fit a cotton bud into and use the cotton bud to apply the 406 to my feathers.It is a neat finish and one bottle will last you ages.
Trad Bound, I can send you a couple of bottles if you like.

Ged

[Trad Bound]

Thanks for all of the information.
Ged I have sent a PM
Tony

[Mububban]

Pardon my ignorance, but how exactly do you apply Loctite 406 to feather flights? I've got a bottle and have been using it to seal the ends of thread binding, I'm currently using up my Fletch-tite for fletching.

The damn stuff is so runny, like water, and it instantly bonds (I've stuck my fingertips together a couple of times already!) and using the cottob bud method, I've also found that it dries in air really quickly so trying to dab it on to tings soons results in your dabbing object of choice developing a layered coating of Loctite! Which makes it much harder to evenly apply more of the stuff.

So am I missing something really simple? I'm paranoid of popping a feather into the fletching jig, missing a bit with the Loctite, and hvaing the whole clamp fuse together! With Fletchi-tite if I get a bit sloppy I can prise it apart easily enough, but judging by my fingertips, if I screw up with Loctite, I really am stuck!

[Mick Smith]

Mububban

When I'm using Loctite 406 I'm always very careful to apply the glue in a good light (sunlight usually). When you hold the clamp in a certain direction you will be able to see the light source reflected off the liquid glue. I run the glue down the feather very quickly, then I take care to ensure the clamp is held horizontally so the glue won't run to one end of the feather, then I quickly "slam" it into the fletching jig. I then run a blunt knife along the quill to ensure there's a good contact between the feather and the shaft before the glue dries.

I wipe my clamp with a slightly oily rag before applying the next fletch. If some glue runs down the side of the feather into the clamp, the thin film of oil will greatly assist the releasing of the clamp. It's really annoying to have the glue sticking the barbels together on the feather though. Not only does it look terrible, it also effects the flexability of the feather barbels in use.

I haven't tried using cotton buds to apply 406, but I might give it a go later today. It sounds as though it might work OK.

My next purchase of Loctite will be the "gel" version. I reckon it would have to go close to being perfect.

Mick

[Mick Smith]

Well I've just finished off a dozen arrows. I used Loctite 406 and applied it with a cotton bud. It worked very well. I felt I had more control over the amount of glue applied and I also felt I could ensure a good even coverage better as well.

Mick

[ged]

Glad it worked for you Mick.It was all trial and error for me at the start and after a few mistakes have found the cotton bud to be a very valuable tool.Thats all I use.

[archangel]

Mububban wrote:

So am I missing something really simple? I'm paranoid of popping a feather into the fletching jig, missing a bit with the Loctite, and having the whole clamp fuse together! With Fletchi-tite if I get a bit sloppy I can prise it apart easily enough, but judging by my fingertips, if I screw up with Loctite, I really am stuck!

Mub, I've been buying the 5g bottle precision bottle (Loctite/Quicktite) from Bunnings. It's more expensive but the nozzle is very fine. Although the glue is the same as the bigger bottle, you get much better control. I've only glued my fingers together twice!