Fletching Instructions

Transcription

1 Fletching Instructions An Archer s guide to Adhesion AMB- Version CHEMISTRY DIVISION

2 Prepare Check your work area (table, area and hands) for possible adhesion contaminants: oil, food, silicones, grease, dust. Clean your jig by letting the clamp soak for a couple of hours in acetone (you may leave it overnight if more convenient). This will soften the dried glue and allow you to wipe it off very easily. Numbering your clamps will allow you to identify potential issues with some of them in the future. Why can t I use a knife to clean my jig? Because the blade is made of a harder material than any jig (even metal jigs), the knife will cut into the jig material, preventing a good contact between the vane and the shaft. Acetone is a solvent that will not damage the plastic of the jig, yet will remove dried glue. Clean See next section if you will wrap your arrows. For repairs and re-fletching, complete REMOVE step first. Aluminum and Carbon shafts: Shiny shaft coatings may need to be removed from new shafts prior to fletching. To do so, dip the fletching portion of your shaft in acetone (use Dip-N-Plugz) and wipe it immediately with white standard paper towel. Repeat until no black residue is left on the paper towel. Independent studies (graph below done with Platinum glue) have shown that getting down to bare aluminum (i.e. removing the anodizing on the shaft) will provide the best adhesion admittedly this will also removes your shaft s protection. A lighter abrasion helps adhesion too and offers a good compromise. After you ve cleaned you jig, make clean-up between arrows as simple as a swipe by using our Teflon Clamp Release tape on the clamps. Don t let the glue set on your jig: wipe it off with a paper towel between each shaft. We recommend to use a 3M Scotch-Brite sponge to lightly abrade the surface of the shaft. After this step, use SSR powder to clean the shafts: shake powder onto a wet sponge and scrub, then rinse with water and let air dry. Wooden Shafts: Cleaning Bohning Vanes? All Bohning vanes are primed for optimal adhesion. Do NOT remove the primer by sanding or rubbing with solvents. It is OK (although not necessary) to apply a primer on the vanes if your Instant Glue comes with one. Sand the shaft with coarse grit sand paper, then buff the surface smooth with a fine grit sand paper. Use a tack cloth to remove saw dust. To seal the wood, we recommend a full dip in new water- based Gloss (coming soon), Fletch-Lac Clear, Blue Clear, Supercoat or Stain. IDEAL CLEANING PROCEDURE: SOLVENT + ABRASION + SSR ADHESION INCREASES SSR shaft Cleaner No solvent smell No flammability issues No additional chemical, perfumes or lotion Environmentally friendly

3 Wrap or Dip (optional) Wraps: Bohning Wraps help personalize your arrows and provide a convenient and effective surface allowing for great adhesion. All wraps are not equal. There are multiple grades of materials that can be used for arrow wraps. If a manufacturer has not obtained the correct surface coating and thickness, adhesion problems may arise. The material used by the Bohning Company has been tested and verified for adhesion strength and durability. Clean your shaft with isopropyl alcohol, Acetone or SSR. Do not abrade the surface of your shaft. If your shafts are abraded, you may want to dip instead the scratched surface may affect adhesion of the wrap on the shaft. You can use a clear dip and place a wrap on top if you wish. Place the wrap on a hard flat surface and use constant pressure to press the shaft over the wrap. A mouse pad add convenient height if you have a point or nock in place already. Sticky pointers when using wraps Don t use Ammonia to clean your shaft, it may make the wrap bubble. Your wrap should overlap by 1/8. Change size if it does not. Adhesion issues? Try heating your wrapped shaft with a blow drier and press against hard surface once more. Clean your wrap with soap and water before fletching. (Do not soak, surface clean.) Do not use solvent on your wrap, it may remove the ink. Place your first vane on the seam. Dipping: Dipping your arrows will promote adhesion and increase resistance of the bond to high humidity. OUR EQUIPMENT BOHNING CHEMISTRY LAB To compile the information contained in this document, we have relied on many reports from archers or dealers like yourselves. Thank you for your contribution and please keep calling us with concerns, suggestions and ideas! We also ran countless tests using outside labs as well as equipment we own in our lab, such as Instron Testing Pulling Machine, Grieves Oven, Viscosity meter, Humidity and Temperature controlled conditioning. We use this equipment for our new developments, for Quality Control of our existing glues and to investigate adhesion issues. AMB- Version

4 You can use Fletch-Lac as is or you can dilute it with Fletch-Lac thinner (60% paint, 40% thinner) and apply 2 to 3 coats. This is our preferred method as it creates a thin and lightweight coat. Fletch-Lac Super Coat Fletch-Lac Clear Coat Fletch-Lac Blue Clear Fletch-Lac Walnut Stain Wood shafts only. New Water based White Gloss Coming Soon 1 New water based Clear Gloss Coming Soon 1 Glue 1 The Bohning Company is in the process of developing and introducing new water-based clear coat and dipping/ cresting paints. Look for these products in February Call for more information on the products. Make sure your jig is properly set up so that the base of the vane is completely flush with the shaft. Test this by putting an vane and shaft in the jig WITHOUT any glue and adjust it as needed. Consider the following facts when choosing your glue. Very high gloss with a very hard and strong finish. It prevents dents, chips, or general damage done to the shaft Softer finish with very high gloss Very high gloss with a blue tint, allowing colors to show up more visibly. Great for tracking an arrow in low light. Dark wood stain giving the arrow a more traditional look. PLATINUM INSTANT GEL BLAZER BOND DRYING TIME (++++ SHORT) EASINESS TO CLEAN STRENGTH OF ADHESION ADEQUATE TO DOT END OF VANES COLD IMPACT RESISTANCE (0-20 F) FLAMMABILITY (++++ NOT FLAMMABLE) VANE MATERIAL LESS SENSITIVE TO SURFACE DEFECTS VANE MATERIAL Platinum glue: When using Platinum, fill the cup of the base of the vane with the glue. Our studies have shown better adhesion strength when more glue is used. Platinum is a glue that cures through solvent evaporation to create a strong, yet flexible bond. It builds up its adhesion strength slowly to reach 90% of its full cure after hours. The exact time depends on the humidity at time of fletching. Dryer conditions help the glue set faster. Although not a structural adhesive, Platinum penetrates deep in carbon fibers and is reinforced by components that act as rebar in the matrix. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) picture of Platinum on a carbon shaft. Rebars PLATINUM GLUE INTERACTION GLUE-CARBON CARBON FIBERS 36 μm

5 Instant Gel: This glue is a thick cyanoacrylate glue. It is excellent at filling gaps if your shaft is severely abraded. Because it is thicker, it cures slower than standard cyanoacrylates. Blazer Bond: A thin layer of this new cyanoacrylate adhesive will instantly create an exceptionally strong bond. In our tests, we were able to fletch with ease on shafts contaminated with vegetable oil, silicone spray or even grease. We still recommend you clean your shafts though! The Scoop on Cyanoacrylates You need some moisture in the air to start the reaction. Too much moisture may create white marks on the side. These can be removed with acetone. HOW MUCH GLUE? An acidic surface slows down the reaction (Check your cleaner. Wood is naturally acidic too). To extend the life of your glue: Keep the tip as clean as possible and close the bottle between each fletching. Keep the bottle in a dry environment. You can also freeze your unopened bottle and refrigerate your glue (even if open) but make sure to let it reach room temperature before using. Platinum Instant Glue Cure and Shoot CLAMP TIME CURE TIME BEFORE SHOOTING PLATINUM 5 min hours INSTANT GEL 2 min 4 hours Place a dot of Platinum at the ends of each vane to secure them on the shaft. (Do not use Cyanoacrylate glue to do this it will not dry) BLAZER BOND 10 s 2 hours Remove Vanes: Use a Bohning Stripper tool to strip the vanes off the shaft. With its concave blade it will not damage the shaft. Once the vane is off, soak the end of the shaft in acetone for a couple of hours or overnight to remove traces of adhesives. Proceed to cleaning the shaft after this step. Wraps: Soak the wrapped shaft in hot water and peel off the wrap. Alternatively, you can use a blow dryer to soften the adhesive and peel the wrap. Use Limoxyl to remove vinyl residue from the shaft. Proceed to cleaning the shaft after this step. Paint: Soak in acetone or lacquer thinner overnight. Then scrub the paint off. Proceed to cleaning the shaft. AMB- Version

6 Quick adhesion trouble-shooting Failure with glue on the shaft usually means a problem with vanes: some vanes are manufactured using release agent and need to be cleaned prior to fletching. This is not the case with Bohning vanes. Failure with glue on the vanes and clean shaft usually means a problem with shafts. Repeat the cleaning procedure and try again. Some shafts need more abrasion and sometimes the best solution to this is to wrap or dip. Failure with glue on both sides could indicate a jig not properly set-up, a damaged clamp (if you have numbered them, look for a pattern in the failure), a drying time not respected or a contaminant on parts of the shaft or vanes. Failure in field in high humidity can be improved with primer on the shaft. For more information on all cleaning and adhesive Bohning products, call or visit N. 7 Mile Road Lake City, MI U.S.A

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