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Tried the tape for the first tme. Just put on 3 feathers pronto quick. I'll add a drop of glue at each end. Anybody tried that tape? Looks like it should work, but I can't imagine it has the staying power of fletching glue.

Also, got in my new Bitzenburger with the RH helical. It's much better than my previous fletcher for helicals. Any hints appreciated.
Never tried. Been using Fletch Tite for many years, with my Bitzenberger.
I haven't used the tape but hear it works well. I mostly use super glue for everything - carbon, wood, feathers, vanes, etc. I also use a Bitzenburger - both left and right helical. I prefer left for 3 fletch due to how fetching clears the shelf shooting right handed (less wear/tear on fetching). I usually use right helical for everything else mainly because I find the Bitz jig easier to use with right. Lately, I've pretty much gone to 4 fletch with right helical on everything.
I got a Bitz last Christmas, put together some 4-fletch with the tape, and drop of glue at each end. Holding well.

After a few months, I cut the fletching off one of the shafts to do some bare shaft testing, the tape was holding very well.

I found the tape was painfully tedious to cut/fit on the fletches, but it seems to work well.
I've been using it for years, and really like it.
Any particular brand of fletch tape better or best?
Try taking the stuff off! I use it, and like it. IMO, the stick on stuff is better than the shrink wrap stuff. I too use a Blitz, and just picked up a new high speed arrow saw. Very good friend, and hunting and fishing partner, works for Pine Ridge Archery. Very large manufacturer of archery accessories. I use the tape he recommends and he supplies me with vanes and glue.
Originally Posted by DeanAnderson
Try taking the stuff off! I use it, and like it. IMO, the stick on stuff is better than the shrink wrap stuff. I too use a Blitz, and just picked up a new high speed arrow saw. Very good friend, and hunting and fishing partner, works for Pine Ridge Archery. Very large manufacturer of archery accessories. I use the tape he recommends and he supplies me with vanes and glue.

Which tape does he recommend and you use?
Pretty much any of the wraps from onestringer.com out of Missouri. Another source is whitewaterarchery.com. I used to dip and crest all my shafts as well, but not anymore since I started using wraps. Pine Ridge has wraps too, but I like a longer wrap, they only make short ones.
Have 2 dozen new Easton 340 FMJ to get ready for the fall too. Haven't even taken the saw out of the box yet!

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com] [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Don't really know the manufacturer of the wraps, just the source to obtain them. But I can tell you, I've never had one fail. I'll take old ones off to replace them, but only because I want a different look. And they're a bugger to take off!

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
I maybe take shaft prep too far, but the wraps stick! I clean them with warm soapy water and after letting them air dry I wipe them with rubbing alcohol and do my best not to touch them. Then lay the wrap out, put the arrow on it and roll. I've screwed more than one up, but get some right too!
Confused I am.

You put a wrap on the shaft and then the fletching goes on the wrap?

Do you use fletching tape, and of so which brand do you prefer?
I guess you could call the wraps fletching tape. The wraps stick to the shaft, like tape, then the fletches glue to the wrap. I honestly don't know the "brand" on the wraps, but I know the source to get them. Mostly I go to onestringer.com, they have good tutorials as well. Do you need wraps for the fletches to stick better? No, I don't think so. It's like, do I crest my arrow or not? Sorry, can't tell you a brand like 3M, or something similar. But what I get from onestringer.com has never let me down. And my go to guy is out on Lake Erie right now...
Guess I confused tape with wraps.
Sorry, my bad! I did confuse fletching tape with wraps. Just educated myself on fletching tape and the couple videos I watched, and articles I read, favor Bohning tape.
I just tape/glue mine directly to the carbon shaft.

Do the wraps offer any real advantage, or just give the arrow a custom look?
Custom look but bright colored wraps make arrows easier to find when you miss or see your hits on game. One advantage I've found is it makes refletching easier - peel off the wrap and old fletching comes with it (less clean-up on shafts).
Originally Posted by DeanAnderson
Sorry, my bad! I did confuse fletching tape with wraps. Just educated myself on fletching tape and the couple videos I watched, and articles I read, favor Bohning tape.

OK. You had me going there!
Originally Posted by JGray
Custom look but bright colored wraps make arrows easier to find when you miss or see your hits on game. One advantage I've found is it makes refletching easier - peel off the wrap and old fletching comes with it (less clean-up on shafts).

Don't a need a "custom look", but being able to refletch wiithout scraping off flethings would be a plus I'm shooting Beman Centershot shafts that have a fake wood-look finish, which is easy to scrape off when removing feathers. The wrap may be an answer.

Thanks!
Originally Posted by Gun_Geezer
Originally Posted by DeanAnderson
Sorry, my bad! I did confuse fletching tape with wraps. Just educated myself on fletching tape and the couple videos I watched, and articles I read, favor Bohning tape.

OK. You had me going there!



Sorry about that!
the tape is just smart . so is the wrap
Fletch tape holds feathers about as good as any glue I have ever tried.

Drop a dab of glue on each end of the feather and roll on. Just as hard to remove feathers that have been taped as feathers that are glued.
The thing I found about fletch tape is the feathers can "lay over" even with the drop of glue on both ends. It's faster for sure, but they don't seem to last for me. YMMV. I've gone back to DUCO cement for wood arrows. Sometimes Bohning for carbons, sometimes DUCO. depends what's handy.
Originally Posted by bbassi
The thing I found about fletch tape is the feathers can "lay over" even with the drop of glue on both ends. It's faster for sure, but they don't seem to last for me. YMMV. I've gone back to DUCO cement for wood arrows. Sometimes Bohning for carbons, sometimes DUCO. depends what's handy.


I wanted to try the tape and bought some. Clicked on it without reading close, and it is a China made roll of tape. Looks just like the Bohning tape. Anyway, the Chineese tape I got off Amazon is a joke. As you said, a few feathers have "laid over" even with drop of glue on the ends. If you push on the feather you can move it!. On the upside, it is easy to get the feathers off for a re-fletch!

I may try some Bohning tape, might not. But for now I've wasted about $30 worth of feathers due to the junky Chinese tape. I try NOT to buy Chinese. Messed up.
I've only used the Bohning tape, so your results will likely be the same. FWIW you "should" be able to pull the tape off those feathers and reuse them.
So I'll give up on tape. So which glue for carbon & feathers?

I just fletched up 6 using Fletch-Tite Platinum, which I now web searched and find it is junk compared to "original" Fletch-Tite.

What's the best glue for carbon & feathers?
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