Raw feather to fletching build along

[bmac]

Great build along! I've been chopping and burning feathers for traditional archery arrows for a few years. I made my own grinding jig out of a straight fletching clamp and use a dremel tool. The shop vac and a good mask are necessities as the feather dust isn't good to inhale. Do many people use real feathers for crossbow bolts or do they use vanes?

[footed shaft]

I would guess that the vast majority use vanes. Bill

[Limbs and Sticks]

Great build along! I've been chopping and burning feathers for traditional archery arrows for a few years. I made my own grinding jig out of a straight fletching clamp and use a dremel tool. The shop vac and a good mask are necessities as the feather dust isn't good to inhale. Do many people use real feathers for crossbow bolts or do they use vanes?

I use and like my feathers over vanes, they each have they're use, but to me feathers win hands down,imho

Wes

[footed shaft]

I love my feathers too!!

[pokynojoe]

Just another example of the enthusiasm and resourcefulness the members of this forum have for their sport. I think its wonderful!

Good luck
Joe

[denisdendenis]

it look cool,,,i got the bug now for fletching,,you should do a video and ask excalibur to post it on theire video section ..

[secret]

Nice read. I do the same except i use a burner{to make them all the exact same size on shaft} Even the blazer shape

[footed shaft]

I think a video would be nice to make as well, but i don't have the camera to make one. Bill

[footed shaft]

Secret, i have tried the burners as well, but i can't take the horrible smell they produce then burning the feathers. It smell like a whole chicken/turkey barn is on fire!! LOL Bill

[footed shaft]

ttt. Bill

[Hoagy]

Hey Bill, top notch stuff for sure. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.
Hoagy

[automated11]

Do you shoot feathers on your crossbow arrows and if so how do they fly?

[flightattendant100]

Years ago I was in a primitive archery club, and fletched some arrows with feathers from a turkey that I had killed.I pretty much followed your procedure but used the clamp off a Bitzenberger to hold the feather for sanding. I cut the feathers to shape with a pair of sharp scissors as I didnt have a "chopper". They werent exact but I didnt figure the Indians feathers were either.I love the chopper tool. Thats keen. Where might one purchase one of those? My old bow broke and I have had a stave, worked down to a single growth ring and the ends sealed with parafin, sittin' in the shed for about 15 yrs.! Guess its dry by now!!! lol maybe one of these days I will get motivated to finish it.

[nchunterkw]

Do you shoot feathers on your crossbow arrows and if so how do they fly?

I shoot both Blazers and Rayzr feathers. They both fly just fine. Fethers weigh a lot less so it gives you a little more FOC too - for free. The only downsides to them is that they are more expensive than vanes and don't last as long when shooting a bunch at a target. But there are many advantages to them too, the main one I like is that a feather acts the same regardless of temperature. Vanes don't do that.

[TheTinker]

Interesting build-along!

RE:Great Northern Feather Grinding System
http://www.kustomkingarchery.com/Feathe ... nfo/A5909/