More carbon shaft questions

[Kmassaro]

Elmbow, I use Easton shafts for the same reason that I use only IMR and Hodgdon powders. They don't go belly up or discontinue products.

[elmbow]

Elmbow, I use Easton shafts for the same reason that I use only IMR and Hodgdon powders. They don't go belly up or discontinue products.

don't let Smokepole know you use IMR powders, you'll never hear the end of it. That Reminds me, I'm about empty on my last keg of Dupont Nemours 4350, I need to go to the store.

[njloco]

Sorry, puter is down and out for the count, on my son's lap top right now. Most arrows you buy today are good arrows, GT's might be thin walled but I have been using them for three years now and know many other people that use them also with very good dependable results. Footing is exactly as described above, with a piece of aluminum shaft.

The Big Jim insert glue is pretty amazing stuff, check out his web site, he is a the really big guy doing the demonstration.

If you posted your questions on the Tradgang forum you would get very good answers, not to say this info here has not been, I just think they might be able to zero in on what you want to know as that is all they do. If you want to get rid of the XX75's that is the place to do it, it's like this sight but for traditional archery and I have seen many pictures of Kif. tipi's at camp sights on the forum also.

I am sure in the end you will realize your making it a little harder than it is, probably due to all the choices you have available to you.

Good luck

P.S. When he has them in stock, Big Jim sells GT Traditional blemished arrows for like 50 something bucks, really good deal, I have bought them and am still using them from about 9 months ago, I shoot every day and they are holding up very well, If you get the chance, google, the muzzy shoot, it's held in upstate N.Y. and it's very demanding to say the least, I shot for two days and only broke one arrow. That is pretty amazing since most of the time, if you miss, your bouncing off of rocks. Though I am sure if the other brands of arrows are also set up for that type of shoot they would also hold up, but at what expense. Like I said I shoot a lot and usually wear out my feathers rather than loose them.

[Scoutin' Wyo]

Elm, you way under thinking this and make it sound too easy. Sheezz!

GT traditionals or Nugget series blemish arrows are regularly on fee-bay for 15%-20% off retail. I've used GT arrows since 2001 with great results. They have NOT discontinued the expedition or xt hunter that I've been shooting since the beginning. They are good arrows and I guarantee that the lodge pole kill shots I’ve had (too many actually) where the insert was shoved down the tube, that the same shot would have twisted an aluminum arrow into a pretzel. Now I just cut the last few inches off and give them to my boy to shoot. I've actually centered some trees and just twisted out the arrow to leave behind the tip and used the arrow again for hundreds of shots.

Plenty of arrow manufactures are making heavier arrows such as the kinetic from GT, Pile Driver from Carbon Express, and FMJ from Easton. If you go with a “painted” arrow like camo or wood grain, they will be a bit heavier than standard shafts.

A lot of the arrow components are interchangeable, but with that said there are plenty that aren’t. I found that my Maxima hunters have the same ID (.246) as my old Gold Tips so I’m using GT accu-lite knocks in my Carbon Express arrows.

I have used the original Goat Tuff glue for inserts which turned out to be too brittle and had them rattle loose after a few hundred shots. I've heard that people are having good results with the new Goat Tuff glue made just for inserts in carbon.

I've now switched to hot melt and have had great results. I made a threaded tool that the insert screws on to, which makes them easy to install or remove. Just screw an insert on, heat the insert, melt some glue on it, then heat the arrow for a second and push on, twist ¼ turn, then drench in water to instantly cool. To remove, I heat the tool first then screw in to the insert where the heat transfers enough that just a brief lick of flame on the arrow will allow the insert to slip out.

I use cheap gel super glue from wally-world for gluing feathers on my carbons. I had ZERO success with Fletch tite platinum or super glue on Blazer vanes and carbons. I have an old Jo-Jan for my feathers and a Bohning Helix Tower jig for fletching blazers and my new favorite, Fusion vanes. I use Loctite brand Ultra Gel Control super glue with good success on blazer & fusion vanes.

I have never used lacquer to crest carbons, but have used liquor while I crest them with "stickers". I’ve even gone as far to design custom wraps with elk antlers and had them printed by www.onestringer.com.

Have fun with your project!

[Lost Arra]

>>Elm, you way under thinking this and make it sound too easy. Sheezz!<<

+1

Maybe I'm just lucky that my longbows are easily tuned.

I like my arrows a certain length (29.5" from nock throat to bop) and with all the different weights of inserts, adapters and broadheads available it's not too difficult build a well tuned arrow.

Epoxy or a non-brittle hot melt for inserts with no problems. I cannot remember the name of the hot melt but it's an archery product and not from the crafts store.

I use fletch tape so I'm no help with those glues.

[elmbow]

Ok, I'll lay off the "likker" while I'm thinking these questions up. Let's call this thread good for now, I've got plenty of info to either "**** or get off the pot" with this carbon thing.

Scoutin Wyo, that's refreshing to see one of you "compounders" that actually decorates his arrows. They look nice. That's a custom wrap huh? I'm for sure going to look into the wraps, the Big Jim glues, and the blem trad GT's, 'cuz I am all about saving money, and think that with any market, backpacks, bikes, arrows, etc. there's plenty of marketing hype, and plenty of people who suck it up in their quest for the ultimate piece of equipment.
As well as crooked wood, and bent old aluminum shafts fly, I am probably over worried about getting this carbon thing right.

[Yolla Bolly]

Yeah, Elmbow---that link is to the hexshaft I was considering. I could use Woody Weights to bump up the total weight and FOC. The only question I have is durability---there is old lava just inches down in much of the country I ramble---I used to turn a bunch of cedar into kindling and then aluminum into garden stakes.

[elmbow]

Well, I made the plunge today. I'm bypassing the test shaft thing and sprung for the Carbon Express 250 heritage series. Got a decent deal on Ebay, $80/12 with free shipping. I'm going to do a white cap wrap, crest with my usual artistic pattern, and then fletch with 5" shield RW Trueflights. I ordered the carbon collars from Threerivers, and the OD on these will let me use existing points. the shafts also come with inserts and nocks.
So, one last question. they say to cut them back 1/2" at a time until you find the sweet spot with them. Well, how does one go about putting in inserts so that they come in and out easily to make the cuts?

[John Havard]

IMO it's a myth that you can easily cut 1/2" and constantly pull and re-insert the inserts repeatedly. IF I was going to do that I'd use hot melt. Put in a field point (a big one that extends far away from the end of the shaft) and heat it with a flame. Let the heat work its way down to the hot melt and pull the whole mess out with pliers. Then you have to clean the bejabbers out of the interior of the shaft and the exterior of the insert. A pain to say the least.

A better way to tune your arrows is to vary point weight. Cut them to the length you want and change the point weight until they fly properly.

Are you shooting these out of a bow that's cut 3/16" past center or do you need to worry about archer's paradox? If cut 3/16" past center then your problems are minimal. If not then you have to struggle.

One other option: I have at least 15-20 dozens of carbon arrows of various spines, all cut to 31.25" to BOP. If you'd like to play with a variety of them I'd be happy to ship the test arrows to you and let you do all the experimenting you want. Just let me know soon because on 7 April I turn into a pumpkin and fly to Africa to photograph and (hopefully) shoot some game animals.

[elmbow]

Thanks for the offer on the test shafts John, but I'll have these new arrows up and running in a few weeks and I really don't envision having any flight problems. All of my bows are center cut or past.
the tuning tip is what i was hoping to hear. I just couldn't see how it was going to be practical, inserting and removing inserts from a shaft that you can't put heat to. I will use the multiple weight point method.