Painting or otherwise marking arrows with a colorful crest can be traced back to medieval times. Virtually every civilization from the Romans to the American Indian practiced the ritual of cresting arrows used for hunting and battle.
Berry juices and other natural stains were used to adorn arrows with tribal insignia or to otherwise identify the arrows of individuals. A tradition that's as old as the arrow itself, modern target archers and hunters alike appreciate the personal touch only cresting can provide.
Cresting and fletching arrows for target or hunting use is easy. "A ritual of the pending hunt or tournament, interest in arrow building has never been higher," says John Kleman three-time national archery champion and sales manager for The Bohning Company, Ltd.
A leading manufacturer of plastic vanes, nocks, adhesives, paints, and many other archery accessories, Bohning produces a cresting and a fletching kit that's ideal for anyone interested in building professional quality arrows. The kits come complete with everything needed to build dozens of arrows. Bohning also produces an informative video titled Bringing Arrow Building Home that clearly outlines the steps to cresting and fletching arrows in an easy-to-understand format.
"Arrow cresting and fletching is something the archery enthusiast can do during his or her spare time," says Kleman. "Cresting and fletching is a fun hobby and a great way to build professional arrows at bargain prices."
Shaft Preparation
Before any arrow can be crested or fletched the shaft must first be cleaned of oil, dirt, and other foreign matter. A surface conditioner such as Prep-Rite II cleans aluminum or graphite arrow shafts and etches the surface so paint and adhesives can bond properly.
Arrows to be crested or fletched should be soaked in a surface conditioner for approximately five minutes then rinsed thoroughly under tap water and allowed to dry.
Crown Dip
Once the shafts are cleaned they are ready for what is known as a crown dip. Dipping arrows with a white basecoat of lacquer serves several purposes. Most important, the crown dip provides a surface that readily accepts the adhesives used to attach plastic vanes and nocks. A bond stronger than the plastic itself is achieved when vanes are glued to arrow shafts dipped in a quality lacquer such as Bohning's Fletch-Lac.
Dipping the arrows also provides a base coat that allows other colors used during the cresting process to cover in a bold and uniform manner. A white basecoat is a must if fluorescent colors are used.
Dipping also makes arrows more visible in flight, aiding the hunter who strives to see the arrow impact the quarry even in low light.
A crown dip can be white or any color of the rainbow. White should be used as a base color. Each arrow is dipped into a container filled with 8-10 inches of Fletch-Lac. Aluminum arrows with nock tapers allow the paint to drip off the taper, providing a clean and uniform dipped surface.
When removing the arrow from the dip tank, the excess paint should run off for about 15 seconds. If the paint is too thin let the open container set in a dust-free environment until the solvents have a chance to evaporate. Normally two dips spaced approximately one minute apart are required to cover the shaft effectively.
Once the arrows have been dipped twice, they should be hung up to dry for approximately 24 hours before cresting or fletching the shafts.
Those hunters who wish to dip arrows featuring a uni-bushing nock such as those used on Easton's XX78 Super Slam must insert a short length of 1/4-inch dowel rod into each nock bushing before dipping the shafts. The dowel rod prevents paint from getting into the bushing and insures that the nock will fit properly.
Cresting
After cutting off the excess dried paint at the end of the nock taper, apply a drop of Fletch-Tite adhesive to the nock taper and press the nock into position. Twist the nock a couple turns to evenly spread the adhesive and set aside for a few moments to let the glue dry. Uni-bushing nocks such as those used on the XX78 Super Slam arrows are simply pressed into position with a plastic tool provided.
A cresting machine such as Bohning's Standard or Pro Crester, a selection of brushes, Fletch-Lac paints, and a paper template will be needed to complete the cresting process.
The cresting machine spins the arrow shaft and holds the arrow approximately 1-1/4 inches above the table top for uniform cresting. Press the nock into the arrow holder and turn on the cresting machine. If the arrow wobbles slightly, grab the shaft while the cresting motor continues to turn for a moment and try again. If the arrow continues to wobble chances are the shaft is bent and should be straightened or discarded.
A small paper template is the easiest way to mark cresting lines onto a rotating arrow shaft. Simply tape the template into position under the arrow and using a sharp pencil scribe light lines onto the shaft while the shaft is turning.
Cresting paints normally need to be thinned for best results. To achieve an even coverage, use two or more thin coats until the crest is uniform. When cresting several arrows it's best to crest each arrow with one color then repeat the process with additional colors as desired.
When applying paint, start in the middle of the crest and spread the paint out to the left and right of center. Rest your hand on the table top if necessary to achieve a clean and neat job.
Once the basic color bands are completed, you'll want to go back and add some pin striping using a fine brush and contrasting paint. This finishing touch further personalizes the cresting job and adds a professional look. For best results, crest lighter colors first, then proceed to the darker colors.
Dipping and cresting works best on wood and aluminum arrows. Bohning doesn't recommend dipping or cresting graphite shafts.
Fletching
Fletching the arrow shaft is the next step in arrow building. Plastic vanes are the obvious choice of archery enthusiasts who shoot frequently and in all types of weather. The durability and consistent performance of plastic vanes has lead Bohning to offer a vane style, size, and color for every target or hunting situation.
Hunting arrows are normally equipped with full-sized four- or five-inch vanes. The hunter who shoots with a finger tab or glove is best suited with Fletch-Tite or Knifewing II vanes. These full-sized vanes are soft and forgiving of releases that are less than perfect, working to stabilize the arrow and guide it accurately towards the target.
Shooters who use a mechanical release aid and high-speed compound bows will find the Fletch-Tite, Knifewing II, and Bi-Delta "low-profile" style vanes an excellent choice. Designed to be lighter and faster than traditional vanes, low-profile vanes are at home on the target range or in the field.
The Bohning Arrow Fletching Kit was designed to allow archery enthusiasts to build and repair arrows like a pro. Complete with a fletching tool, adhesives, surface conditioner, vanes, and nocks, the hunter need only provide the shafts of his or her choice.
Arrow fletching kits are available with straight, left-wing and right-wing clamps. Additional fletching tools can be purchased separately for the individual who wishes to build arrows with assembly line speed and precision.
Straight clamps are often used by target archers who specialize in graphite or graphite-aluminum composite arrows. The rests needed for these arrows provide little vane clearance, forcing vanes to be installed straight onto the shaft.
Hunters who use aluminum arrows normally use a left- or right-wing clamp and two or three degrees of helical or twist when building arrows. The slight helical in the vanes causes the shaft to spin and quickly stabilize arrows equipped with broadheads. Aluminum arrows that haven't been crown dipped must be cleaned with a surface conditioner before the fletching process can begin. Soak arrows for five minutes in a solution of Prep-Rite II, rinse the arrows under running water, and allow to air dry. Attach a nock using a dab of Fletch-Tite, Instant Super, or Bond-Tite adhesive. Each of these three adhesives is compatible with all Bohning lacquers, nocks, and vanes. Fletch-Tite is the original adhesive that set the standard in the industry for wood and aluminum arrow building. Instant Super is an instant drying glue which requires no activator. Bond-Tite is specially formulated for use on graphite shafts. This adhesive is fast drying and can also be used on aluminum arrows. An old arrow is used to adjust and set the fletching jig before the process of attaching vanes can begin. Start by making sure the jig is indexed properly. On most fletching jigs a mark indicates when the jig is in the starting or cock vane position. Place a vane in the clamp and position the clamp in the fletching jig. The vane should rest on the arrow shaft without any gaps or spaces. If the vane doesn't rest properly on the arrow shaft, two set screws on the fletching jig can be loosened and the clamp repositioned as needed to make a good fit. When the fit looks good, tighten down the set screws, place a thin bead of adhesive on the vane and position the clamp in the fletching jig. Make sure the arrow nock is pushed tightly into the jig, then push the clamp down into position and wait a minute for the glue to set up. Remove the clamp and check to see that the full length of the vane is seated tightly against the arrow shaft. If all looks well it's time to start the fletching process. The first vane to be attached is always the cock vane. Cock vanes should contrast with the two hen vanes, making the process of nocking an arrow fast and easy. Put an arrow with nock in place into the fletching jig and check to be sure the jig is in the starting or cock vane position. Place the vane in the clamp, being sure to line up each succeeding vane at the same indicator mark on the clamp. Apply a thin and even bead of adhesive on the vane and press the clamp into position against the arrow shaft. If using Fletch-Tite adhesive the clamp must be left in place for approximately five minutes. The clamp can be removed in about two minutes when using Instant Super Fletch-Tite or Bond-Tite adhesives. Remove the clamp and index the fletching jig one stop. Place a contrasting hen vane into the clamp and repeat the process of applying adhesive and positioning the clamp.
When the adhesive is dry remove the clamp and index the jig one more stop. Position another hen feather into the clamp and repeat the process of gluing and positioning the clamp.
Once the cock and two hen vanes have been glued into place, remove the arrow from the jig and add a drop of adhesive to both ends of each vane. This extra dab of glue insures that the vane won't pull loose if the arrow is shot through a target.
Depending on the adhesive used it takes between 5-10 minutes to fletch an arrow with vanes, feathers will take considerably longer. Serious arrow builders use two or more jigs mounted on a board to produce an assembly line building process.
Modern cresting and fletching arrows has become a folk art of the archery community. Like the people who build their own arrows, no two designs are identical.
A hobby to some and a folk art to others, the timeless tradition of cresting and fletching arrows has become an inseparable part of modern archery. On the target range and in the field, thousands of archery enthusiasts display their colors proudly.
Copyright (c) 1996 Mark Romanack. All rights reserved.
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