Removing plastic fletching.

Sindrin

New member
What's the easiest way to remove plastic fletches off ACCs? I've got some second hand and want to put spin wings on them but I'm really struggling to get the old fletches off. When I've pulled them off other arrows they've come off fairly easily with a Stanley knife and some acetone. But the use aren't shifting!

Thanks.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
If you slice off most of the vane with a Stanley knife, you'll be left with the foot of the vane left on. I use a wood chisel to remove that last part.
Not the cutting edge, as that can dig into the carbon. I place the back of the chisel flat onto the shaft and push the chisel along the shaft so the side edge of the chisel moves at an angle to the shaft( 70 deg ish as opposed to 90 deg) that pushes the foot off to one side as it moves along the shaft.
The action is a bit like sharpening a pencil with a knife, but the flat back of the chisel blade, slides along the shaft while the side edge forces the vane off. I make sure the chisel blade stays flat on the shaft as any lifting of the trailing edge causes the lead edge to bite the shaft.
If you can hold and support the shaft in some way, the chisel can be held as if draw filing using the back of the chisel on the shaft. That is safer, specially if the glue doesn't break off on the first pass.
 

dgmultimedia

Supporter
Supporter
They have probably been applied with Blazer bond instant cyno.
I use it because it's so quick to apply but it's a pain to remove. You can soak in pure acetone for several minutes and then a stripping blade but you have to be careful that the blade does not lift fibres. Scraping along the shaft with a very sharp stanley blade held at right angle to the shaft will take off the remaining glue as it is softer than the carbon but only just so you have to take your time.
I have taken to applying a wrap before fletching as its easier to remove BUT you will have to re- apply the wrap and all fletches when one gets damaged.


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AndyW

Well-known member
Ditto. Wraps for exactly the same reason but you do end up buying fletchings by the hundred due to ( as you said ) mangle one refletch three. When I do strip from carbons I go with a scalpel slowly to get as much of the foot off as possible then take the remainder off with fast swipes of the blade so as it doesn't get chance to snag.
 

Sindrin

New member
Thanks folks. I'll put a new blade in and try again. I'm going to put wraps on with the wings, just need the old ones off first!


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