Bohning Pro Jig - straight or curved clamp

fbirder

Member
I'm making my own wooden arrows for the first time and I'm about to fletch with 4" right-hand feathers. I have a Bohning Pro jig from my (pre-XS-Wings) recurve days. But it only has a straight clamp. Would that be OK, or should I buy a Bohning RH clamp?

Thanks
 

bimble

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aren't the RH/LH clamps for doing helical fletching? If you're happy with straight (though straight with a slight offset would be better), stick with your straight clamp.
 

Andy!

Active member
Never fletch straight. Always at least have one degree of offset.

There is research available which shows the effect that spinning the arrow can have on correcting the flight path of arrows that are intentionally bent.

Straight fletching is awesome for ensuring constant veering to one direction.
 

4d4m

Active member
Never fletch straight. Always at least have one degree of offset.

There is research available which shows the effect that spinning the arrow can have on correcting the flight path of arrows that are intentionally bent.

Straight fletching is awesome for ensuring constant veering to one direction.
I think he means a straight clamp (applied with an offset) as opposed to a helical clamp
 

fbirder

Member
Thanks for the answers. I've got a helical clamp, so I'll try that.

I might just fletch 8 with the helical and 4 with the straight offset to see if there's any difference. Using wraps and tape makes it easy to change if one is obviously better than t'other.
 

Andy!

Active member
I think he means a straight clamp (applied with an offset) as opposed to a helical clamp
With beginners who don't know, it's best to specify exactly what the story is and keep advice which can apply to everyone.
 

Andy!

Active member
I might just fletch 8 with the helical and 4 with the straight offset to see if there's any difference. Using wraps and tape makes it easy to change if one is obviously better than t'other.
The problem that you are going to have is that you won't actually see one being better than the other. What you will see, without doing actual statistical analysis, with plotting results and such is that what you want to be better, will appear to be.

Perfect results, ie, six arrows that will go into exactly the same hole at 25 metres has been achieved with offset fletching, so considering that helical is going to improve on that is a bit of logical fallacy, as is expecting that it will be worse.
 

fbirder

Member
The problem that you are going to have is that you won't actually see one being better than the other. What you will see, without doing actual statistical analysis, with plotting results and such is that what you want to be better, will appear to be.
Many thanks for your helpful advice.

I am a scientist. I know how to analyse data from experiments.
 

Andy!

Active member
Excellent.
All the work in this area has already been done.
The closer the arrow's longitudinal axis is to a straight line, the less aerodynamic effects need to be corrected by spin rate averaging.
Lower quality shafts benefit from greater spin rates and that's where the potential for a greater rotation speed can be achieved with a greater fletching angle. Helical helps seat vanes more securely on thinner shafts if higher rotational speed is desirable.
Shooting machine testing showed that even minimal deviation from perfect arrow straightness was a significant factor in group size and would almost always contribute to lost points.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1754337117736705
 
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