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FLETCHING TUTORIAL (Read 17339 times)

Paleoarts

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FLETCHING TUTORIAL
Aug 16^th, 2009 at 1:36pm

okay, this is a tutorial on how i fletch my atlatl darts. i also use the same technique for arrows. i'd like to make it understood that this is just how i do things and is not intended to be the difinitive, or even the easiest, method. it's just the way that works best for me. having said that, here we go!

let's start with looking at the tools i use
hot glue gun
ruler
scissors
very sharp knife
pencil
artificial sinew

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Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL Reply #1 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 1:39pm next comes the materials. 6' ash dart shafts (pre-stained) turkey feathers (the ones here are shown pre-cut but i'll show you how to split and trim them from whole feathers)
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Paleoarts

Interfector Viris Spurii

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it don't mean a thing
if you aint got that
sling!

Posts: 1993
oceanside, CA
Gender: male

Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL
Reply #2 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 1:47pm

the first step in making fletches is to select your feathers. make sure they are the right size for the job you want to do. i make 8" fletches for my darts so i need at least 9" of solid uninterupted vane with a good width to it. i select primaries that are about 12" to 18" in length and about 3" to 3 1/2" wide. also, it's very important that all your feathers are the same direction (left/right wing).

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Paleoarts

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it don't mean a thing
if you aint got that
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Posts: 1993
oceanside, CA
Gender: male

Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL
Reply #3 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 1:54pm

once you have all your feathers, it's time to split them. there are a lot of different methods for doing this but this is the one that works best for me. i place the feather on a board with the cupped side facing up. then, taking a very sharp knife (you could use a razor blade or exacto knife) i puncture the quill about an inch from the bottom. don't try and go all the way through the quill. all you need to do is split the outer surface of this side. carefully draw your knife up the spine, staying as close to the center as possible.

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Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL Reply #4 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 1:58pm when you get close to the other end your blade will have a tendency to cut through to the other side. this is okay and even preferable. often the blade will travel off center and cut through the spine near the end. this, also is okay as long as you have enough fletch for your job.
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Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL Reply #5 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 2:10pm next, grip the split ends at the top and gently pull apart. the quill should seperate nicely all the way down to the base. if it doesn't come apart completely near the base, just use your knife to finish the last bit.
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Paleoarts

Interfector Viris Spurii

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it don't mean a thing
if you aint got that
sling!

Posts: 1993
oceanside, CA
Gender: male

Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL
Reply #6 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 2:17pm

you should now have your split fletch. at this point we should make some distinctions about what side is what and which end is which. first, the thick end of the quill we'll call the 'bottom' and the thin end the 'top'. the cupped side of the feather will become the 'inside' and the domed side is the 'outside'. your split fletch is pictured here with the 'bottom' at the top of the picture and the 'inside' facing toward us.

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Paleoarts

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it don't mean a thing
if you aint got that
sling!

Posts: 1993
oceanside, CA
Gender: male

Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL
Reply #7 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 2:28pm

next comes the shaping of the quill. this the most difficult part of the process and the one area where failure is most common. take your time! we start by holding the fletch at the 'top' with the 'outside' facing towards us. about an inch or more from the end, we gently shave the quill to roughly a 1/16" all the way to the 'bottom'. don't, repeat DON'T! try and do this all in one shot. take little slivers off like you're whittling. the quill has a grain to it that often spirals around and if you try and shave off a continuous piece, you're likely to cut into the vanes. also, remember to hold your blade at a 45 degree angle to the quill. you're not trying to take all the white pith in the middle off, just shaving down the hard outer shell of the quill.

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Paleoarts

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it don't mean a thing
if you aint got that
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Posts: 1993
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Gender: male

Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL
Reply #8 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 2:33pm

once that's complete, turn the fletch end over end and hold it from the 'bottom' with the 'inside' facing you. you basically do the same thing only this time you're just removing the curved shoulder of the quill. don't try and trim too close to the vanes! we can remove more of this material later. the object here is just get that curved edge off. about half way to three quaters up the fletch, that shoulder should disappear and you can stop trimming.

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Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL Reply #9 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 2:42pm the next step is to scrape down the pith in the center of the quill. starting at the 'bottom', hold your knife edge on to the quill and scrape back and forth an inch at a time removing the pith. be careful not to bend or crease the quill. once you're done, the quill should have a reletively flat bottom.
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Paleoarts

Interfector Viris Spurii

Offline

it don't mean a thing
if you aint got that
sling!

Posts: 1993
oceanside, CA
Gender: male

Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL
Reply #10 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 2:49pm

alright! the hard part is done. now we move on to sizing and shaping. the first thing i like to do is cut my fletches to length. like i said before, i use 8" fletches (9" total) but you can adjust to whatever length you prefer. i place the fletch next to a ruler and slide it back and forth to find the best area of the feather to use, then simply trim the ends with the scissors.

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Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL Reply #11 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 2:52pm remember, cut your feathers one inch longer than what you want your fletches to be.
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Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL Reply #12 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 2:56pm also, try and cut your fletches from the middle portion of the feather. this avoids the downy vanes at the 'bottom' of the quill and the thin quill portion at the 'top'.
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Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL Reply #13 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 3:00pm next, we remove a 1/2" section of vane from each end using our knife. on the 'top' we cut in towards the center....
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Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: FLETCHING TUTORIAL Reply #14 - Aug 16^th, 2009 at 3:01pm ....and at the 'bottom' we cut from the inside going out.
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