Feather Fletching Issue w/ AZ EZ Fletch

[TX_Diver]

Tried to fletch some black eagle outlaws with some Gateway feathers (3" and 4" shield cut) with an AZ EZ Fletch and had an issue where the clamp wouldn't close all the way. Made it work for most of them but it was a pain. I had 3 true flights left and they don't seem to have the same issue. Trad vanes fletched fine too and had the opposite problem actually where the back of the vane wouldn't touch until I added some tape to the jig.

It appears that the base of the gateways is much less consistent and generally thicker than the true flights (and obviously way thicker than the trad vanes). Sorting them out and pulling out the ones with the thinnest base helped the problem.

Is there any other way to fix this or should I just ditch the gateway feathers? I'll pay a few cents more for true flight next time if it means my fletching time is cut in half!

 

[butcherboy]

I don’t use the ez fletch for any kind of feather but it does work well for vanes. I use Ozark feathers and they glue on better than gateway or truflight.

 

[nevadabugle]

Two thoughts. Gateways grinds are terrible. Stick with thr truflight. Much more consistent.

Secondly I would reccomend a JoJan or Bitzenburger. They are much more accurate to fletch with and can handle the inconsistent grind of the gateways.

 

[TX_Diver]

Two thoughts. Gateways grinds are terrible. Stick with thr truflight. Much more consistent.

Secondly I would reccomend a JoJan or Bitzenburger. They are much more accurate to fletch with and can handle the inconsistent grind of the gateways.

I have a bitz but started using an ez fletch for the compound and was hoping to be able to do the same for the recurve. Definitely done with gateway after this one experience. I fletched up 3 arrows with each configuration and used 2 different glues too. going to shoot them for a month or so to see what I like best (if I can even tell a difference). Guess I can fletch the rest with a bitz as I’m down to only the thick bases now

 

[nevadabugle]

The bitz will work with the thick bases. May as well use them up.

 

[Fjellvei]

Two thoughts. Gateways grinds are terrible. Stick with thr truflight. Much more consistent.

Secondly I would reccomend a JoJan or Bitzenburger. They are much more accurate to fletch with and can handle the inconsistent grind of the gateways.

I'm considering grabbing AZ Ez fletch but love the idea of a more robust jig like the blitz. Any value to starting small and doing the EZ fletch to get started? I'm at the point where I'm moving from buying prefletched high-end arrows to doing my own fletching so I can customize a little more

 

[nevadabugle]

I'm considering grabbing AZ Ez fletch but love the idea of a more robust jig like the blitz. Any value to starting small and doing the EZ fletch to get started? I'm at the point where I'm moving from buying prefletched high-end arrows to doing my own fletching so I can customize a little more

I'll tell you my experience from 20 or so years ago...

I bought an AZ EZ, to save money. I struggled with it, just like @TX_Diver . I ended up with a JoJan and eventually a couple of Bitz. I then tossed the EZ fletch in the garbage.

Maybe they work well for some people or have gotten better over the years, but I never had satisfactory results with the EZ fletch that I had.

 

[TX_Diver]

I'm considering grabbing AZ Ez fletch but love the idea of a more robust jig like the blitz. Any value to starting small and doing the EZ fletch to get started? I'm at the point where I'm moving from buying prefletched high-end arrows to doing my own fletching so I can customize a little more

If you want to use gateway feathers I'd stick with the bitz lol.

I have a bitz but it's painstakingly slow with fletch tite platinum. I'll probably use it for the rest of these arrows to use up some of the gateway feathers, but am going to stick with true flight from here on out and give the EZ fletch another shot later.

 

[oldgoat]

I'll tell you my experience from 20 or so years ago...

I bought an AZ EZ, to save money. I struggled with it, just like @TX_Diver . I ended up with a JoJan and eventually a couple of Bitz. I then tossed the EZ fletch in the garbage.

Maybe they work well for some people or have gotten better over the years, but I never had satisfactory results with the EZ fletch that I had.

This pretty much mirrors my experience

 

[Jbogg]

Yesterday was my first foray into refletching arrows for my recurve. I purchased an EZ fletch, and some 4 inch gateway left wing feathers. I really wish I had seen this thread first. Exact same experience.

 

[Beendare]

Yeah, x4
the AZ is great for vanes-sucks with feathers

I use a BPE fletcher....and I usually hit the base with a few swipes of 220 sand paper to even them out for better adhesion.

 

[nphunter]

I've been using a blitz and tape instead of glue, the tape has been outlasing my feathers, and I have only had 1 feather rip the tape off and that was when I was pulling them back out of a target that they had gone inside of.

 

[ddowning]

I've been using a blitz and tape instead of glue, the tape has been outlasing my feathers, and I have only had 1 feather rip the tape off and that was when I was pulling them back out of a target that they had gone inside of.

Yep, the tape is the way.