How are you installing collars with hot melt?

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Oct 20, 2018
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I am new to building arrows and am wondering hot you are installing collars with hot melt. I have never used hot melt and maybe I am over thinking it, but don't you heat both pieces, then apply the glue, then install and spin? But here is where my head is stuck, you can't heat the carbon.

Am i over thinking this? Does the carbon really need to be heated? Do you quickly heat, install, spin, then cool in water?

I know some people are not gluing collars on, but I was thinking this would add some strength yet still be removable.
 
It’s called cold melt and comes in blue sticks. Use steam from a kettle to heat up components and apply in the same manner you suggested.
Cold melt made by Bohning archery. It’s blue instead of honey color, and works pretty good ( melts at lower temps). Can use it to aligne broadheads after installing inserts .

don’t overheat the carbon cause that will damage the shaft!
 
I use Bohning Cool Flex (blue stick) for all my inserts. My procedure for inserts is:
  1. Screw a field point into the insert
  2. Grip the field point with a pair of locking pliers
  3. Lightly heat the insert over a propane flame (10 seconds or so should be sufficient)
  4. Rub glue stick on insert (glue will melt onto hot surface of insert)
  5. Push the insert into the arrow shaft rotating as I go to help spread the glue more evenly
  6. Release pliers
  7. Dunk the tip of the arrow in water to dissipate the heat
Collars would be a bit trickier since the bonding surface is internal to the collar. If you had a glue stick small enough to fit inside the collar, I suppose you could heat the collar then insert the glue stick and rub it against the inside surface of the collar to get the glue to melt and transfer to the collar. Otherwise, I'd try heating the end of the glue stick, rubbing melted glue onto the outside surface of the arrow shaft, then quickly shoving the collar on.

I would not directly apply heat to a carbon arrow shaft. I experimented with a scrap piece of carbon shaft and a propane torch once just to see what would happen, and it doesn't take much exposure to direct flame to burn/crack/splinter the carbon.
 
Collars would be a bit trickier since the bonding surface is internal to the collar. If you had a glue stick small enough to fit inside the collar, I suppose you could heat the collar then insert the glue stick and rub it against the inside surface of the collar to get the glue to melt and transfer to the collar. Otherwise, I'd try heating the end of the glue stick, rubbing melted glue onto the outside surface of the arrow shaft, then quickly shoving the collar on.

I thought about cutting a stick in half length wise to try and get glue in there. I just think it would be kind of a pain to get it evenly spread around the inside of the collar.

I also thought about putting them on without glue and then heating the collar and trying to get the melt to flow into the gap, kind of like soldering a pipe together. I would need to be pretty careful though, as I'm sure the shaft would heat pretty quickly from that.
 
I also thought about putting them on without glue and then heating the collar and trying to get the melt to flow into the gap, kind of like soldering a pipe together. I would need to be pretty careful though, as I'm sure the shaft would heat pretty quickly from that.
Interesting idea, that might work. But like you said, I'd worry about overheating the shaft with the collar already installed.

Maybe heating the collar, smearing just a dab of glue around the circumference of the back of the collar then shoving it on would do the trick? I haven't used collars so I don't know how much of an issue it is to keep them secure.
 
Does anyone know what resin system is used for carbon arrows? The resin system I'm most familiar with in my industry is the Cyanate-Ester family, and glass transition temp is typically up above 400F. Definitely safe to heat to hot-melt temperatures.
 
Does anyone know what resin system is used for carbon arrows? The resin system I'm most familiar with in my industry is the Cyanate-Ester family, and glass transition temp is typically up above 400F. Definitely safe to heat to hot-melt temperatures.
I don't have the answer, but I'd be interested to know if you're able to find out.

FWIW, Bohning says the melt temp of its Cool Flex (blue) adhesive is 280°F.
 
I use regular hot melt. Heat it directly with a lighter and spin the arrow against it to get a 360 ring of glue around the shaft jest below the tip. Heat the collar up with a lighter wearing leather gloves and slowly spin it onto the shaft and it will melt the glue between the insert and shaft without getting glue in the shaft or between the front of the shaft and collar. If they cool too quick heat the collar while on the shaft and push the rest of the way on. Cool with water after cooled peel of ring if hot melt from the bottom of the collar.
Super Simple and takes about 5 minutes to install a dozen collars B15F4E77-D606-44ED-A586-166956C152BD.jpeg
 
I could never bring myself to glue my collars on but that seems a little easier nphunter.... I was thinking about some thinner tape options to shim and support but haven't got around to trying anything...
 
I use regular hot melt. Heat it directly with a lighter and spin the arrow against it to get a 360 ring of glue around the shaft jest below the tip. Heat the collar up with a lighter wearing leather gloves and slowly spin it onto the shaft and it will melt the glue between the insert and shaft without getting glue in the shaft or between the front of the shaft and collar. If they cool too quick heat the collar while on the shaft and push the rest of the way on. Cool with water after cooled peel of ring if hot melt from the bottom of the collar.
Super Simple and takes about 5 minutes to install a dozen collars

That sounds like a solid method. I always keep my broken arrows for tests and refining methods just like this.
 
It works super easy and they come right back off with a little heat. I have 10gr and 25gr Collars and have swapped them several times.
 
Provided they are flanged either leave them loose or use a two part epoxy.

I was wanting to use hot melt to take up the gap between the collar and shaft (yes, I know it's only a few thousandths of an inch) to help increase strength, yet they would be removable.

Do you know of a 2 part epoxy that can be removed without damaging an arrow?
 
I was wanting to use hot melt to take up the gap between the collar and shaft (yes, I know it's only a few thousandths of an inch) to help increase strength, yet they would be removable.

Do you know of a 2 part epoxy that can be removed without damaging an arrow?
No, i think i want to to remove them i just leave them unglued.
 
Nphunter has it. Don't heat the carbon.

I personally wouldn't bother with gluing.
 
I haven’t seen the need to glue the iron will collars.

In the past I would make footers out of old aluminum arrows and use 2 part epoxy, but that was permanent.
 
I haven't used collars, but have put outserts on carbon arrows and a lot of field points and broadheads on cedar shafts. Typically I carve some Bohning Hot Melt off the stick and put a small piece or two into the steel or aluminum point or outsert with a field point attached and heat it to melting with my propane torch turned as low as it goes. I then insert the shaft or into the soft and bubbly Hot-Melt, rotating the shaft as I go. I'll give the arrow a good spin check after seating the shaft into the point or outsert. If the the glue is stiffening up, a little bit of heat on the metal softens it right up. I like to hold the point or point in the outsert horizontal with the vise so I am not messing with pliers while heating the glue with the torch. Good luck!
 
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