**** Tac vanes - avoid and save your money

[moxford]

Been fletching for years, thought I'd give the Driver vanes a try. Heard all the horror stories, can't be that bad, right? Tac wraps, Tac pen, Tac glue, keeping the "system" together to minimize variance, following their directions exactly. E.X.A.C.T.L.Y

100% failure on all 8 vanes of my first two arrows (Mild 2deg helical out of the LCA jig.) **** these things. I can take ancient Blazer vanes and yank the hell out of them - excepting that the glue is ancient now, they've never budged. Even the max stealths I have (which still take a pen) are fine.

Now not only have I wasted time, money, and effort, I get to spend even MORE cleaning these up to use a better vane.

So ******* pissed right now - 50% at Tac and 50% at myself for not paying attention to everyone who came before me.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Any idea how old the glue was? Cyanoacrylate has a limited shelf life, even if the container is unopened.

 

[svivian]

Mine have stuck fine following their instructions and using their pen and glue.

 

[nettereo16]

I know a lot of people have issues with them but mine are sticking great! All I did was acetone the shaft and the base of the vanes with a qtip. I used gorilla super glue gel that has been in the freezer at least 2 years.

I sent an arrow through a doe shoulder Saturday and all vanes are solid

Maybe just a batch issue TAC is having because a lot of people have had issues

 

[JjamesIII]

Any idea how old the glue was? Cyanoacrylate has a limited shelf life, even if the container is unopened.

I absolutely agree with this- you could have got some old glue. Try some different stuff before you swear them off. I’ve wasted my time before with old glue and peeled off a whole dozen newly fletched arrows. That really sucked- but a lesson learned.

 

[Aswob5]

It took me 6 vanes of the 2.75s to get it just right. I use the VMP and hold the clamp pretty tight for a 20 count and haven't had any problems since. I've did a few without a wrap and now do all mine with wraps and haven't seen any adhesion difference

 

[TL406]

I have the shop fletch my arrows but I’ve been shooting three-fletch 2.75 TAC vanes, no wrap, on a pretty steep right offset for three years. At least 3 dozen arrows with no problems.

 

[Billy Goat]

I either have 100% success or 100% failure with them.


I decided life is too short to deal with vanes that have any degree of difficulty.

Maybe my glue was old, maybe I didn't wait long enough after priming, or waited too long.

Too many other options that are easier.

 

[moxford]

I told myself I wasn't going to RCCA this stuff tonight since I'm already a day over departure for a hunt, but since work is keeping me here longer, screw it.

Any idea how old the glue was? Cyanoacrylate has a limited shelf life, even if the container is unopened.

New bottle, no markings on it, purchased a year ago. Tried an older Tac bottle, was about the same. All my old AAE CA was hard, everything went into the trash. Bought some of the blue-cap Gorilla Glue that I've heard good things about, but it seems to be about on par (see more on this later.)

I use the VMP and hold the clamp pretty tight for a 20 count and haven't had any problems since.

Came back here, saw this, and then researched that side, finding

which also speaks to extra pressure with the VMP.

Ripped all the wraps off, rewashed everything. Grabbed some older arrows, tested with a couple older BPE jigs I have, playing with pressure, angles, and glue quantity. Occasionally they'd weld, most times they would not.

Long story short, the VMP is SUPER sensitive to the angle, and REQUIRES extra pressure and holding time due to the design of the Tac vanes. The VMP also does not seat the ends fully. Clamping (and actually flexing the arrow into the wires) for 20-30 seconds, as noted above, works.

In addition, the vanes are EXTREMELY sensitive to the quantity of glue, far more so than any other I've ever dealt with. A little too light, or a little too much, and it's a no-go. The Tac glue is much easier to deal with than the GG, without being as heavy as a full gel. I would swap back but those bottles are in the trash under the raw chicken container/juices from dinner, so GG it is.

We'll see if they hold up fully after curing overnight.

I decided life is too short to deal with vanes that have any degree of difficulty.

Agreed. Not sure what advantage these have over q2i or AAE hybrids, and if the time/energy/hassle is worth whatever that advantage turns out to be, but hopefully we'll find out . I'm about to hang up the fletching jigs and just buy fletched shafts - production quality is so good these day that building my own, again, just doesn't have a significant advantage/large-ROI attached to it. It's not like we're back in Sears digging through the cardboard endcap boxes looking for camo (and non-bent) aluminum Game Getter XX75s any more ...

I'm not eating crow yet, but it's simmering on the stove.

Cheers,
-mox

 

[wapitibob]

I have multiple videos going back n forth with the owner of tac vanes trying to get them to work and finally gave up, flex fletch vanes have stuck since I started fletching arrows in the mid 70’s.
Shooting partner started chirping so I bet him a steak dinner he couldn't get those vanes to stick, and I lost. Vanes stuck like they were welded, and he used my glue. Only difference was the jig clamp. I still won’t use them.

 

[Zac]

My experience was the exact same as yours with the VMP. I hate that POS jig anyways. However after doing a little research it seems that TAC prefers people to use the Bitz. I have had zero issues going straight to carbon with new glue. I also cut my clamps short which they also reccomend.

 

[Toofarsouth]

After buying a ton of different vanes and fletching a bunch of arrows in different configurations I have come to the conclusion that certain batches of tac vanes don’t want to stick.

My arrows for this season are fletched with tac drivers out of a vmp jig at 4°, so it can work if you get a “good” batch. I also have two other colors of tac drivers that absolutely will not stick no matter the glue or prep on any of the wraps in my possession.

An interesting thing of note is that the tac vanes I have that stick wonderfully all weigh between 6.1 and 6.4 grains and the ones I can’t get to work weigh between 4.9 and 5.3 grains. These are all driver 2.75’s out of different bags bought at different times. Your mileage may vary.

I honestly just use them for aesthetic purposes as I don’t shoot well enough or far enough to tell a difference between vanes. Look good, feel good eat tag soup good.

 

[AttackMode]

After buying a ton of different vanes and fletching a bunch of arrows in different configurations I have come to the conclusion that certain batches of tac vanes don’t want to stick.

My arrows for this season are fletched with tac drivers out of a vmp jig at 4°, so it can work if you get a “good” batch. I also have two other colors of tac drivers that absolutely will not stick no matter the glue or prep on any of the wraps in my possession.

An interesting thing of note is that the tac vanes I have that stick wonderfully all weigh between 6.1 and 6.4 grains and the ones I can’t get to work weigh between 4.9 and 5.3 grains. These are all driver 2.75’s out of different bags bought at different times. Your mileage may vary.

I honestly just use them for aesthetic purposes as I don’t shoot well enough or far enough to tell a difference between vanes. Look good, feel good eat tag soup good.

Where did you buy them from?

 

[Toofarsouth]

Where did you buy them from?

Cabelas, two different archery shops, black ovis and direct from tac. This has been over the course of the last two years. When they stick they make a darn good looking arrow.

 

[AttackMode]

Cabelas, two different archery shops, black ovis and direct from tac. This has been over the course of the last two years. When they stick they make a darn good looking arrow.

That's crazy they had such a wide variance.i shoot the same 2.75's and havent had any issues with them coming off. Almost all of mine are 6.1 grains, a few go to 6.3. I do have a bag of 2.25's that I plan on doing a 4 fletch with after the season. I fletched 1 so far and it's on rock solid.

 

[Nick Muche]

I feel like I'm on my 5th year with TAC vanes, aside from needing the primer pen, I love them. No issues getting them to stick as tight as any other. Using a Bitz.

 

[Toofarsouth]

That's crazy they had such a wide variance.i shoot the same 2.75's and havent had any issues with them coming off. Almost all of mine are 6.1 grains, a few go to 6.3. I do have a bag of 2.25's that I plan on doing a 4 fletch with after the season. I fletched 1 so far and it's on rock solid.

Last year all but one bag were in the 6 range and only one bag of white weighed in the low 5s (white didn’t stick). This year it’s been about 50/50 but I finally got a bag of white that would adhere. I use the tac glue and prep pen when using their vanes so I find it goofy that certain colors don’t stick. I’m stubborn so I’ll keep using them until I find something I like the look of more

 

[GreggB]

Why bother? Just grab some Blazers, fletch your arrows and see for yourself that they not only install easier and stick better but will also control a broadhead just as well. Save some $$ too.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Why even risk it,is it cause it’s the cool look or new thing?
I shoot blazers or heats depending on what I’m doing with gorilla glue superglue or loctite superglue gel.
One quick swipe with acetone or alcohol on paper towel and have lost very few in the last decade.

 

[BWSmith]

I'm doomed...bwahaha.

Shooting trad passionately for 50+ years finally snag a compound... still shoot turkey feathers dickin around but bought some,what I thought were cool looking vanes and will give you two guesses what they are?

Haven't had any problems other than tearing them up shooting groups... in fact glued up 4 new broadhead arrows this morning. Using a Bitzenburger with a few degrees of offset. Scrub the chitzky out of the shafts with acetone and steel wool,halfa$$ wipe off vane and glue them with platinum fletchtight.