Goose Feather Fletch-Along....

[Zipperin']

Well, I figure it's about time for another build -along as I get ready for the Ohio Whitetail Season 2007 - 2008. I am working on a poplar shafted arrow with a nice gray flint head that hafted really well. I wanted some feathers to match and a buddy from B.C. sent me some Canadian Goose feathers on a trade. They are really gray and have great oil lines.

So I'll post some pics as I get some feathers split and fletched up for season. Good luck to all you bowhunters this fall!!

Mully you should post that nice rights/lefts identification pic for the easterns ya got. I have shot rights for years and ain't about to change.;)

Go Buckeyes!!!!!:bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy:

[deerhunt45]

Thanks Zip. Will be anxiously following your build along :bouncy:

Did I read that right?!?! It's 28-0...still in first qrtr...Go Buckeyes!!!

[BuckSlayer]

35-0 14:02 second quarter

[mullskinner]

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f61/123sknr/P.jpg

from the home of the ferret .............:)

[deerhunt45]

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f61/123sknr/P.jpg

from the home of the ferret .............:)

I'd be interested in seeing how the feathers are chopped :bouncy:

[Zipperin']

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00897.jpg

Here's some full-length Canadian Goose feathers with some die-cut ones laid out to show the process. I'm not real sure about goose biology, but if they follow Mull's pics these are the primaries and secondaries. The dark line in the middle is called the oil line and makes these semi-waterproof.
As you can see, more than enough material to make your own!:)

[Zipperin']

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00899.jpg

Here I've pinned the feather down to the table and am beginning the split. The goose feathers have 2 natural ridges that you go between. I split from the fuzzy stuff to the end.:)

[Zipperin']

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00900.jpg

With practice you should be able to split these exactly down the middle. This one wandered a bit and ran off. :whistle: You can go back and jump right between the split. Keep your blade straight up and down and it usually works great. Keeping the blade perpendicular to the table helps keep the base even. I like the x-acto - with sharp blades it's tough to beat.;)

[Zipperin']

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00901.jpg

Here's the quill end snipped off just above the fluff. Notice the wide base on the end opposite the tip of the feather. Sanding will remove most of this and thin it down in width. The quill is like a tube, hard on the outside with like a styrofoam filling. This feather is ready for the clamp. There are many store and homemade clamps I've seen, but I just put them in a Bitz clamp. :shhh:

[Zipperin']

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00903.jpg

Here's the sanding process. I like to use a pretty rough grit to cut the quill at first, and I have a little block of poplar to keep things straight under the sandpaper. Keep blowing off the dust and checking that you are leaving an equal amount along the length of the quill. The end opposite the tip of the feather will need the most attention. As you get it close the feather becomes flexible. Pay attention to the end of the clamp and make sure you are sanding the bases flat to the feather so they'll sit pretty on your arrow. You can always compare your bases to a commercial feather for reference.

I've screwed up:irked: plenty of feathers, mainly doing them with a dremel or a fixed belt sander, but it can be done. Most commercial shops that grind these use electric stuff. I like the hand sanding. It gives me more control of the thickness of the base. I use a finer grit to get them ready for glue and wipe them lightly with an alcohol pad on the base and let them dry.:)

[Zipperin']

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00905.jpg

Here I've trimmed them to length with a razor blade. Near the front of the feather there may be a little more of the outer surface of the quill (it's in a U-shape) than you want, so trim it along the length of the clamp with a razor blade. Be careful, the feather's natural foam filling tears VERY easily.:tsk: Usually, I can get them pretty close with the abrasive paper.

Sorry for the poor picture. I'm sure it's me and not the camera.

[Zipperin']

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00907.jpg

Here's the feather in the Bitz clamp with some glue. I've had great results doing my own. I don't know if you can membrane-strip these like you can turkey feathers, but this has seemed to work well. I'll probably burn these or hand cut them when they dry, and end wrap them and add a single full-length wrap along the feather's length.

45, I'll get a chopper and post some chop pics. I don't own one, but I know where there are a few hangin' around.

Thanks for the pic, Mull. That's a great and simple explanation.;)

[mullskinner]

your welcome zip !!! :)
nice job by the way i do all mine by hand also ....then just chop them ...:)

"45" here is a chopping demo ..
scroll down to the bottom and just click on it ...:)
http://www.3riversarchery.com/Product.asp?c=52&s=8&p=36&i=4398X

[Zipperin']

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00906.jpg

Here's the business end of the arrow.:yikes: Without going into great detail, you just notch the end and put 'er in. Bandsaw, hacksaw, and sandpaper. Getting them to spin true takes some work, remember to mount the points across or perpendicular to the grain or they'll split your shaft on impact. Under the wrap I drilled a small hole parallel to the grain and epoxied in a bamboo skewer which gives it some strength. Trim and sand and get your point spinning true and mount with a tiny bit of epoxy.

I wrap my flint with upholstery thread. I found mine at Jo-Anns. It's tough as fishing line. In the grooves and at the back of the head I take some of the sharpness off the flint with a rattail file. If you've tied jigs, I use the fishing line loop method and wrap the last layer over the loop and pull it back through. Epoxy with small paintbrush over top of the thread. These heads are bullet-proof!:mischeif:

And I suck at flint knapping, BTW. These heads come from 3Rivers, but the trad shows always have some. They are expensive! I do know enough flaking to touch these up without breaking them, though. The 3Rivers heads are matched weight, this one is 145 grains and makes the minimum width per Ohio law.:biggrin:

[mullskinner]

that looks so awesome zip !!!!!!:coolgleamA:

[Zipperin']

Well, tonight I'm going to finish fletching up this poplar arrow and tomorrow I'll wrap the fletches and post pics. Thse poplar shafts are spined 65-70# and I got them from 3Rivers or Foxfire, can't remember. They fly pretty well. Here's a few trail cam pics to give you an idea of just who might be getting this arrow through the ribs next weekend.:mischeif:
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/ICAM0019.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/ICAM0008.jpg

Jerky, Jerky, Jerky, Jerky:dizzy: :dizzy: :dizzy: :dizzy: :dizzy: :dizzy:

[Zipperin']

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00908.jpg

Here's my new flingin' stick that my nephew gave me. He found it at the Outdoor Store years back for 75$. Some of the tiller has come out of it, but I refinished it and got a new string for it. Ragim longbow, 68", 56# at 28". This will be my first try with the longbow. The finsih still smells, I guess I'm gonna have to leave it out side for a few days.

Night fellas............:16suspect1:

[deerhunt45]

Awesome thread Zip!

Thanks mully!

45 :D

[hoot gibson]

cool thread zip. where do you live , in just a short time you can be making your own points , give me a shout if you are interested .. hoot

[Zipperin']

Hoot, I'm about a stones throw from Mully down here on the river. I've got a ton of flint, Maybe we can get together sometime for a knap-in.:bouncy:

Here's the feathers after burning, Man this stuff smells like drilled teeth! My wife says no way in the house .:tsk: This burner is probably older than I am - early 60's vintage. The profile is a bit high, but I think I'm gonna leave it. Now all I have to do is seal the thread and she's done.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00910.jpg

[Zipperin']

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Zipperin/DSC00911.jpg

Here's a pic showing the wraps complete. Check out the reinforced self -nock. Well, I'm on to mix some epoxy and coat the thread. These things take a while to build, but they sure are purty. I guess they're really more primitive-looking than actually primitive since I used modern adhesives, but what the hay. I haven't had much luck with pine pitch.:D

Gonna set her in the sun and maybe shoot her a bit this evening.

Hoot, I've seen some of your knives, true masterpieces for sure. Hard to believe you can get stone sharper than a scalpel blade.

[Lucky]

That is some nice work right there. That arrow looks too good to shoot!!!

[ohiotrapper1984]

That is asome.