Fletching...

Fletching is probably the most time-consuming step, but it's also my favorite in an oddly relaxing sort of way. Just to give an idea of the time it takes to do a decent job of fletching, it usually takes about 5-7 minutes for the glue to dry enough for me to not be afraid to move to the next feather -- with 3 feathers on each arrow for 24 arrows, this process does take a while! Also, I have to take frequent stops to remove any accumulated glue residues from my Bitzenburger clamp to make sure I'm not going to glue a feather to the clamp or leave a bunch of glue blobs on my arrow. This time around, I decided to go with a black/white color scheme and I also used the reflective adhesive cap wraps to accent my arrows. Besides making it almost impossible to lose my arrows under just about any lighting condition, it also makes gluing the feathers on a lot easier. I've had problems in the past with chemical incompatibilities between the glue and the surface and the easiest solution has been to use these nice cap wraps. Right now, I'm more concerned about being able to retrieve my arrows and identifying them than producing works of art, although I have to admit, for my first time going all-out with paint, stain and sealant, it looks pretty good. I'm also hoping they'll also fly really well!

I still have to add the points onto the arrows but that's going to have to wait until the morning when all of the methyl-ethyl-ketone fumes have gone away so I don't blow myself up in a spectacular fireball. Wooden arrows are so much more rewarding than carbons in terms of construction... although the carbons provide much more instant gratification!