Anyone roll'n ther own flu flus ??

[FOX FIRE]

I've tried sevral different types of flu flus, the usual full length uncut with 3 or 6 feathers, a few cork screw look'n that were more trouble than they were worth considering finish time.

Just wundered what ya'll mite be use'n or make'n.

 

[eddie c]

I agree on the cork screw. I love the looks of them but they are a pain to get to stay on the shaft to dry. plus they seem to come loose quicker.
the last couple I've made I cut the full length uncut feather strip in half, making them about 5" long and straight fletched with 6 of them on it.
I played around with them one year. I make a couple of corkscrews, a couple of 4 fletch, couple of 3 fletch and a couple of 6 fletch. then I got out in an open field and just started shooting. the corkscrews acted like they had parachutes on them. wasnt much noticable difference between the 4 and 3 fletch. the 3 fletch would fly twice as far as the 6 fletch.

 

[FOX FIRE]

The cork screw flu flus sound like a mop fly'n threw the air, I guess because of all the air drag go'n on.
Like you said they tend to snag the rest & tear loose, been think'n about a hybrid between the cork screw & regular flu flu & see how it works out.

I read a magazine article some wher a guy was shoot'n the cork screws at squirrels & missed every shot, what he found out the flu flus slowed the arrow down so fast & made so much noise the squirrels could get out of the way before arrow got to them.

He tryed again with teh regular flu flus & killed squirrels because they shot faster & quieter than the cork screws.

 

[eddie c]

6 fletched have some noise too. I'm hard of hearing so if I can hear it, I know it's noisy.
I havent tried this. i've read where one guy took regular feathers and mounted them in reverse getting the flu flu effect in flight.

I've been trying to hit a tree rat for 2 yrs now, mostly trying to shoot them on the ground

 

[6.5 swede]

I've made both kinds. The spirals are easy with wooden shafts. Pin them on glue and pin the other end.

Use secondaries not primaries. They are WAY softer and stay on better.

 

[FOX FIRE]

Gotta ask... what are you talk'n about, primaries...secondaries ??


I mite try the reverse feather thing, just to learn something.

 

[6.5 swede]

Look at a turkey's wing feathers and you'll see he has stiffer, thinner feathers at the tip of the wing.(Primaries are the one's they wear the tips off of struttin) Primaries are what all commercial feathers are cut from.


The secondaries will be farther back and will be softer and have some feather on both sides of the quill. They won't last as long but they are better for flu flu arrows in my opinion for what that's worth lol. Straight or spiral fletch they are taller and softer.

If you strip a feather it will have a soft thin quill to glue and will wrap a shaft well for a spiral. I grind mine for fletching on a belt grinder with a jig but you can just grab a feather and pull the feather away from the quill and it will usually only pull away the first layer of quill leaving a thin base to glue.

Charlie

 

[eddie c]

a stripped feather will wrap better. i used to have a link to a website that showed how to strip a feather but lost it in a crash. if I recall the guy was/is on tradgang. I havent been on that site in a good while.

 

[FOX FIRE]

Oh wow...never heard of this, next oppertunity to nab some feathers I'll try to get all thats available in case ya'll want some, but definately gonna try it.

 

[FOX FIRE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IMTwXaX ... sults_main
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63s5WpXq ... sults_main


Hers a little somethin to watch, things we've kinda touched on.

 

[6.5 swede]

That's how I grind my feathers for fletching and pretty much how I make spiral flu flu's 1 feather will be enough.