Arrows are an important part of archery. Arrows can be made from different materials, such as wood or carbon fiber. They also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Nowadays it is not uncommon to find arrows that are ready to shoot straight out of the package without any adjustments at all!
In this article, we will go over what types of glues are available for your arrow’s veins and inserts. There is fast-setting glue, gel or insert specific glue and two-part epoxy that has a slower drying time than the other two mentioned above.
At a Glance: The Top Glues For your Vanes, Feathers, Inserts & Nocks
+ BEST FOR VANES & FEATHERS – Bohning Platinum Fletch Tite. Works for aluminum arrows and Easton carbon shafts too. Clamp time 5 min – full cure 48 hours
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+ RUNNER UP VANES, FEATHERS, NOCKS & INSERTS – Gold Tip Grip. Works for feathers, vanes, nocks & inserts. Almost instant bonding. Clear.
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+ BEST GEL GLUE – Loctite Super Glue Gel. Impact-resistant! Good for Vanes, good for inserts. Clean shaft and vane with alcohol and you´re good to go!
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+ MOST VERSATILE – Starbond Super Glue Gel. Different applicator and micro-tips included. More time to put everything in place. Good for vanes & inserts.
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+ HIGH PERFORMANCE – Gorilla Superglue. Impact-resistant! 10-sec bonding! It´s a gel. We liked that it is working on vertical surfaces.
Instant Type Glue
Fast-setting glue has been around for some time now. All of us have probably used It on veins and inserts. It is easy to use and sets up quickly.
The drying time is 7-10 seconds. You can call it pretty much an all-around adhesive for archers. It works well if you are using a jig. You put a light bead on your feather or vein and have to wait for a couple of seconds. If you are looking for an instant type of glue, I recommend Gold Tip Grip Adhesive.
You can use it for Feathers, vanes, nocks, and inserts. The bonding time is mere seconds! Great if you are in a hurry!
Gel Glue
Gel-type glues are thicker and you have to allow more time. The drying time is about 45 seconds, which means it’s not as instant-type glue.
The gel has the advantage of being less messy when working with feathers because it won´t flow out of the bottle as easily as its more liquid variant.
Great to use for feathers or aluminum with vanes too. A well-known gel glue is the loc-tite super control gel. It is impact resistant – which means it won’t break as easily.
It is perfect on vanes and inserts too! To get it off – apply heat. A heat gun should do the trick. Read more…
Insert Specific Glue
Insert-specific glues are a newer type of glue and have a drying time of 90 seconds. This is recommendable for practice arrows that don´t have screw-on field points because the insert will be in place forever!
You have more time to put the insert into the shaft – instant glue might let you get stuck half ways. A good product is the Pine Ridge Insert Glue
Work on stainless steel inserts, brass inserts, and so on but not with wood!
It is good to use these for inserts that are not removable.
Traditional Epoxy Glue
One of the most popular glues used today, epoxy has a drying time of five minutes – and it needs two components (epoxy resin and hardener). The traditional glue requires more preparation than instant-type glue. And it can get a little messy.
Make sure to get the equal amount out and mix it well.
A good tip is to put the hardener in first and then pour it into a separate container with the resin so that you can measure out an equal amount of both components. Don´t forget to stir until there are no lumps. A good one is the Arizona Archery Enterprises AAE Two-Part Epoxy.
Top Rated Glue For Fletching Arrows 2023
BOHNING PLATINUM FLETCH TITE
I had concerns regarding the Bohnig Platinum and if it would work on aluminum arrows and Easton Carbon shafts. So I reached out to Bohning and received an answer within minutes:
“…Bohning Platinum glue is very compatible with aluminum arrows and the Easton carbon shafts. Just make sure to follow proper arrow preparation beforehand, using a good quality grease cutting soap like our SSR Powder or Dawn dish soap on a 3M Scour Pad to scrub the arrow, and then rinse with hot tap water.
Allow the arrow to dry completely prior to fletching. Allow vanes/feathers to remain clamped in jig for 5 minutes after gluing. Platinum requires more glue to be applied to the vane/feather than an instant adhesive.
Allow Platinum to fully cure before using the arrows (24 Hours in normal humidity, longer if the humidity in the drying area is unusually high, >65% RH).
With the GrizzlyStik arrows, I would not recommend Platinum, I would strongly suggest using Blazer Bond or Fletch-Fuse for this type of shaft.
I would still recommend proper arrow prep, and then fletch using either the Blazer Bond or Fletch-Fuse, clamp for 30 seconds per vane, and they are fully cured in 2 hours. This adhesive dries best in normal to high humidity situations…”
Bohning is a well-known producer of archery- and bowhunting products.
Their specially designed glue is called Bohning Platinum Fletch Tite. It is very durable and solemnly created for fletching your arrows. Clearly a quality product with a lot of research done.
Features:
- Well-known brand
- Very durable
- Thin applicator
And here are the links to:
One tube of this glue should be enough to fletch at least a couple of dozen arrows (obviously dependent on how you apply it – don´t hold me liable here!).
read.. Best Arrow Wraps
GORILLA SUPER GLUE
Yes, the Gorilla Super Glue is not a special glue for fletching or archery in general. But it does what it´s supposed to do: It fixes your fletchings.
The anti-clog cap will help to prevent the glue from drying out to fast. Do not let the only half-full bottle fool you – it has the exact amount of glue in it you paid for (there is a small mark on the outside, saying 15g).
This stuff is strong – So you might want to put a wrap on and then glue! Otherwise, you´ll have to put in a little more elbow grease when you try to get it off the shaft…
Features:
- Anti-Clog Cap
- Dries in 10-30 seconds
- Easy to use
It´s pretty versatile too. Bonds wood, metal, plastic, ceramic, rubber, leather, and more.
LOCTITE SUPER GLUE GEL CONTROL
Loctite’s superglue comes with smart packaging. You press the sides of the bottle rather than the whole bottle. This helps massively to save on the glue.
The glue is ultra-tough. Make sure that after you clean the shaft with an alcohol-based cleaner, to wipe the shaft down with a wet towel. The alcohol affects the glue hardness (applies to any glue).
Features:
- Smart packaging
- Tough
The bottle is smaller therefore the glue won´t last as long as bigger bottles. You should buy two ore more – don´t want to run out of glue while fetching your arrows …
GOLD TIP GRIP ARROW ADHESIVE
Gold Tip Grip Arrow Adhesive is made (as the name implies) for archers! It bonds fast (in seconds) and you can use it to fix feathers, vanes, nocks, or inserts.
Features:
- Dries fast
- Dries clear
- No bubbles after drying
The design of the tip is very good at preventing you from making a mess. You should store your glue in an airtight container and put it in the fridge.
STARBOND SUPER GLUE MICROTIPS
The Starbond EM-2000 has an extra cap plus comes with additional micro-tips. This allows you to be super precise when fixing your fletchings.
It is available from 1-ounce bottles up to 16-ounce bottles. The thickness of the adhesive is similar to that of honey. What I like especially is its long-lasting shelf life:
You´ll get a 30-month shelf life warranty if you store the bottle under 40°F before and after use.
Features:
- Extra supplies (micro-tips, applicator caps, …)
- 30-month shelf-life warranty
- Industrial grade adhesive
The Starbond EM is an industrial grade adhesive (CA Glue) – a so-called Premium Ethyl Cyanoacrylate Super Glue.
Comparison Chart Different Glues
| BRAND | TYPE | FULLY CURED |
|---|---|---|
| Bohning Platinum Fletch Tite | Gel | 24 hours |
| Gorilla Super Glue | Gel | 10-30 seconds |
| LOCTITE Super Glue | Gel | 15 seconds |
| Gold Tip Grip | Gel | 5 seconds |
| Starbond Super Glue | Gel | 120 seconds |
Which Fetching Glue Is The Best?
After comparing all of the products on this list, I feel that the Bohning Platinum Fletch Tite is the best arrow fletching glue on the market, with the Gorilla Super Glue coming in as a not so distant runner up.
If you are in the market for a fletching glue, be sure to check out the Bohning Platinum Fletch Tite.
I have been using super glue for years, and it has always served me well. However, we all know that there are different glues for every occasion, and bowhunters should be no exception. Have you tried any of these new types of adhesive? Which do you use to fix your inserts or vanes? Let us know below!
