[Updated 1 June 2023] A fletching jigs is a tool that allows you to glue vanes to an arrow shaft in the same pattern every time. If you’re a serious archer, one day, you’ll be disappointed by the limited variety of “ready fletched, off the shelf” arrows on offer. Then you’ll attempt fletching them yourself.
When you do this, you’ll want the greatest fletching jigs to keep the shafts aligned and apply the vanes at the same intervals and offset. There are several things to consider when selecting the best jig. Do you want to fletch in a straight line, an offset line, a left- or right-helical? What kind and quantity of vanes will you employ?
You’ll also need to think about how quickly and simply you want the method to work and how long you want your jig to survive. This article describes the most popular fletching methods. It guides you through the process of fletching your own arrows and our top picks in the jig market today.
Fletching Jig Buyers Guide
Table of Contents
What is a fletching jigs, and what function does it serve?
A fletching jigs is a tool that allows you to glue vanes to an arrow shaft in the same pattern every time. It won’t do the job for you; it’ll simply make sure that your vanes are properly positioned around the shaft and held precisely at a particular offset or in a helical pattern while the glue sets.
Fletching Types
When shopping for a fletching jigs, you should first find out what sort of fletching you want to use on your arrow. There are a variety of fletching designs, but also varying numbers and spacings of fletches. Not all jigs are capable of supporting all types of fletching by default. You may need to purchase a particular clamp or insert for a specific sort of fletching or spacing.
Here are some of the most frequent fletch types:
- Straight Fletchings: Vanes are straight in-line with the arrow and simple to set up. The arrow will have little or no spin during flight.
- Offset: The vanes are positioned at a slight angle to the line of the arrow, either to the left or right. Fletching offset increases arrow rotation during flight. Jigs will enable you to change the offset angle precisely if they are effective.
- Helical (Left or Right): Helical vanes are installed in a twisted manner, typically at an offset. This gives them the look of a plane’s fan blade. The helix of the fletchings is either left or right helical. The left helical will make the arrow spin clockwise, while the right helical will result in a counter-clockwise spin. The left-handed or right-handed fletching on a shaft is generally clamped using a specific sort of jig or clamp.
- Spin Wings: A spin wing is a form of the vane that has been curled and designed to produce more spin than other versions. Because of the design of these vanes, many fletching jigs will not provide them with support out of the box. In fact, none of the jigs in our roundup includes a spin wing clamp. You may, however, utilize any of the aforementioned jigs to obtain proper spacing and alignment for your spin wing; all you have to do is tape the wing to the clamp instead of clamping it.
- Flu-Flu : Flu-flu fletching is made up of numerous individual vanes that are used to create the most drag on the arrow while also restricting its distance. You may apply flue-flu fletchings easily using a standard arrow fletching jigs and several repetitions of the indexer spacing for the many vanes.
Number of Fletchings and Spacing
The arrows are commonly fletched with three or four vanes. However, there are no hard-and-fast regulations; instead, more may be utilized based on the amount of stability required. The majority of arrows will have two, six, or eight fletchings, although these configurations are more typical:
- 3 fletches @ 120-degree spacing
- 4 fletches @ 90-degree spacing
- 4 fletches, 2 @ 75 degree and 2 @ 105 degree spacings
Jig Construction Material
What material is the jig composed of? How long will it endure? Aluminum is a highly durable material. It’s also simple to maintain. Fletching jigs will collect glue deposits, which is a reality of their existence. While inexpensive to manufacture, plastic is not simple to remove dried superglue from without damaging or scratching the surface. If you’re using a plastic jig, be sure to have some acetate on hand so you can quickly remove any extra glue.
Arrow Shaft and Nock Support
Fletching jigs rarely create an issue with arrow length. It may only come into play if the shaft is heavy and likely tipped with a broadhead, putting the jig at risk of toppling over. If this is the case, search for a jig that you can attach to a sturdy foundation or something constructed of substantial material. The majority of jigs you’ll come across keep the arrow at a 45-degree angle to minimize the impact on the jig’s base.
However, the arrow’s diameter and nock kind are worth noting. You must ensure that the jig you want to use will securely hold the shaft diameter you desire. You don’t want tiny and micro-diameter arrow shafts to slip around in the jig because the jig or nock receiver doesn’t offer support.
Fletching jigs may support bolts for crossbows out of the box or with a replacement nock receiver that fits crossbow nocks.
Fletching Carbon, Aluminium, or Wooden Arrows
A jig’s primary function is to keep an arrow shaft in place, generally by the nock end. A decent jig will accept any sort of shaft material you throw at it, and there’s rarely a need to get specific.
How to Fletch Arrows
Fletching with a Bitzenburger is done in stages. Insert an arrow shaft into the jig. Check and position the vane clamp to the arrow shaft. Remove the jig’s vane clamp. Prime a vane. Place the vane in the clamp. Glue the vane in place. Place the clamp back on the jig. Allow the glue to set for a few seconds. Remove the clamp from the jig and unclamp the vane, leaving the arrow shaft fastened to it. Rotate the arrow to repeat the action!
It shouldn’t be all that hard, right? It’s also simpler to accept that when you see it happen. In this video, Spencer Greene demonstrates how to fletch Gold Tip XXX shafts with the Bitzenburger right helical clamp and Blazer Vanes.
Homemade Arrow Fletching Jigs
Suppose you don’t want to spend the money on a professional fletching jigs. After all, the idea is rather basic: a jig is used to retain your arrow shaft while you glue the vanes on. Perhaps you’re a DIY enthusiast or live outside of the United States and can’t use Amazon Prime. The good news is that there are several videos and instructions on the internet for making something that will keep your arrows while you fletch them with only materials found around the house. However, these are not going to provide you with the same quality or speed as fletching with any of the jigs in our roundup reviews below.
Fletching Arrows Without a Jig
You may need to repair arrows in the field if you don’t have a jig when you’re doing anything. If you need to repair, having the ability to create vanes by hand is advantageous.
It’s conceivable, of course. Fletching jigs were not available to primitive archers. You may draw your arrow, then hold it by hand and apply fletches with glue. The major difficulty is likely to be your application’s precision. With your three right helical fletch 120 degree spacings and a jig, I’m doubtful you’ll be so precise, frequent, or consistent without one.
What Is the Best Fletching Jigs for Blazer Vanes or Feathers?
While the Blazer vane is undoubtedly one of the most popular vanes available, it’s simply another form of the vane. Any jig will do the job equally as well as any other. For the money, the finest jig is the best jig for Blazers. The same may be said about feathers!
Fletching Jigs Reviews
Bitzenburger (Dial-O-Fletch) Fletching Jigs
The Bitzenburger has withstood the test of time and is one of the most popular and respected jigs on the market. From the name, you can probably deduce that it’s a “Dial-O-Fletch.” The marketing department hasn’t had its way with the name for some time.
The Bitz is useful to archers of all skill levels. It’s not the most inexpensive jig on the market, but it is one of the more expensive. However, it does pretty much everything, and the aluminum construction ensures that it will last a lifetime of fletching and still be of use to your next of kin. Die-cast aluminum is also useful when coated in glue. Scrape it off and clean the jig without fear of scratching or damaging anything. This is the industry standard, and you’ll find it everywhere, including at your local pro shop.
If you’re intrigued by it, make sure you get the right kit. The jig is often supplied without a clamp, so you’ll need to get one of three different clamps (straight, left helical, or right helical) to utilize it.
The clamps on the jig are held in place by magnets, and you may change the offset of both the front and back of the fletch with adjustment dials. One of the benefits of this is that, once you’ve set the nock receiver (the part of the jig that holds the arrow nock) to your desired fletching angle, it makes a satisfying mechanical clunk for each rotation of the arrow shaft. You may also upgrade the jig with various nock receivers to provide you a greater variety of 4 fletch choices and crossbow compatibility.
What we liked:
- Construction in die-cast aluminum is quite durable.
- It’s simple to clean and remove the glue.
- Arrow rotation is very accurate.
- Clamps for helical left and right and straight are all available.
- 3 fletch @ 120 degree
- 4 fletch @ 90 degree
- Four fletch @ 75 x 105 degree
- 4 fletch @ 60 x 120 degree (with upgrade)
- Crossbow 3 fletch @ 120 degree (with upgrade)
What we didn’t:
- Price
- Some fletches need upgrading.
- Constructed from die cast alloy, allows for very precise and uniform placement of all feathers and vanes
- Right Helical jig comes with a right nock receiver
- Designed to be used with Right Helical clamp ONLY ( Clamp sold separately)
BPE Pro Series Fletcher
The BPE PRO series is often supplied with a specific clamp. The most common type is straight, left, or right helical. If you want to support a variety of fletching jigs styles, you may get extra or replacement clamps. This jig is made of aluminum and glass-filled nylon, making it long-lasting and adaptable for personal or commercial usage. It’s not entirely made of aluminum, so that you may get glue on the nylon components. Make sure you have the acetate with you.
The angle of the jig aids in supporting long arrow shafts without tipping it over, although it does disassemble for storage.
The versatility of the BPE makes it a prized member of this collection, and one of its many charms is that it comes at a reasonable price. This will include three, four, five, and six fletch arrows at various angles and several other combinations you haven’t considered yet. This will be achieved without the need for any extra components or upgrades.
What we liked:
- Offset and adjustable fletching angle
- Without the addition of further components, any fletch spacing may be fletched.
- Clamps for helical left and right, as well as straight clamps, are available.
- Holds shafts with a diameter of 0.218 to 0.391 inches firmly.
- Affordable
What we didn’t:
- It is not entirely made of aluminum.
- Will produce 3 fletch or 4 fletch
- Adjustable fletch and nock angles.
- Indexed upper shaft support is designed to hold each size shaft from 12/64 to 27/
Bohning Pro Class
The Bohning professional class is the well-known Bitzenburger, which does many of the same tasks for a fraction of the cost. The way in which magnets are used to keep the clamp in place is similar to that of glue. This tool will allow you to create your own degree of fletching offset and fit shafts of any size.
You can have 3 fletching vanes at a 120-degree angle or 4 vanes at a 90-degree angle, but the jig will support vanes or feathers up to 5.5 inches long. This jig is available with a left, right, or straight clamp, and additional clamps may be bought if you wish to fletch many types.
The disadvantage of this is that it is made of plastic. The clamp and the whole apparatus are composed of plastic, which has disadvantages when it comes to removing glue and durability. If you’re using glue that you know can be broken down; however, you’ll have to be cautious.
What we liked:
- Any size shaft can be accommodated.
- Up to 5.5″ vanes
- Affordable
- Left, right, and straight clamps are available
What we didn’t:
- The clamp is made of plastic.
- Fletches 3 @ 120 degree or 4 @ 90 degree offset only
- Pre set dial stops for consistent fletching
- Easy to Operate
- Quick set magnetic clamp
- Includes jig and straight clamp
- Adjustable to fit all sizes of sha
Arizona Carbon E-Z Fletch
The Arizona Rim is a highly regarded fletching jig. That is undoubtedly due to the fact that it takes little time to fletch an entire arrow with one. The major advantage of this jig is the ability to fletch three vanes at once. The main disadvantage is that it’s fixed to a single type of fletching. While it provides a wide range of arrow compatibility, you’re stuck with one particular fletching style unless you buy another EZ fletch with different features.
If you’re a little slap happy with the fletching glue, you might wind up making a mess of these arms. When you need to remove a lot of glue, the plastic construction doesn’t enable much abuse. The spare arms are available and can be replaced, so everything isn’t lost.
While we’ve detailed the Mini, which only accepts helical fletching up to 2.25 inches vanes in length and carbon shafts from ultra-micro to 5/16 inch. Other E-Z fletch alternatives are accessible that support offset, straight fletching, crossbow bolts, and vanes up to 5 inches in diameter or aluminum shafts. These separate devices, so make sure you get the proper one.
What we liked:
- Fletch 3 vanes at once
- Simple to use and quick
What we didn’t:
- Made of plastic
- Type of fletching specific to the jig
- Straight, crossbow, and aluminum fletcher models are available separately.
- Carbon EZ Fletch Pro 6 Deg RH
Bohning Helix Tower
If you want to fletch 3 vanes with a 3 degree right helical arrangement at 120 degrees, this is the ideal arrow for you. The Bohning helix tower stands up to any shaft length and doesn’t fall over even when carrying the most powerful hunting arrows because the shaft is held vertically. After you’ve inserted the shaft into the jig, you open the arms and install vanes in them. Glue the arms to the shaft, then use one of two clamps designed to apply only enough pressure from the vane to the shaft.
The technique is quick and painless, but there are a few drawbacks. If you’re not careful with your glue or don’t utilize the protective tape supplied, you may wind up with a cleanup task on those plastic arms and possibly damage one.
What we liked:
- Fletch three vanes in a single throw.
- Fits vanes with a diameter of up to 3.5 inches
- Simple to operate
- 17-23 / 64″ Shaft compatibility
- Vertical arrow clamp that is very robust.
What we didn’t:
- It’s only compatible with nocks that push in.
- 3 vanes @ 120 degrees spacing only
- 3 degree right helical only
- Fast Accurate Easy
- Fletch 3 vanes at once
- Only compatible with shafts with push in nocks
- Easy operat
JoJan Standard or Helical Multi Fletcher
This is the kit you’ll want if you want to fletch a large number of arrows quickly. The multi-fletcher can hold up to 6 shafts at once, allowing you to fletch and work without waiting for the glue to dry. The first should be ready to remove when you’ve finished installing the last shaft. In 30 minutes, you may fletch 12 or more arrows with one of these.
It comes with either straight or helical clamps, so make sure you get the right one. You can buy new clamps, but you’ll save money by just purchasing a complete replacement rig rather than 6 more clamps.
We’ve never had the opportunity to try one of these, so we can’t verify their speed. We noticed that the manufacturer isn’t entirely clear about the supported shaft sizes, so make sure you’re happy with 4 @ 90 or 3 120 spacing and a maximum offset of 2 degrees with the basic fletcher.
What we liked:
- These fletching jigs are made of aluminum and steel.
- Fletch 6 arrows in a single shot.
- 0-2 degree offset
- Fletch 4 @ 90 degree spacing
- Fletch 3 @ 120 degree spacing
What we didn’t:
- Price
- Straight or Helical versions are available (Get the appropriate one)
- Specifications are unclear.
- Replacing nock receivers necessitates some adjustments, such as cocking feathers down or 75×105.
FAQs
Q1. What is a fletching jig?
A fletching jig is used in archery to place feathers or vanes on an arrow shaft precisely. It ensures consistent and accurate fletching, which is crucial for arrow stability and flight.
Q2. How does a fletching jig work?
A fletching jig typically consists of a base with adjustable clamps or holders to secure the arrow shaft in place. It also has guides or slots that align the feathers or vanes at the desired angles. By attaching the arrow shaft to the jig and inserting the feathers or vanes into the guides, archers can quickly and consistently position the fletching in the same way on each arrow.
Q3. What are the benefits of using a fletching jig?
Using a fletching jig offers several benefits for archers. It ensures uniformity in fletching placement, resulting in consistent arrow flight and improved accuracy. A fletching jig also saves time and effort compared to manual fletching methods, as it streamlines the process and eliminates the need for constant measuring and adjusting.
Q4. Can I use a fletching jig for both feathers and vanes?
Yes, most fletching jigs are designed to accommodate both feathers and vanes. The adjustable guides or slots on the jig can be set to match the desired angle and spacing for either type of fletching material.
Q5. Are fletching jigs adjustable for different arrow sizes?
Yes, many fletching jigs have adjustable features to accommodate different arrow sizes. The clamps or holders can usually be adjusted to fit various diameters of arrow shafts, allowing you to fletch arrows of different thicknesses.
Q6. Can beginners use a fletching jig?
Absolutely! Fletching jigs are designed to be user-friendly, and beginners can quickly learn how to use them. They provide a simple and efficient way to achieve consistent fletching placement, even for those new to arrow building.
Q7. Are fletching jigs expensive?
The price of fletching jigs can vary depending on the brand, model, and additional features. While some jigs can be relatively affordable, others with advanced functionalities may come at a higher cost. However, considering their accuracy and time savings benefits, many archers find them worthwhile investments.
Q8. Can I fletch arrows without a fletching jig?
Yes, it is possible to fletch arrows without a fletching jig using alternative methods such as manual measuring and gluing. However, using a fletching jig ensures greater consistency and precision in fletching placement, making it the preferred choice for most archers.
Q9. Are fletching jigs suitable for all types of arrows?
Fletching jigs can be used for various arrows, including carbon, aluminum, and wooden shafts. However, choosing a fletching jig compatible with the specific arrow material and size you intend to fletch is essential.
Q10. Can I fletch arrows with different fletching angles using a fletching jig?
Yes, most fletching jigs allow you to adjust the angle at which the feathers or vanes are attached to the arrow shaft. This flexibility will enable you to customize the fletching angle according to your preference or the specific requirements of your archery setup.
Conclusion
In conclusion, selecting the best fletching jig is crucial for achieving accurate and consistent arrow fletching. A fletching jig is a valuable tool for archers, ensuring their arrows are adequately stabilized and balanced for optimal flight performance. Throughout this article, we have explored various factors to consider when choosing a fletching jig, such as ease of use, versatility, durability, and compatibility with different arrows.
After examining numerous options available on the market, it is clear that there are several special fletching jigs to consider. The Bohning Blazer Helix Fletching Jig stands out for its innovative spiral design, which enhances arrow spin and stability, resulting in superior accuracy. Additionally, the Arizona Rim E-Z Fletch Mini fletching jig offers remarkable ease of use and portability, making it an excellent choice for archers on the go.
Furthermore, the Bitzenburger Dial-O-Fletch Fletching Jig deserves recognition for its precision and adjustability, allowing archers to customize their fletching angles accurately. Lastly, the AAE Pro Max Fletching Jig offers exceptional versatility, accommodating a wide range of arrow shaft sizes and fletching styles.
Ultimately, the best fletching jig for you will depend on your individual needs and preferences. Consider factors such as the type of arrows you use, the desired fletching style, and the level of precision you require. By carefully evaluating these factors and considering the options discussed in this article, you can confidently select the best fletching jig to enhance your archery experience and help you achieve consistent, accurate arrow flight.
