Glueing Taper Nocks

[dvd8n]

What do you use to glue taper nocks onto aluminium arrows?

I was replacing a cracked taper nock on an aluminium club arrow the other day and started to wonder about the glue that I was using, in light of the number of nock breakages that we'd been having.

I'm aware that acetone embrittlement of nocks is reportedly a thing and I can't help wondering about the solvents that are in Fletch-Tite, even though it's supposedly good for nocks.

David

 

[StevoNilo]

David, Bohning Fletch Tite is fine. Be sure to let the glue cure for a clear two days first.

 

[Berny]

Saunders NPV Arrowmate

 

[geoffretired]

Saunders NPV Arrowmate for me.

 

[AJBrady]

I always used plain snd simple clear Bostik. Never had any problems with them coming off, or of removing damaged nocks.

 

[dvd8n]

Do any of you have problems with excessive cracking, though?

 

[AJBrady]

Never. Over a period of 30-odd years shooting Eastons.

 

[SimonW]

A very long time ago (well, it feels like that anyway) long before carbon arrows, I was shooting 2014 X7's and then a bit later on 2115's.

I was shooting (very badly) at the International Trials (which at some point became the Masters) and was given a tip by Dave Pink (GB International and all round top bloke) which I used thereafter.

The weather was the usual British weather for a mid April - windy and wet. These were the days of double Fita. We were down to 30m with traffic light control. Dave was on Amber with an arrow to shoot, and claimed an equipment failure as the clock ran down. He'd not noticed that on the previous end he'd shot the nock off of one of his arrows. So, having cleared the lines, the judge then let Dave get a spare arrow from his tent, and then proceed to shoot it - into the 10.

All very run of the mill for the day.

However, I'd been watching Dave and watched as he pulled the nock off the arrow with about 10s to go.

As we went up to score I talked to Dave about this, and he shared his secret...... he didn't glue his nocks on.

He simply twisted/screwed the nock onto the swaged end of the arrow - which certainly in those days Easton did a perfect job of finishing.

I must say I was a bit sceptical about this until I tried it myself. It worked perfectly - the nocks always went on straight, and stayed on unless a fair amount of force was used to remove them.

You might think this practice (not glueing the nock in place) to be risky but from memory I never had an issue with it.

The benefits?

1 - you can change your nock colour or type easily and quickly and re-use nocks

2 - there is no glue to remove (when fitting a new nock), which means that the nock always goes on straight (with glue it either all has to be scraped off or the residue means a less than perfect concentric fit. Also, scraping the glue off often resulted in slight damage to the swaging, again affecting the fit).

The only time this wasn't possible was if the end of the swaging had been badly damaged (from a near Robin Hood). Which happened quite a bit (in those days).

This 'tip' may not be applicable for club arrows where longevity is more important than anything but it did give me a chance to remember and share events from what must be about 44 years ago.

 

[Tech-50]

Hot-Melt. Easier to remove if you break them (heat-up the end in a kettle spout and then just pull it orf).
Likewise, if you find the arrows aren't quite flying right...... heat up the glue/nock, then simply turn it round to a different fletching for your cock-fletch.

 

[dvd8n]

heat up the glue/nock

Does that work? Does the nock not just melt?

 

[Tech-50]

Does that work? Does the nock not just melt?

Yes it works and no it doesn't melt the nock - Kettle spout steam just softens the plastic at c.100°C (to enable removal or turning a nock to a different fletching) . Using a gas flame directly on the nock itself will obviously melt it!

Before applying glue for a new replacement nock I pre-drill a small 0.5mm hole into the nock between the prongs, to allow excess glue and air to escape when the nock is fitted; this prevents a pressured air bubble under the string-slot).

Apply heat to a glue-stick with a turbo (finer flame) gas lighter, then wipe that soft glue onto and around the arrow nock-cone; reheat the glue on the arrow just before pushing the new taper nock into place, twisting it back and forth slightly as you do so. (Check the alignment against your fletchings IMMEDIATELY. If it's out, then you'll have to stick the attached nock in the kettle steam [or hot water] spout to soften the glue again and reposition the nock. DON'T use the gas flame for that !

Allow 10~20 seconds for the glue to re-harden slightly, then push the excess off around the nock (it will form a ring, if you do it right.) . Presto! No messy glue to try to cut away.... unless you leave it too long, then the glue will have hardened too much and you'll have to shave it away). There will likely also be a tiny blob of glue sitting in the nock throat which has been extruded through the pre-drilled hole; simply stick that onto your serving, press hard and break that tiny blob off (or use a spoon handle, ice-cream stick or anything else of similar thickness to dislodge it.

In regard to wooden arrows : If you Robin-Hood an arrow then the nock will just break away from the hot-melt you used. I've found that Robin-Hooding a commercially glued arrow generally also results in a split arrow shaft because cyanoacrylate ester Superglues, Araldite and other epoxy resins penetrate the wood grain too well and bond the plastic nock to the wood). Split one and you will split the other.

I've only ever had a hot-melt glued nock come off once..... and that was when I hit a wall behind a field strip of 20cm Bunnies, as Archer#1 (I fluffed my release!). The shock popped the nock off but also trashed the arrow!