Troubleshooting Cheat Sheet

🎯 Re-Fletching Troubleshooting Cheat Sheet

Keep this handy for quick fixes during your kid’s re-fletching sessions!

Mishap	Quick Fix (Kid-Friendly!)	Prevention Tip
Vane falls off after gluing	1. Peel off loose vane. 2. Clean shaft with diluted alcohol. 3. Use a blueberry-sized glue dot. 4. Press 10 sec + clamp 24hrs.	“Glue = hug for the vane—enough to hold tight!” Portion glue in a bottle cap.
Glue oozes/makes a mess	1. Wipe wet glue immediately with damp towel. 2. Scrape dried glue with plastic scraper. 3. Clean vanes with water (plastic) or dry cloth (feathers).	Use 2–3 drops of glue only! Loosen jig clamp slightly.
Vane is crooked/tilted	1. Adjust wet vane + re-clamp. 2. If dry: Peel, clean, reattach. 3. Use ruler to check straightness.	Mark shaft with a pencil dot for vane placement. Double-check jig alignment.
Vane tears/bends	1. Swap for a new, thick plastic vane. 2. Loosen jig clamp. 3. Hold vane “like a butterfly.”	Use Bohning Blazer Youth Vanes (durable!) instead of feathers.
Arrow shaft gets scratched	1. Shallow scratch: Cover with touch-up paint. 2. Deep splinter: Retire as “practice only” arrow.	Use soft sponge for cleaning—no metal scrapers! Wipe, don’t scrub.
Vanes not spaced evenly (3-vane)	1. Wet glue: Remove, mark 3 even dots, reattach. 2. Dry glue: Leave (still flies!) or redo.	Use a jig with spacing marks. Add stickers to mark spots: “Sticker → Vane!”

🧒 Age-Specific Hacks

8–10 yrs: Pre-portion glue, guide hands during clamping, use visual cues (dots/stickers).

11–13 yrs: Let them troubleshoot first (“Why did the vane fall off?”), encourage drawing notes.

14+ yrs: Turn fixes into challenges (“Can you space vanes without jig marks?”).

✅ Pre-Session Quick Checklist

□ Shaft is clean (no dirt/glue residue)

□ Glue is portioned (small dot only!)

□ Jig is aligned + arrow is secure

□ Tools are kid-safe (plastic scraper, soft sponge)

□ Timer is set for 24hr glue cure

□ Hands are washed (no sticky fingers!)

😊 Keep It Positive!

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