I’m planning on footing some carbons with aluminum and using an insert that fits the aluminum shaft...

I’ve always used hot-melt for aluminum to aluminum, but would it work just as well to superglue the whole deal?

Not sure if there’s a down-side that I’m overlooking, but that often seems to happen when I pursue the path o’ least resistance....

Well, the downside is getting the bushing out if you need it. I would superglue the aluminum onto the carbon and use hotmelt for the bushing.

That was Plan A...

Would (low-temp) hot-melt be the smarter choice for Al-C bond? Thinking that might act like a crumple zone on an unexpectedly hard hit...

I’m getting kind of sensitive to the high cost of missing, as I keep stretching things out, and in contemplating more horsepower, it could only get worse...

Regular superglue can crystalize and shatter under impact. I like the black rubberized SG for inserts but it is *permanent*.

Permanent doesn’t sound all bad once I have my final arrow length dialed in...

Super glue does tend to be brittle. If I am understanding you. I would go with epoxy for the footing and hot melt for the inserts. I often glue knife parts to gather temporarily for grinding with dots of super glue. You can't pull them apart but a quick side rap breaks them free. Hope that helps. >>>----> Ken

I just use hot melt, it's a lot easier. Super glue is a pain to use on footings.

GF, all I use is low temp hot melt. It will move easier on a hit but will always come off with a little heating, and that can be handy in the field. The only thing I use super glue for anymore is filling cracks in limbs or helping close wound.

That’s kind of the question still rattling around between the ears, Pat...

I do have a few heads which are permabonded to their inserts after a hit hard enough to wreck the threads. So the only cure is to be able to remove the insert from the aluminum. If the aluminum were damaged but the carbon survived, then it’d be a shame to lose an otherwise usable arrow.

And adding the footing... the whole point of the exercise IS to make the arrows last LONGER....

The trick is to place the collar first with epoxy then the insert. It helps if you taper the edge of the collar btw. That way you can use a tough epoxy for the collar and still remove the insert.

Just what 2 Bears said.

Super glue is ok if your in a hurry but epoxy is best for attaching your footing permanently, and hot glue will always be the best adhesive for inserts...I buy a big bag of low temp in any craft section...works great and is really cheap.

Footings can be glued permanent, not so with inserts. Like above, the low temp, cheap craft hot melt works fine and you won't lose inserts, as long as you don't use too much. Less glue is better with inserts as long as it is distributed evenly around the shaft.

That’s good to know about craft glue being low-temp, because I think I may have a lifetime supply around here thanks to my lovely wife...

Certainly no worries about things loosening up in the warm temps we’ve had the past few days!

So now that I’m thinking about it....

What’s the best process?

I cut the footings to a consistent length, give or take a few 1/100ths....

So now do I install the inserts first? That was my plan, because it’d be easy to get the depth correct each time....

And then what’s the preferred method for applying the epoxy so you get good coverage without excess?

After reading this, if it were me of course, I would sand an inch of the carbon shaft, install the insert in the aluminum with hot melt, put some epoxy on the carbon and slide the alum over the carbon. That way, no epoxy will be there to mess with the insert and you can just push the collar all the way on til it stops. Easy peazy, lemon squeezy.

That’s what I was thinking, except I would’ve overlooked the sanding step.

But I’ve made mistakes before by just plunging in, and at the cost of shafting I’m happy to benefit from the collective wisdom....

I obviously need more coffee this morning....

I use:

Orange Label Gorilla Glue

Prep it right, and it will bond just about anything.

It's pretty much the same thing as Bohning Insert Iron, but hold better in my opinion, and it is heat reversible.

I use it on all my inserts, outserts, and/or footings these days. Have had ZERO problems since.

Rick

Not sure what poundage your shooting, but I've had way more inserts pull out with the low temp glues. Both in stumps and excelsior? bales.

I have tried every "hot melt" style glue available, and I invariably lose hardware from my arrows when I do.

Stopped using it, and stopped having problems.

Rick

Sounds like a good plan there, too... Don’t think I have anything to worry about if it works for Rick.

I’ve always found that stuff hard to work with, though; never sure how much water or how much glue to use...

Matt, it don't take much.

For outserts/footings: run a small bead of it around the end of the shaft, dip it in water, then rotate the outsert/footing all the way on, or to the desired location, and wipe away the excess

For inserts: run a small bead of it around the end of the insert, dip it in water, then rotate it all the way in & seated up, and wipe away the excess.

The only drawback to using the stuff is it's cure/dry time. It says four hours, but I usually give it twelve, or an over nighter before starting to beat them up.

The "good" thing about the dry time is, it makes it a breeze to align broadheads before it sets up.

Rick

Now that BH alignment thing.... That’s no small consideration.....

Thanks for the tutorial, Rick!

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