This is going to be a very simple explanation on how you can feather fletch an arrow.
Professionals will use a rig to do this and some other more complex tools but here I am going to explain how you can do this yourself with basic material you can find around your house.
What you will need
• Some cardboard
• Arrow shafts
• Turkey feathers
• Scissors
• Glue
• 60˚ angle
• Marker
For arrow shafts you can use any straight and thin wooden poles.
If you want to get more professional about it you can read about different wood types and where you can order real wood arrow shafts at http://www.stickbow.com/FEATURES/ARROWMAKING/wood.cfm .
Now first build your rig out of cardboard.
Cut a rectangle four inches wide and twenty inches long.
Bend each end four inches from the end and make a small triangle notch in the center.
Slice a line down the center of the notch one inch down.
Cut another rectangle two inches wide and fifteen inches long.
Make two one inch slices 12 inches apart and attach to the slices in the folded up sections of the other cardboard piece.
Now mark a line at a 60˚ from the upper edge of your newly built rig right from the center of the notch.
Take your turkey feathers and cut them in half down the center of the stem.
Sand down the stem so it should be as flat as possible.
Now attaching the first feather is easy. Place the shaft in the rig, put some glue on the sanded side of the feather stem and attach to the length of the shaft about one inch from the edge.
The second and third feathers just need to be attached 60˚ the first and second.
Use the markings on the rig to space the feathers 60˚ apart.
After you have attached the feathers you can trim them to your desired shape.
Here is a video to show you how the pros do this.
