Painting and capping aluminium shafts

[Ian Turner]

Hi guys,
Need some advice on the best way to paint a cap on aluminium arrow shafts particularly as they are anodised.
Cheers
IAN

[Mick Smith]

I've done it a few times. You've got to find an aluminium primer, preferably in a spray can and preferably in a white colour. You mark your shafts where you want the cap to finish and then mask the line with masking tape. You will need some additional protection to stop overspray from landing on the part of the shaft you want to leave as it is. I use rolled up pages from a magazine, held in place with some masking tape.

You then wipe down the area you want to paint with either a solvent or some metho and then let it dry. Then it's just a case of giving the cap area a light spray. Don't go too heavy. A number of light sprays is much better than one heavy one.

Your white primer will be an excellent base to which you can add other colours, or you can just leave it white. You will need to consider what sort of glue to use that will stick to the paint. Many don't. I use Locktite superglue in a gel form, which I buy in small tubes at Bunnings for about $4 each.

I have noticed that the caps are fairly durable and the fletches stay attached reasonably well, but if you bounce an arrow of the side of a tree, or something similar, they will come apart more easily than other arrows, as the primer tends to let go. Aluminium would have to be one of the hardest surfaces to stick things to, IMO.

[Ian Turner]

Hi mate yeah its difficult stuff.
I am currently trialing SLS Etc Primer and Epoxy spray topcoat and i will see how that goes!
Cheers
Ian