Author Topic: Intro and Question  (Read 4510 times)

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Offline Acutus

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Intro and Question
« on: March 25, 2011, 02:10:45 pm »
Hello All.

I'm new here. I lurked as a guest for about a week and there seemed to be such a great and supportive group here I decided to join.  ;D Anyways I recently got into primitive bow making so I've been browsing the forum for tips and tricks and stuff. I've really only made 2 bows one from a floor tillered stave purchased on the internet a Longbow and a self bow from a board of Red Oak. (Hopefully I'll post pics of this in a bit) Anyways looking forward to being part of the community don't know how much I'll be able to contribute but I'll give it my best ;D

OH, and my question. What is an easy mostly natural way to finish off your bow after it's painted or whatever to protect it?

TIA!

Offline Bevan R.

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2011, 02:40:08 pm »
Welcome!!

Your finish question depends on if you want quick & easy or more the 'abo' way.
I like quick & easy. I am experimenting with spray shelac at the moment. The previous PA issue had a great article about using shelac.
Looking forward to seeing your bows.

Bevan R
Bowmakers are a little bent, but knappers are just plain flaky.

Offline Buckeye Guy

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2011, 03:09:50 pm »
Welcome to PA !!
I usually use true oil , its a gun stock finish .
Beeswax would be more natural .
Have fun and welcome to a great addiction !!!
Guy Dasher
The Marshall Primitive Archery Rendezvous
Primitive Archery Society
Having  fun
To God be the glory !

Offline RyanY

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2011, 03:30:20 pm »
Leave now before it consumes you! Totally kidding. Welcome. Oils are really easy to apply and so are spray poly's. That's what I started out with.

Offline Acutus

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2011, 04:03:23 pm »
Thanks for the welcomes and replys guys! Keep them comin'  Bees wax is good cause I'm also a bee keeper.  ;D

I'll post pics of my bow in another thread.

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2011, 04:08:30 pm »
Well they have these woodcraft stores around here and they sell 100% pure tung oil. That is a very easily applied finish. You can finish with it without cutting it with nothing and that is how I do it, but it take sometimes 2 weeks to a month to cure. Course any other oil finish is pretty easy to apply, but the ones you find in lowes and home depot stores are not even close to natural with all the chemical solvents in them. You can find pure beeswax if you look around. In some craft stores like michaels they sometimes have beeswax with all the candle making stuff. But it's like 20 bucks a block. I found a good amount of beeswax at this store called jungle jims which sells mostly international foods mostly. You can buy a block there for about 3 dollars, I think some local bee keeper makes it. Beeswax makes a good finish, I just read a thread where someone said to that you can mix gum turpentine with beeswax to make a good paste wax out of it. I use it plain though, just melt a little in a small glass jar that is in a pot of shallow boiling water. Soak some cheese cloth in the beeswax, just to make it easier to get the cheese cloth saturated in beeswax. I actually let it cool down a bit before I rub my bow down with it. It you just melt beeswax and put it on the bow, it can harden up in little clumps that you either have to heat the bow to let in sink in (which is probably the best way to apply wax to a bow, it's just not the way I do it), or scrap off, or rub really really hard for hours. Anyway, I just let the beeswaxed cheese cloth cool down first and then rub the bow down with it until there is a really think layer of beeswax, very thin not caked on there or nothing. And then rub down with clean cheese cloth, and there is your finish, really easy. You should sand to 600 grit and then burnish with a glass bottle really good in preparation though if you want it to shine like glass.
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline Blacktail

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2011, 04:10:28 pm »
welcome to the land of FUN,FUN,FUN..john

Offline Elktracker

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2011, 05:15:19 pm »
Welcome nice to have you  ;) I use spar urethane by minwax buy it in the quart and it lasts a long time, I usually go about 4 coats but I live in the coastal rain forest. Nice to have you
my friends think my shops a mess, my wife thinks I have too much bow wood, my neighbors think im redneck white trash and they may all be right on the money!!

Josh Vance  Netarts OR. (Tillamook)

Offline Rick Wallace

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2011, 01:49:14 am »
Howdy,,Welcome,,,yada yada yada!!!!    Be sure to post pics!!  ;D
U.S.ARMY '86-'91  East Milton Fl.   Dont take yourself to seriously,,No one else does

Offline Sidewinder

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2011, 04:14:29 pm »
Welcome Actus, glad your here and we look forward to seeing your work.
   In reference to the finish question there are many finishes that work well. Shellac, beeswax, poly urathan, tru oil, bearfat, tung oil, etc... I  have used many of them. I like the beauty that the tru oil gives but its a bit shinny for a hunting bow, so I am going with the spray poly in satin right now. That may change as I go along but its simple and durable and by the time I get ready to seal it I just want to be done with it and have the finish bring out the beauty of the wood and keep it looking good longterm. For myself, I only want to make and shoot the all wood bow but am not what one would call a purist in that I don't mind using modern materials such as dacron B50 strings, leather dyes  and poly finishes. For some guys they only want to use all natural materials and thats ok I jsut prefer to use what I feel works best for me.
  Once again welcome.   Danny
"You know a tree by the fruit it bears"   God

young indian12

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2011, 04:37:11 pm »
Hello!!! I use bacon grease to weather proof my white wood bows. And be sure to check out my post it is specificly about weather proofing bows.


                                Drew

Offline Acutus

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2011, 10:57:02 pm »
Thanks all for the warm welcome! ;D

Think I'll try the beeswax as I'm a beekeeper and have a good supply. I'd like to use bear grease but don't see whereI'd come by that too easily.

YI12, already checked your post ;)

Offline M-P

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2011, 12:27:58 am »
Howdy,  For quick and easy I use parafin wax.  I'm suspect beeswax would world ~ the same.   Ron
"A man should make his own arrows."   Omaha proverb   

"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."    Will Rogers

Offline Rick Wallace

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2011, 12:30:55 am »
Thanks all for the warm welcome! ;D

Think I'll try the beeswax as I'm a beekeeper and have a good supply. I'd like to use bear grease but don't see whereI'd come by that too easily.

YI12, already checked your post ;)

Just ask the bear for some,, ::)  Most of them is friendly!!  ;D
U.S.ARMY '86-'91  East Milton Fl.   Dont take yourself to seriously,,No one else does

Offline Acutus

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Re: Intro and Question
« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2011, 12:56:39 am »
Thanks all for the warm welcome! ;D

Think I'll try the beeswax as I'm a beekeeper and have a good supply. I'd like to use bear grease but don't see whereI'd come by that too easily.

YI12, already checked your post ;)

Just ask the bear for some,, ::)  Most of them is friendly!!  ;D

Since it's that easy I'll just kindly ask the next one I cross paths with! ;) ;D