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When to seal arrow shafts, best sealer?

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Hawkdancer:
I think I put the cart before the horse, or the crest and fletch before the seal😀,  got anxious to work on the started shaft from the trade, and fletched and crested before I sealed it.  I plan to use my "spoon sealer"(1 part beeswax, 4 parts flaxseed oil), and rub it in well.  I put a 2 fletch pattern, so that shouldn't be a problem as my finger will fit in the gap, but what is the better way?  Seal whole shaft, then fletch and crest?  I used tape to set the fletch and then wrapped the ends with silk thread, and used enamel paint to crest.  Not sure the paint will penetrate the sealer, though.  Hope to be able to test fire in a few weeks.  Might have another one or two done by then.
Hawkdancer

jeffp51:
I crest then seal, then fletch.  I sand the finish off under the fletch before I glue it on.  I have used a beeswax finish like the one you mention, and it looks really nice.  I also use either tung oil or polyurethane -- this last is the toughest and the easiest,  if you use the spray on stuff. If you use a rub on, test it with your cresting paint first.  I found out that the enamel model paints don't play nice with tung oil, for example.  you don't want to ruin a perfect arrow with the wrong paint combinations.  for cresting paints I have used enamel, acrylic, watercolor paint, and oil paints.  Each has pros and cons.

bjrogg:
Like Jeff said, I usually put a coat of polycyclic on after glueing fletching on to seal glue. I use small brush for that.
Bjrogg

wannabebowyer:
regarding sealing and painting, here is my $.02 worth. last summer i tried dipping with watered down titebond 3 with a splash of rit liquid clothes dye. your colors are limited, but it seems to be durable and duco cement sticks real well. don't use krazy glue; it turns to snot. i'm too lazy to spend time cresting an arrow i'll likely break anyway; not very artistic.  i'm still looking for the ideal bow finish.

Pat B:
When I making arrows with commercial shafts I would stain first then dip in water base poly. I hated the smell of some other finishes. Water based poly has little smell, dries over night and is pretty tough.
For primitive arrows I use either Tru-Oil or pine pitch varnish.

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