Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: dueb on February 09, 2015, 07:31:24 pm
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Just curious about how you guys do it since I'm sure some of you do it different. If there is already a thread on this I apologize, and would like a link ;)
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Most of mine get 5-6 coats of tung oil sandind with hi grit between the last three or so , then i hit it with many coats of carnuba wax and buff the crap out of it
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I like helmsman spar urathane gloss in the can. I apply 4-6 coats with a sponge brush 2-3 per day. Sanding between coats with 400grit. Then I finish with a coat of spar urathane spray satin.
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I use 6 or 7 coats of tung oil applied with a cosmetic wedge.
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I finish mine with about 6 coats of true oil. Sometimes I use 0000 steel wool between the last couple coats.
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Sand to 220 grit, stain with Minwax oil base stain, or other stain of your choice, five to seven coats of Tru-Oil. Sand with 400 wet/dry paper after the third coat or so. Keep adding Tru-Oil until the grain is filled. Two top coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane and rubbed out with rottenstone.
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Wipe-on polyurethane. Comes in matte, semi-gloss, or high-gloss finish. Dries very quickly. Tougher than coffin nails.
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For osage, I use 3 coats of Tru Oil to seal the grain and 3 coats of spar urethane.
For whitewoods, I use Rit dissolved in denatured alcohol for a stain followed by 3 coats of spar urethane.
Jawge
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spray-on polyurethane rubbed down with 0000steel wool after it drys completely so that its not overly gripy
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I sand to 400 grit and look for any tool marks or coarse sanding marks, indicate with a pencil and sand that out too. Then I hand-rub 5-6 coats of tru oil into it, also into the leather handle wrap. The tru-oil doesn't dry as well on the leather, but I give it time and rub it out.
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True oil is my preferred finish. I sand to about 300 grit. Apply an alcohol based stain if you want. Then I use wet sand paper about 400 grit, apply true oil and wet sand the bow creating a slurry keeping the bow wet with oil till I'm done wet sanding. This fills all the pores. Let it dry, then use 400 grit over the whole thing. Tac cloth it down and add about 8 to 10 coats of true oil, using 0000 steel wool between coats and making sure to use a Tac cloth to remove all dust. The last 2 coats I apply with my finger making sure to remove all streaks. When I'm happy with the finish I let it cure for at least 48 hours. Then spritz it with a little water and buff it good with carnauba car wax. This leaves a tough as nails high gloss finish. If I'm doing a satin finish. After applying the final cost I will very evenly and lightly buff it with the 0000 steel wool. Tac it off and apply the wax to achieve a beautiful satin finish.
I used this method when I refinished guns. I have set a gun stock in a bucket of water and using a moisture meter to check the but area never gained any moisture in the wood. Hope this helps, process takes about a week. Patrick
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Thanks for all the responses guys. :)
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Rustins plastic coat with a spray gun. 3 - 4 coats.
I'm going to get some conversion varnish soon to give it a try.
I have had sinew goes a little 'soggy' at the edges with a tru oil finish after being out in the rain for two days so I don't use it anymore.
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Just hand rub lots of animal fat in and burnish the sucker with a spoon or antler! Cheap, effective and looks great. Just make sure you rub animal fat into the wood ever so often through the year and you are good to go. I love lard, great stuff!
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Plastic coat? LMAO....
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I use either 10 coats of tru oil. Now on my own bows I'm going to start using a 50-50 mix of deer tallow and bees wax. So far I've only used it on a hickory bow and it soaked this stuff up like a sponge when heated with the heatgun on low then hand rubbed to a polish. I think I'm going to use it more often. It's completely natural and seems very water proof. It turns soft in your hand when rubbing it in but seems to stay hard when in the wood.
Kyle
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The smell of warm deer fat and beeswax is wonderful too.
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Boring woods gets a Helmsman satin rattle can finish, pretty woods gets a coat of shellac wiped on, then 3-5 coats of tung oil wiped on then 3-4 coats of Johns paste wax.
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Pearly, does the coat of shellac before tung oil make a huge difference?
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Would the shallac stop the tung oil from penetrating the wood?
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I like how it "activates" the grain. That's why I use it as a base coat under tung oil.
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I just started using shellac as a under coat and i think pearly has something there
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Cool, I'll give it a shot.
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I don't spend a lot of time of finishes. Wipe on some teak, or danish oil, cause that's what I have at the moment. That's it. You'll probably never see me sand a bow for myself to 400 grit or higher. I have no problem with tool marks, sanding marks, or imperfections. I'm a firm believer in the old saying "form follows function". Seal it with whatever's available and call it good :)
Tattoo Dave
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Haven't made many but have used the massey finish I use on my arrows, stain if desired then use the epoxy/acetone mixture (I substitute denatured alcohol for acetone), 6-8 coats. Have also stopped a couple of coats shy and put a couple coats of tru oil on last. Makes for a very tough finish.
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Soft woods I always use true oil. Hard woods for my own bows with no snake skins or raw hide I just use paraffin wax and wax them couple times a year.
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I don't spend a lot of time of finishes. Wipe on some teak, or danish oil, cause that's what I have at the moment. That's it. You'll probably never see me sand a bow for myself to 400 grit or higher. I have no problem with tool marks, sanding marks, or imperfections. I'm a firm believer in the old saying "form follows function". Seal it with whatever's available and call it good :)
Tattoo Dave
That's exactly what I do too, or did. Moved on to using tung oil to bring out the grain then clear lacquer over the the top. Most people I've built for lately like a glossy finish so I wet sand and buff by hand. Steel wool for a matte finish.
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5 or 6 coats of True Oil, maybe more depending on what I plan on doing with it,000 steel wool between coats ,usually 1 coat a day depending on the weather and how it is drying. Then if I plan on hunting with it a couple coats of satin polly to dull the finish a bit. :)
Pappy
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Depends. Usually I do any coloring with dyes rather than stains, and then use spar varnish or outdoor polyurathane.
But, on most of my primitives, I do the beeswax and fat finish, and I love it. You CAN'T just wipe it on, though. There is a process.
I render just a few ounces of elk fat, (the hard waxy stuff off the hips, back and brisket) and then mix it 40:60 fat to beeswax or so. I've done it with Crisco, too. It cools very hard. Then, when I have a truly finished and shot in, sanded bow, I put it in a hot car or in front of the fireplace to get good and warm. I let the wood get hot enough to melt the wax, and just rub it on until it looks wet, then set the bow back to drink in the finish. When the bow looks nice and dry, I do it again. about 4 applications in, and thebow will feel dry, but water will just bead upp and roll off, and I have bows that still shed water tlike that years later.
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I'm a stickler for a professional quality finish in looks and durability. I sometimes blend various colors of aniline dyes and then always apply several coats of Thunderbird epoxy finish with an air touchup gun... sanding in between coats as needed until the grain is filled... then a final coat or two and, wahlah.
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I hate finishing, can't spray, and like a thin finsh so I use Minwax oil based wipe on polyureathane. I perfer the looks of a danish oil finish but it dries too slow for me.
The bow is sanded to 280 grit and inspected for tool marks in sunlight. First coat of gloss wipe-on is applied over a period of around 20 minutes- the wood is kept wet and it's rubbed into the wood. The final wipe-down leaves a very thin coat almost dull looking coat that has sunk into the wood more than if it's just wiped-on quickly. When dry, lightly sand with a grey scotchbrite and apply a very thin coat of satin wipe-on. I like the looks of the finish, the easy of application and the fast drying- a bow is finished in 2 days. A big plus is the better-half lets me finish bows with the poly inside. The downside is the grain is not filled and it's not as rugged or water resistant as a thick coating of, say, spar poly.
For oily woods, I rub in a coat of about #1 cut (eyeballed) super blonde shellac kinda like the first wipe-on coat above. I try to leave a very thin dull looking coating. When dry I don't sand for fear of cutting into the oily wood and/or leaving a blotchy surface and apply a coat or two of wipe-on poly.
c.d.
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This should be archived in the how to's...if not already..
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This should be archived in the how to's...if not already..
I agree! Patrick
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I would agree with that too ;) I learned quite a bit.
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Progressively finer sand paper from 80 to 600. Then tru oil, tru oil, tru oil, tru oil, tru oil, tru oil, etc. Wool brush in-between coats. Eventually I just rub with a rag in-between last few.
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After tung oil and tru oil finishes dry real well try buffing with just a paper towel....provides a "softer " gloss...................IMO
DBar
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Alright, I got another question, mostly for you oil and wax guys. When you back your bow with anything other than a different wood, like hide, sinew, linen, silk, and so on. Does that change your process of finishing?
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Alright, I got another question, mostly for you oil and wax guys. When you back your bow with anything other than a different wood, like hide, sinew, linen, silk, and so on. Does that change your process of finishing?
A simple "Nope" the only thing that changes for me is how long it takes to get the back smooth. Patrick