Hickory Algonquin Replica

[Bishop]

thats a really cool bow, nice carving, great job!
Bishop

[brokennock]

Very nice work replicating my favorite bow in the book. I've always wanted to do the same but haven't had the right piece of wood.

[akila]

Hi nice bow..i like it..i have a question plz. How do you aply those linnsed oil?? and how many cooats should  be aplied on a bow,and how much time must be left between coats to cure or...?? i never used this linnsed oil so...thks in advanse.

[1/2primitive]

Very nice bow, I like the replicas.
      Sean

[OldBow]

Absolutely a real contender for Nov Self Bow of the Month because its Primitive not to mention interesting and well done. Great post! - thanks.

[jamie]

me like a lot

[Brokestick]

Hi again.  To answer Akila, linseed oil is a pretty easy finish to apply, but it can be time consuming.  There are two types of linseed oil, boiled and raw.  Boiled is preferred because the heating gives the oil a headstart on the polymerization process.  Raw linseed oil will dry and polymerize eventually, but it takes several days.  Boiled generally dries within a day.  Heat is necessary to set the oil into the wood, and the traditional method is long vigorous hand rubbing.  Much as I like being traditional, I also like my heat gun.  It saves me a lot of elbow grease, and cuts the drying time in half.  You just need to be really careful not to scorch the wood.  I'm sure a blowdryer, or even a hotbox would work also.  After heating, I still handrub the finish in.  On another bow, I completed the oil finish (3 coats) and then degreased the surface with acetone.  I then applied several coats of water-based polyurethane over the top.  The oil kept any moisture from penetrating into the wood.  I like water-based poly because it dries clear and it's much harder than oil based.  Hope this helps.

Julian

[akila]

Hi again.  To answer Akila, linseed oil is a pretty easy finish to apply, but it can be time consuming.  There are two types of linseed oil, boiled and raw.  Boiled is preferred because the heating gives the oil a headstart on the polymerization process.  Raw linseed oil will dry and polymerize eventually, but it takes several days.  Boiled generally dries within a day.  Heat is necessary to set the oil into the wood, and the traditional method is long vigorous hand rubbing.  Much as I like being traditional, I also like my heat gun.  It saves me a lot of elbow grease, and cuts the drying time in half.  You just need to be really careful not to scorch the wood.  I'm sure a blowdryer, or even a hotbox would work also.  After heating, I still handrub the finish in.  On another bow, I completed the oil finish (3 coats) and then degreased the surface with acetone.  I then applied several coats of water-based polyurethane over the top.  The oil kept any moisture from penetrating into the wood.  I like water-based poly because it dries clear and it's much harder than oil based.  Hope this helps.

Julian

Thks for replay..it realy help me but i have one more question...how much do you heat the wood after you aply first coat of linseed oil? ...and after you heat the wood you rub with more oil,or just that finish that you just aply and heat treat??thks in advanse.

[Brokestick]

I heat the wood to the point that it feels hot to my hand, but not too hot to hold onto.  Remember, you are not trying to heat treat the wood at this point, so be careful not to scorch it.  There should be no color change to the wood.  After heating, I simply wipe any excess oil off the surface and let the piece cool down.  It's ready for a second coat as soon as it does not feel oily anymore.  This is usually pretty quick for the first coat, since the oil soaks deeply into the wood.  It takes a bit longer for the second coat to dry, but it will usually be ready in about three hours.  I always apply at least three coats, and finish sand between the first and second coat.  The first coat will raise the grain of the wood, and act as a sanding sealer when it cures.  The wood will feel a little rough after the first coat and will need to be lightly sanded.  After the last coat, I hand rub the finish with a soft cloth to bring out the gloss.  Lots of luck.

Julian

[akila]

thks a lot

[Brokestick]

I got to take it out shooting for the fist time since I made the sinew string for it.  The new string definitely robs it of some cast over the dacron string, but it's manageable.  The thing I find curious, is that it seems to shoot arrows I had made for my 70# bow just fine.  I expect to have to aim to the right to compensate for the stiff arrows slicing left, but it doesn't happen.  Any thoughts?

Julian