Author Topic: Your finishes  (Read 8910 times)

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Offline tattoo dave

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2011, 04:45:18 pm »
Ok, so I just wipe on a coat of titebond 3. I use that  on my bows anyway, if I make a bow for someone else than I'll use a spar urethane. The glue is waterproof, and dries with less of a sheen than anything else I've tried. Anything even a little shiny can get ya busted by critters at very close range. It's cheap and easy. I like cheap and easy ;) It dries with a little color. It's also easy to apply more, if next season it needs it.


Tattoo Dave
Rockford, MI

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #16 on: December 06, 2011, 04:52:09 pm »
Very interesting TIGHT WAD! I never even thought about it, but it makes perfect sense to me Dave.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Buckeye Guy

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #17 on: December 06, 2011, 05:48:10 pm »
Hey Osage
Check around on here I think someone just expland how to do deer fat for finish , If not PM me I think I remember the basics of how to do it!
Guy
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To God be the glory !

Offline Ifrit617

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #18 on: December 06, 2011, 05:58:50 pm »
5-10 coats of tru oil is by far my favorite...

Offline Keenan

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #19 on: December 06, 2011, 06:00:47 pm »
I use the Minwax spray poly high gloss. As far as the shine I have found that satin or even had rubbed beesway can shine enough to get you busted. A few years ago Gordon gave me a few very nice stretch camo sleeves. they are ultra light weight and absolutely hide any glare. Nothing compares. So now I get the best of both worlds. I can have a very nice glossy "show room" bow while out in public and disappear in the woods with the sleeves.

Offline Pat B

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #20 on: December 06, 2011, 06:20:44 pm »
I put a thin coat of TBIII over snake skins and rawhide before adding a Tru-Oil finish.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Eric Garza

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #21 on: December 06, 2011, 06:58:28 pm »
I've used beeswax too. It's a little more challenging to get a real nice finish with it than with animal fats, but it works nicely. I have several large bricks of beeswax that I use to make candles and could certainly use to finish bows.

I'll try deer fat on my next bow. It will be a first for me, but it makes all the sense in the world to use it as it renders down nice and clean and I've got lots!
« Last Edit: December 06, 2011, 10:35:48 pm by Eric »

Offline Pat B

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #22 on: December 06, 2011, 07:03:35 pm »
I've heard of using bear grease, bees wax and pine pitch melted and mixed together but never tried it. I have a yew bow wiuth only bear grease finish. I need to give it another coat but it has worked well for a couple of years.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline tattoo dave

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #23 on: December 06, 2011, 08:34:29 pm »
OK Pearl Drums, so maybe that's not the first time I've been called a tight wad, but I'm ok with that ;) It works great!

Dave
Rockford, MI

youngbowyer

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #24 on: December 06, 2011, 08:57:29 pm »
i mix beeswax, danish oil, and miniwax stain and it works fine.

Offline crooketarrow

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #25 on: December 06, 2011, 10:52:26 pm »
   I've used bee's wax for 12 or 13 years. Never once had a moisture problem. Plus it's just more primitive. Smear it on and heat it up witha hair dryer watch it melt into the pours. I rewax my bows once a year. But you really don't have to. But I like redoing it. Each time looks like you have a new bow.
DEAD IS DEAD NO MATTER HOW FAST YOUR ARROW GETS THERE
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Offline mspink

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #26 on: December 07, 2011, 10:28:05 pm »
Hey guys thanks for the replies.. I have been using a stain, let it soak in and then a minwax poly over that with a coat of wax. Just wondering how long this will hold up. It seams to do the job fine because I went out into the eastern Wa state woods a couple weeks ago with rain everyday and it held up well. Just wondering how often I should refinish if i even have too.
Aim small miss small!

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #27 on: December 07, 2011, 10:31:52 pm »
It wont ever need a refinish if you used good poly.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline sadiejane

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #28 on: December 08, 2011, 12:25:55 pm »
Poly, Tru Oil, Formbys Tung Oil mix, Shellac, rendered fat and bees wax all work. You will get good and bad points about each. Personal preference is what its all aboout. All will work for common "joe's" just fine. Romance plays a part for some guys. They may want all natural, or they want what the ol' timers used, or one cost more than the other and so on. The best type will never be settled. Your best bet is to simply pick one and learn about it prior to applying. Some need a fresh coat each year, or several times a year, some never need to be touched again. Some stink and some smell MMMMMM good! Warm bee's wax makes me hungry everytime!

it does seem there are numerous finishes that work well. and many folks have a favorite. or sometimes just a matter of convenience(what ya got on hand versus buying something specifically for yr bow)
used tru oil just once, on a rawhide backed bow. cuz i wanted to protect that rawhide well. dont like the shiny finish but it can be eliminated with some 0000 steel wool. made a mixture of bees wax and walnut oil i like quite well. apply it as mentioned previously. warm it, rub and rub, heat lightly with a hair dryer. i keep applying and rubbing till the wood wont absorb any more. the first bow i used this on was done about two yrs ago and is still holding...
recently got in a trade, some bear grease. dude, that bear grease really brings out the color/grain in osage and some of my arrow wood too! liking it lots. but not easy to procure for some.
in fact, josh(gun doc) stopped by bow class last nite(nice to meet ya josh!) and he was talking about using bear grease on a eastern red cedar bow and that he found it had "cured" the wood in such a way that it noticeably improved the performance of the bow. might ask him for more details on that.
« Last Edit: December 08, 2011, 12:44:23 pm by sadiejane »
wild women don't get the blues

Offline Elktracker

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Re: Your finishes
« Reply #29 on: December 08, 2011, 02:08:01 pm »
I use spar urethane. I prefer the spray. Jawge

Me too but I dont use the spray the quart can seems to last longer for me.

Josh
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)