Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Scallorn on March 17, 2020, 08:27:12 pm
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I'm sure this has already been discussed, but I'm curious about y'alls opinion on finishing osage.
I have a new bow finished and I need to seal it. Obviously the quickest method would be to use a spray on finish, but I want to use what's most effective. Thoughts?
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I use gun stock Tru Oil. 6 or 7 coats hand rubber in. :)
Pappy
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I also use Tru Oil like Pappy. On hunting bows I do a quick spray satin poly over the Tru Oil to cut the shine.
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be wary of a good many "spray on" type finishes. They will look good for a few weeks and then crack and discolor. Tru oil will seal and treat the wood, remain flexible and essentially last forever is applied correctly. Hard to beat for 6.00 a bottle that will probably finish 5 or 6 bows.
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How does Tru Oil compare to tung oil, especially the tung oil 'finishes' that have drying additives in the mix? I've used a couple different brands that worked well on tool handles and other similar surfaces but none of them have needed to be weather proofed to a great degree. Does Tru Oil end up as glossy as tung oil after a few coats?
Mark
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I think of tung oil as a penetrating oil that enhances the wood grain. I imagine is has some moisture resistance. Tru Oil is a surface treatment with limited penetration. Tru Oil will repel water because it builds up a water proof coating with multiple thin layers. Tru Oil does have a very glossy finish so to eliminate the shine I give the bow a quick spray of satin poly.
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You can also polish the final coat of tru oil with oil and pumice powder to get a satin glow instead of the glossy finish.
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I used Mimwax Spar Urethane from a rattle can for many years with no problem. Wirwicki used the same stuff in a dip tube - Great stuff ! Bob
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Helmsman in a rattle can. Its UV resistant, 100% waterproof, very fast drying and will last a very long time. Its made to be outdoors and take a beating. I like the clear satin and use it on nearly all of my personal bows. Its not cheap, but good stuff never is.
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TruOil is good stuff. I've used Weylin' technique to cut the shine and it works great and is very easy (Thanks Weylin!).
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Back in the day I used the massy finish of two ton epoxy dissolved in acetone, it was the most bullet proof finish I have ever used.
I used it on arrows as well and could lose one under the grass, find it 6 months later and find the feathers might be gone but the arrow shaft was like new.
This finish takes awhile to put on, one quick coat at a time before the acetone evaporates, what you mix up wil go bad in a week or so.
I am not as dedicated as I once was, I use tru-oil now.
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Could you give a tru-oil finish a quick going over with fine steel wool to dull the shine, or would that destroy the finish?
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Tru Oil is good stuff. You can use extra fine steel wool, and get a satin finish on it. I have used it on different gun stocks as well as self bows, and glass bows. When I don't have it on stock I use 3 to 4 coats of shellac , and then Min Wax Poly which also works well , and fine steel wool also gets you a satin finish.
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Thanks for all the input. It sounds like the general consensus is for Tru-Oil
I happen to have a new bottle in my gun cleaning kit and I'll just use a few coats of it.
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I have posted this before; Don't pull off the aluminum seal in your bottle of tru-oil, just poke a tiny pin hole in it and store you bottle up side down when not in use. This way the contents won't gum up even if it takes you a year to use the bottle up.
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I love Danish Oil or if I have the time, just beeswax (cuz Danish oil doesn't stink to me like some other finishes definitely do)
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I like a hand rubbed oil finish BLO or polymerized BLO with wax in it. It will waterproof wood but it requires care just like a selfbow.
HH~
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There is good information on Wikipedia about pure Tung oil - many people believe there is no better wood finish, but 'real' Tung oil is a slower process than other finishes that are 'engineered' to dry faster.
Pure Tung oil is 100% natural.
Tru oil is 7% to 13% Linseed oil, 15 to 40% "Modified oil" (is this Tung oil?), and 40% to 70% Stoddard Solvent (I think this is why it dries so fast?).
Anyways, there's my useless 2-cents! 8)
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Tung oil is IMO the finest finish for a selfbow. I love the way it looks, beautifully lustrious dull sheen....ummm….. and it is actually extremely water resistant when applied properly. I am not a fan of tru-oil. Not particularly durable nor water resistant enough for our continuously humid environment here.
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There is a difference in a good wood finish and a good wood bow finish. Finishes that are good for furniture, etc aren't necessarily good for bows. Bows spend a lot of time in the weather, rain, snow, heat, cold, etc. For wood bows we need a finish that will repel water but also slow down the hygroscopic rate, the rate that wood takes on atmospheric moisture(water vapor). Even a bow with a good finish will still have this hygroscopic intake and output of water vapor, not the water but the vapor.
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I use whatever oil gives me the color I want and then paste floor wax. Johnson’s and McGuires both work great. Buff until the gloss suits your needs. Two coats of oil then three coats of wax will last forever. I have gunstocks I finished that way 20+ years ago that still look great.
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Speaking of wax; Renaissance wax is probably the best, I use it on the M/L rifles I make, I understand it is the only wax museums will use on guns in their stable.
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For osage, I apply 3 coats of True Oil to seal theories and 3 coats of Spar Urethane to waterproof. Jawge
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We have a red cedar sign out front of our house with burned in lettering treated with helmsman spar urethane.It's been in the sun and rain going on 4 years.No fading or any distinguishable changes to it warranting any recoating needed.
I've tried many different types and kinds on bows.For bows of homogenous material I like epifanes spar matt finish applied according to the directions with three thin coats of 50%/50% of thinner and varnish applied about an hour apart.Durable/elastic/and good water proofing abilities.This finish can take up to 3 days to cure depending on humidity but worth the wait.It's base is tung oil with phenolic and alkyd resins to speed drying with superior UV filtering protectors.
I used to like magna lac lacquer because of it's quick drying abilities.I've switched.If lacquer is applied too thick it can chrysall especially on highly reflexed bows.The epifanes does'nt do that and is more elastic.It will dry good and hard too if given the time to cure.
I've tested this epifanes over birch bark oil on wood [something I apply while heat treating bows] and it adheres very well to it but does not need as many coats overall as spar varnish alone.
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Speaking of wax; Renaissance wax is probably the best, I use it on the M/L rifles I make, I understand it is the only wax museums will use on guns in their stable.
Good to know. 👍
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Why, I like BLO with a wax liquified with the oil. I have left my selfbow out in bad weather to Pack out more meat. Come back and its repelling water like no ones bidness. Just have to take care to rub on and rub off thruout a season. Looks good after the sun and hunt conditions get to them. How a self hunter should look.
I do have a bunch with tru-Oil. Great fire and forget finish.
HH~
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I bought recently "Understanding wood finishing" from Flexner. Since stopping the moisture transfer into the wood is the main purpose of the finish, one of the best finishes is shellac. Keep it ssndwiched between the oiled or pure wood and some top finish, since shellac is no strong enough to remain on top for outdoor use. I put oil first to saturate wood, then 3x shellac and then tung oil/spar varnish mix, which is flexible and waterproof.
Oil and shellac turns boring maple whitewood into golden beauty.
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Why, I like BLO with a wax liquified with the oil. I have left my selfbow out in bad weather to Pack out more meat. Come back and its repelling water like no ones bidness. Just have to take care to rub on and rub off thruout a season. Looks good after the sun and hunt conditions get to them. How a self hunter should look.
I do have a bunch with tru-Oil. Great fire and forget finish.
What is BLO
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Why, I like BLO with a wax liquified with the oil. I have left my selfbow out in bad weather to Pack out more meat. Come back and its repelling water like no ones bidness. Just have to take care to rub on and rub off thruout a season. Looks good after the sun and hunt conditions get to them. How a self hunter should look.
I do have a bunch with tru-Oil. Great fire and forget finish.
What is BLO
Boiled Linseed Oil
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Thank you
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I've used minwax spray,,,with good results,,have had to steel wool and re spray after hard hunting season,,,have sprayed over ting oil too...may not be best,..but worked well
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There's a difference between water repellent and moisture repellent. Linseed oil may be a good water repellent but it's a poor moisture repellent. Wax is at the top
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What else is at the top of the list?
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Bear fat
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I like tru oil have used it for years hand rub till my hand sometimes blisters, Makes super nice finish on my banjo necks.. But I do hate the dry time , sometimes or a lot of the times I rub anything into my bows olive oil, beeswax, BLO Tru-oil all at once just keep hand rubbing it in . After reading this post I put together some BOL and Beeswax melted it down and when it cools ends up in a past rubs in easy buffs out nice, I may top it I may not...
Chuck
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I've used a lot of Danish oil but I think I'm going back to fat and wax. Seems to perform better since I'm almost on the coast.
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There's a lot to like and be said about these resin finishes.