HELP !!!! - Tru Oil on My New Ipe WON'T DRY !!!???

[barebo]

In retrospect, i'm wondering if the fact that I used a standard Minwax stain has anything to do with it?? I generally use a Feibings alcohol leather dye, but have only a very dark Mahagony. I wanted to keep the light / dark contrast. Is shellac a good finish by itself??
I have no experience with it at all. Again, I thank everyone for the input !!!

[NTD]

This thread is proof that I would rather be lucky than good. I don't give my ipe any special treatment, and have never had a problem with a finish. I wonder if the super dry climate helps. Try putting your Ipe in a hot box and getting it warm then applying the finish. Warm wood helps when applying most any finish or stain.

I'm thinking the super dry climate Justin because I haven't had any problems with Tru-Oil on Ipe either.

Nate

[Rich Saffold]

The humid regions have problems with finishes on Ipe and oily woods in general, and why I like using mineral oil as a base coat since it will dry on oily Ipe and then you can use anything you want over it.  When you rub it down good with a clean cloth after rubbing it in with your hands then its dry and you can add apply what you want with much better results...

Plus it looks real good by itself especially if you are going hunting ..

or use 3 coats of acetone first like Josh mentions...

[barebo]

I wasn't aware that mineral oil would dry and take a finish like that - just learned something !!! I know that mineral Spirits are used to cut and clean paint, etc. I have noticed that my fingertips have taken on a reddish cast, and the mask I wore while sanding is fairly reddish-orange also. I assume that the oil leaches out as you work it?? I know that the board was 6 /8% MC. So very different than all of my Northeastern hardwoods !! I know one thing for sure - it sure casts an arrow !!!!!

[Swamp Bow]

I wiped my last one down with lacquer thinner to get the dust off of it and then applied a very thin coat, it was dry in a couple of hours.  Added a couple of more thin coats the following day.  No problem here in humid SW FL.  I suggest using several thin coats instead of one or two heavier coats.  Mileage may vary...

Swamp

[dragonman]

I have another solution which worked well on my last bow. Simply give the sticky  bow a once over wipe with white spirit , wait half a day, then repeat,and maybe you'll have to do it once more, but it worked for me. I was told this by a technical adviser of a varnish making company here in uk

[barebo]

knightd advised putting it in a warm place, hence in front of my pellet stove as pictured. I checked it when I got home today , and by golly, it's starting to dry!!! Still a bit tacky, but leaps and bounds better than I'd imagined it'd be. I'm going to take Gordon at his advice, and get some shellac for the next one(s)!!!
I've used Tru Oil with great success on my last 6-7 whitewood bows. Like I said, this Ipe is in a different category for sure!!!

[mullet]

 I live in Florida also. I wipe mine down with acetone and then use a spray Shellac. It dries fast even in this humidity. You can even go over it with Poly after you spray it with Shellac if you want to.

[barebo]

Acetone has been suggested a LOT !!!! Looks like I might have to get some !!!

[Swamp Bow]

And if you breath deep enough your whole outlook on life is just sooo much more positive.  You can get downright giddy!  Seriously, acetone, toluene, lacquer thinner, and the like all make great tools, but use them outside and be up wind.  The stuff is nasty bad for you.  Fact of the matter is skin contact is not a good thing either, try to wear rubber gloves.  I admit I'm kinda bad about that one these day.  Used to use lacquer thinner a lot and I did use the gloves then.  Like everything, respect the tool or it will bite you.  I tend wipe all of my wood surfaces down before gluing or finishing, cheap insurance.

Swamp

[Rich Saffold]

Good points Swamp Bow, and another reason why I like mineral oil is you can actually drink it. Of course that is only recommended if you are constipated

 If you are into having a truly primitive or "paleo" bow, and don't have any bear fat, or you are out of elbow grease this is natural enough.

With the growing number of youngsters making  bows these messages about being safe around  these solvents and finishes is paramount.  Especially this time of the year when most everyone is working indoors..

[Gordon]

If I'm going to apply a primer coat of Shellac I don't bother with acetone (I hate the stuff, it gives me a headache). Shellac will let you get away with a lot because it sticks to just about anything. If I am concerned about contaminants, I'll rub the bow down with alcohol which is a lot less toxic than the some of the other solvents.

[Jude]

Haven't noticed that so much with acetone, though it definitely isn't good for you, but with laquer thinner it's definitely the case.  I used it to smooth silicone caulking in a tiled shower once, and walked out of the bath stumbling drunk.  Good thing I was young and still had some brain cells to spare.  I started playing with boiled soybean oil as a finish base, with promising results.  On top of being non toxic, my wife no longer complains about the linseed oil stench permeating the house.  Now it just smellls like someone's making french fries.

[Tractor]

Jude, 

Do you boil the oil yourself or buy it boiled (where?) and I assume that it does not go rancid like some oils.  I know I have used Walnut Oil for finishing cutting boards and salad bowls because it does not go rancid, smells nice, and isn't toxic.  I wonder if it would work as well for a finishing agent for bows.

I just love how a thread posting from someone in trouble can both help the original poster and disseminate such a large and varied amount of information.  Thanks all.

Mike

[mullet]

 Mike, Hopefully, that's what seperates this site from the others. Lot's of bow building knowledge here.