FINISH'S

[crooketarrow]

  I been wandering this for a while now and I can't see any good reasoning people do this. Why do people add so many coats of finish on there bows and arrows. After the pours of the wood is sealed up (2 coats max) exture coats won't make the lusture any better.
    If more coats makes this better then you need to look for a different finish. It might help with the water proffing but thats what sealers for.  I would never do it but I can see hand rubbing on 2 or 3 coats but 7 or 8 or even more.
  If water proffing the reason you need to look for a different sealer. Whats the reasons you do this. Or is it just what others have been taught through the years and your following suit. The company's that the finish's come from would be sadly disapointed with there products.

[PEARL DRUMS]

What brand do you use on all your bows and how many coats?

[Pat B]

I use Tru-Oil and 4 to 6 coats with a seel wool rubdown between each. Depending on the wood it usually takes this many coats to get conplete coverage and a smooth surface. I like the finish I get with this and this many coats. I also do a quick spray of satin poly to cut the shine of the Tru-Oil. You will never prevent moisture infiltration into a bow and you don't want to. The wood needs to breathe.

[druid]

I just use one coat of beewax and one oiling and it is just enough. I measured physical weight of my black locust bow that spent a lot of time in my humid cabin- no changes.

[crooketarrow]

  I uselly use 1 or 2 coats of rit dye and alcohol some woods take a second if they have deep pours if not put on exture heavy. Sealed with bee's wax and a hair dryed. Osage is the only wood I use anything else on. I'll use 1 coat of leather dye if someone wants other than just the natural wood. Which is what I like. I'll just get darker with age. Also sealed with wax.
     Not everyone likes wax because it should to be done each year. But you do have a new looking bow again each time it's done. And it's just seams more PRIMITIVE to me. I've used everything to can thing of at one time or another. Not trying to convert anyone Wax seams to out do them all to me.
  I came to this thinking because if you've ever tryed to remove wax from a bow thats been put on repetely with heat. The only way is to totally sand the soaked up waxed pours.  WHICH SOAKS DOWN 16 TH DEEP IF HEATS USED REPEATLY,SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO REWORK THE BOW COMPLEATLY DON'T WAX IT.  I've sanded to where the stains gone and there still wax there. No other sealed will soak into the wood this deep PASS THE FINISH. Wax not only cover the wood it soaks down past the pours. All the others just cover. Which is not a bad thing there doing just what there surpose to do. Wax just dose it alittle differently..
      Although I did just use ELMERS WOOD HARDER yesterday on some HAZZLE shoots. Because there really solf it's says it's also a sealer. It dryer clear and looks really good so I'm going to do SEAL a ELM BOW I'm just about to finish.

[Alpinbogen]

My usual finishing involves 5 coats of gloss spar urethane from a spray can, followed by 2 coats of satin.  It usually takes 3 or 4 coats until the finish is smooth.  I lightly sand every other coat after that with 400 grit.  Extra coats, IMO, mean better resistance to nicks, abrasion, and moisture.

[colt]

it depends on the finish. while i am relatively inexperienced at bowyery, i think i do pretty well when it comes to finishing. the number of coats depends on the type of finish. BLO will take a ton of coats and still not build up a thick coating because it soaks in and takes a long time to cure. an oil poly blend(my favorite. works great with ipe) on the other hand will begin to build up a film after 4 or 5 coats. beyond this point, i think it begins to look like plastic. same with too much shellac or varnish.

[okie64]

Since we're talkin about wax here, just wandering if anybody uses car wax as a final coat on their bow? I was thinkin it might work the same as beeswax as far as sealing the wood and protecting it from the elements.

[crooketarrow]

  I've never used it but have read of poeple doing so. I don't know if it soaks in like bees wax when heats aplyed. Not even sure if you could or should  use  heat with it. I'm sure it would make a good sealer on wood as the metal it's intended for. I do know someone that used floor wax on a couple bows and said that it worked out ok. But they did'nt stick with it. So that might tell you something. Likely it was ok but they must have found better.

[okie64]

I usually put on 4-5 coats of tung oil or tru-oil and then a coat of poly. But I had some carnauba paste wax that I use on my truck and thought I had heard of people using it as the final sealer on bows. Maybe I'll try it out and see what happens. I've used mink oil as the final coat on a couple of bows and I liked the way it repels water but it doesnt seem to me like it really soaks in the wood. Even after its been on 3 or 4 months it still feels kinda oily.

[JonW]

I personally have used everything that has been mentioned except for the carnauba wax. I have not really found anything I prefer, they all have different finishes and effects. I know that Zoltan uses carnauba wax that is meant for wood and he really likes it. Maybe he will chime in here.

[k-hat]

I've personally been very pleased with the teak oil i've been using.  Teak oil is tung oil with other additives.  On whitewoods, it brings out some color (especially on the very light sapwood of hickory and the like) and gives it a nice warm glow.  It's quite easy to work in and maintain, and can take as little as 3 or 4 coats to soak into the wood enough.  That's another reason i like it, it actually soaks in to protect rather than sit on top.  Easy to repair as well.  I finish over that with beeswax/mineral oil blend.  The water beads nicely and i expect the bow could be fully submerged in water and come out fine. Been considering pure tung or tru-oil though, just for a change-up.