Massey finish - two part epoxy and acetone

[JW_Halverson]

I had used this once long, long ago and I probably used too little acetone since I remember it was difficult to apply. Can I ask people to share with me their recipes and techniques?  I am wanting to revisit this finish on a bow that will be seeing something of a more inclement weather situation that I usually encounter.

[Allyn T]

Eric has a recipe I believe, you could message him

[Pat B]

John, one thing I heard about using Massey finish as a bow finish is to apply it in one swipe with a saturated applicator and let that dry before adding another. I've never used it as a bow finish but I've heard that if you try to wipe back and forth or before the first coat dries it comes out badly.
 As far as a recipe I don't have one. When I used Massey finish to seal hemp handle wraps I mix the epoxy and add the solvent until it is the desired consistency. I like it very thin for the handle wraps and saturate the cordage then let it set. The solvent will flash off allowing the epoxy to cure.

[Eric Krewson]

This is the most durable finish I have ever used but it does take a while to apply.

A friend gave me a bunch of baby food jars with lids that are perfect to mix this finish in. I don't measure anything, I squirt about a teaspoon of two-ton epoxy and hardener into the baby food jar, fill the jar up about half way with acetone and stir the mix with a popsicle stick until all the epoxy is dissolved. I dip a cleaning patch sized piece of cloth in the mix and quickly wipe it on the bow or arrow shaft that I am working on. More acetone gives you more working time until the mix gets too tacky to apply but will take more coats because the mix ration is thinner.

In a sealed jar any finish you have left over has about a week of shelf life before it sets up, this is one reason I only mix a small amount at a time.

On a hot day I can get three coats of this finish on a bow in one day because the epoxy cures quicker in the heat but in the winter, I may be able to put only one coat on in a day. This is a very shiny finish when completed, I usually give the bow a coat of satin spar urethane over the epoxy acetone to cut the shine.

You can crest arrows with acrylic paint and use this finish but it will dissolve any of the standard cresting paints. I use el-cheapo acrylic craft paints for cresting so I am good to go with this finish.

I have friends who have used alcohol and lacquer thinner instead of acetone but I haven't tried these solvents.

I have used this finish on a lot of arrows, I found if I lose one under the grass in the yard and find it 6-months later the feathers might be rotted but the shaft is still usable and in good shape.

[JW_Halverson]

Great. Thanks Eric.  That sounds pretty much like what Jimmi the Sammi told me a week or so ago when we were talking bows. I am thinking this will be laid over this sinew-backed hickory I have almost ready to finish up. With the sinew and hickory both loving to take on moisture, this ought to work pretty well.

[medicinewheel]

I will try this with liquid epoxy on a GF bow I am working on for a repair some time soon. Will keep you posted.

[superdav95]

This is something I’m gonna try as well.  I’ve got a moose hunt comming up and worried about wet weather too and wood bow.  Great info!   Will any 2 ton epoxy work?   I have some 5 min dry time stuff. Will this still work?

[Eric Krewson]

I have a friend who uses the 5-minute stuff, naturally it sets up much quicker. I have used it as well and it worked just fine.

[bownarra]

This is something I’m gonna try as well.  I’ve got a moose hunt comming up and worried about wet weather too and wood bow.  Great info!   Will any 2 ton epoxy work?   I have some 5 min dry time stuff. Will this still work?

A well done tung oil finish is as resistant as anything

[simk]

how about being a little more primitive?  I once did an epoxy finish on one of my bows - it felt and looked like a plastic bow, not very primitive anymore. I removed this finish again and wont do it anymore.
how about uv-resistance? what I've heard epoxy does not like sun very much, shiny finish will maybe turn dull very soon?
I like epoxy in my gluelines tough...
justmy2c
cheers 

[Eric Krewson]

A question was asked and I answered it, if you don't like the finish don't use it, injecting a negative comment into the discussion serves no useful purpose.

I tried this finish (named after Jay Massy) after reading the Jay Massy book where he described hunting in Alaska with a sinew backed hickory bow, he had lost the bow in a river during a canoe accident and recovered it from under the water a month later only to find the finish was in perfect shape and the bow was still functional.

Applying this finish takes up to a week, I tried it, it was OK but being a bit lazy I prefer plain old Tru-oil as a bow finish.

I don't make primitive bows; I make all wood or natural material bows. I replicate bows made in the 30s and 40s, hardly primitive but nice bows none the less.

I build flintlock rifles as well; in the flintlock realm we have what we call what we call "thread counters" these are people who put down other people's work if they don't make perfectly period correct rifles, accoutrements and even hand stitched period clothing. These people are probably the most obnoxious, annoying people that you could ever possibly meet.

We have some "thread counters" on this site as well; I have been the target of their putdowns more times than I can remember.

[simk]

Sorry Eric if I hurt your feelings - and sorry again.
Just wanted to say that I personally dont like the plastic look and feeling on a wooden bow and that I think it does not fit to a wooden bow - it does not feel like wood anymore when you touch it. It just feels like plastic because it is plastic you put on your bow. I think this is a absolutely relevant point talking about this kinda finish and can be discussed. So where is your problem, why so aggressive? Sure it seals well. Longevity under UV (?) was the other point.... So obviously my comment was about very objective points regarding this topic and maybe very useful for others to make their decision on weather to use it or not for their wooden bows.
cheers

[Eric Krewson]

It is called hijacking a thread and taking it off the rails; "how about being a little more primitive?", I mentioned the excessively shiny finish in my answer.

[simk]

Come'on Eric, lol, my post was far from being off topic - it's exactly and solely related to it and just expressed my personal experience and conclusions about it. I didn't offend anyone. Of course everyone is free to try or do this finish. I don't....usually sink my bows in rivers also    thanks for being friendly. 
cheers

[willie]

JW

I have used epoxy in various formulations for boatbuilding work. It is well suited to applications demanding water resistance. I have no doubt Jay was impressed with his results, but question whether thinning an epoxy adhesive with acetone can create a sealant/finish that might be better than a epoxy product specifically formulated as a sealant/finish.

Some epoxy laminating resins are, by design, quite thin and well suited for your intended purpose. I use System 3 clear coat in applications similar to yours. I find warming the wood to 120* F prior to application of the resin significantly helps with penetration.

My preference for system 3 is only because it is available locally. West systems also has formulations with similar viscosities which I would presume to work equally well. These thinner formulations can also be thickened for usages that call for more viscosity.

When limiting my choices to a natural finish, I agree with Mike

A well done tung oil finish is as resistant as anything

On wet weather hunts here in Alaska, I keep a small tin of beeswax mix,( thinned into a firm paste with some oil), for frequent application as needed.
Dean Torges did some experiments published in one of his books which showed a wax finish to be most effective for his purposes also.