Finish question - burnishing

[BigWapiti]

I asked a burnishing question a time back - was told to use tallow and a bottle.  Well, tallow and me don't seem to be crossing paths.  First question is, how close is Crisco to tallow?  Not that I intend to use it, but its just been a nagging curiosity.

But, main question is, could one not use wax (paraffin?) and then burnish it in?  I'm thinking rubbing heated wax onto a warm bow -  then buff it in with a cloth.  Then couldn't one burnish at further at that point??  Never tried wax nor burnishing - but wondering if it would work this way.

I'm working with a choke cherry D-bow - its very light in color - need to darken it up a bit for hunting I think - thoughts on that as well?  maybe best left for another post.   

BUT, when using a wax finish - what type of stain could/should one use?

Thanks again,

Mike

[Jesse]

I think crisco will work. As for stain. Alcohol base works best for me. Never tried the wax but I am thinking of it.

[JackCrafty]

Crisco is not tallow.  It's vegable oil (cottonseed and soybean).  Tallow is rendered fat.  If the fat comes from pigs, it's called lard.  I've never used any of this stuff for burnshing.

Wax can be used for burnishing...carnauba wax and beeswax are the best choices (or a mixture of the two).  I've used carnauba wax and it works OK.  It requires patience to get a good polish.....something I don't have large quantities of.

You can add a tint to the wax or apply stain before waxing.  The best stain I've used is called TransTint.....but it's expensive.

[islandpiper]

When it comes to stain I prefer real, by-golly walnut stain.   Soak the nasty, finger-blackening husks of American Black Walnut in plain old household ammonia.   I crush them with a manner first, let it all sit in a covered bucket for a few days, and strain it through a wire screen first, then a coffee filter.  Keep it covered in a screw top jar till you use it.  Water based stains, like this, will not inhibit any other oil or wax based finishes you choose later.   

piper

[Pat B]

...but water based stain will raise the grain of most woods. Not that this is a bad thing.     Pat

[Sidewinder]

That is an interesting observation Pat and thanks for making it. I did not know that. But then again there are alot in this world that I don't know. As a matter of fact I think the only thing I really know is that I don't know much. But what I know, I know. You know?  Danny

[El Destructo]

Mike ...If you really want to use Tallow....go to the Supermarket and buy some Suet.....and render it down (boil till all the fat melts out) and make your own Tallow.......just takes time to do....but if you just want to use lard....it will work too....lard is nothing but Pig Tallow

[Pappy]

I have never used anything when I burnish,are you using it to seal the bow ?
Be sure to stain before you burnish or the stain won't take very good after.I always
seal after stain and burnishing. I would think like others have said Lard should
just fine.
   Pappy

[islandpiper]

The grain is probably going to raise SOMEDAY anyway, i'd rather it happens in the shop than after some person is out in the woods for a few days with a bow I made him.  I just stained a hickory bow yesterday, grain popped right out, let it dry, sanded with a 120 grit foam pad, stained again, dried and LIGHTLY sanded with the foam pad and set it in my car (alternate drying cabinet) and let it dry real good. 

piper

[BigWapiti]

Thanks for all your comment and suggestion,

Here's what I did - its just a simple D bow - very primitive looking, which was my intent.  Not even sure the tiller is up to par, actually I'm pretty sure it isn't. So, it was a good candidate for trying something out.

I ended up putting a burgundy stain on it (alcohol based leather die); letting it dry for a few hours.  Then applied beeswax using heat on the bow, making sure to get a good coating.  I let it sit again for an hour, then using a soft cloth I rubbed it out evenly (using long strokes lightly at first to build up some heat, then buffing harder as the wax allowed).  Then using a beer bottle (because for some reason I had two sitting near me) I started burnishing it in.   I then hand rubbed again and I have to say, it turned out rather nice actually.  I plan to give it another session of rubbing down before putting on a leather or chord handle.

I'm just not sure how well the beeswax will weather - if I had paraffin here, I'd have probably used that.  And if there were tallow or lard, probably that.  But this was a good experiment anyway.

Thanks again,  Mike

[JW_Halverson]

Just from the primitive archer standpoint I think you made a good choice with beeswax, a natural material.  Paraffin is a byproduct of refining crude oil.  And it smells nice when it warms up. 

Oddly enough, I've used honey along with chokecherries and it ended up in the beer bottles.  It's called mead.  But it'd don't make you a better archer in the morning.

I've thought of using chokecherry juice to stain a bow since it stains about everything else.   Guess I have never had the courage to trip gaily thru the woods with a purple bow in hand.   

[BryanB]

I rendered some bear fat for a primative bow slated to be built later this winter.  I was going to offer to send you some, but I'm too late.
That stuff is reallllllly water repellent.  For burnishing I use a polished marble cylindar form an old fire place poker handle.  There available all the time at Goodwill.
Good Luck,
Bryan

[BigWapiti]

I rendered some bear fat for a primative bow slated to be built later this winter.  I was going to offer to send you some, but I'm too late.
That stuff is reallllllly water repellent.  For burnishing I use a polished marble cylindar form an old fire place poker handle.  There available all the time at Goodwill.
Good Luck,
Bryan

Thanks for the thought Bryan - very kind of you!  Maybe if I do another one, I'll see if you have more.  I was surprised at how little it took (wax anyway) to do a full bow.  Again, thanks for the thought!