Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: mspink on December 06, 2011, 01:31:44 pm
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Hey guys, was wondering what you guys use for the best waterproofing for wood bows. Where you can get it and how you apply it. All natural or manufactured or a mixture of both. Just wondering. Thanks.
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I use spar urethane. I prefer the spray. Jawge
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Not primitve, but I have always used Min-wax Wipe-on for both bows and arrows.
Very easy to use and found at hardware or paint stores.
What convinced me was ....I lost an arrow one spring while turkey hunting and my son found it in the fall while deer hunting. It was in the rain and sun for maybe 6 months and it was in amazing condition!! ;)
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I use spar urethane. I prefer the spray. Jawge
Same here. Not exactly primitive but does a good job. Still yet to try tru-oil as that seems to be a favourite.
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Poly, Tru Oil, Formbys Tung Oil mix, Shellac, rendered fat and bees wax all work. You will get good and bad points about each. Personal preference is what its all aboout. All will work for common "joe's" just fine. Romance plays a part for some guys. They may want all natural, or they want what the ol' timers used, or one cost more than the other and so on. The best type will never be settled. Your best bet is to simply pick one and learn about it prior to applying. Some need a fresh coat each year, or several times a year, some never need to be touched again. Some stink and some smell MMMMMM good! Warm bee's wax makes me hungry everytime!
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I use Tru-Oil on most of my bows and some arrows. I have used hand rubbed bear grease and love it for primitive bows and I add finely ground charcoal(other earth pigments work too) to "kill" the "white" of a white wood bow. It really makes the grain on the belly jump too.
On most on my primitive arrows I use pine pitch varnish I make or hand rubbed bear grease.
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I mostly use tru-oil. Usually around 6 or 7 thin coats applied with a cosmetic sponge. It makes a very glossy finish. I took a picture of my reflection in my wifes bow. Tru-oil doesn't have a strong smell so you can apply it in the house with out the wife complaining.
I have used spray spar urethane on a couple of bows. It is easy to apply and comes in satin and gloss so you have an option. It has a stronger smell.
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I do usually add a quick spray of satin poly over Tru-Oil to eliminate that glossy shine.
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I like helsman spar urathane high gloss. You can find it at lowes. I apply it with a small 1" sponge brush and use a new brush with every coat sanding lightly with 600grit between coats then after 6 or 7 coats finishing off with a coat of spar urathane spray in satin or low gloss. Works well for me!
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Hey, pearl drums, What's bee's wax like as a finnish?
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I use bear grease (i.e. rendered bear fat). I re-apply it fairly frequently (every week or so when I'm actively using a bow), but that takes a couple minutes and is no big deal to me. I get it from a bear. Actually, if you want to talk where I directly get it, I get it from a local game processor who saves me the fat from the bears he processes for people, and I render it down.
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Can you use deer fat? How do you render it?
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I don't know if you can use deer fat or not. I can't think of a reason why you couldn't. I'll try using deer fat on a bow; I have plenty as the game processor has saved me probably 200 pounds from this season's deer for soap making and because I like eating it.
Rendering basically involves boiling the fat over a very, very low heat for a few hours to melt the fat and separate it from all membranes, meat and other body tissues and fluids. You pour the melted fat out of the container you're boiling it in and you have pure, clean fat. Like the lard you buy in a store (which is mostly from pigs).
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I use spray Polly or shellac most of the time. Deer fat works good also. I just rendered it down like Eric and filtered it. I keep a small block in my refridgerator.
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Hey, pearl drums, What's bee's wax like as a finnish?
Water beads up on it, so I say its working good! You can put a wax over it like Marc mentioned. I think it compares with Tru Oil when it comes to making the grain "pop". I love that part. And its natural if that is what theme your after on a particular bow.
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Ok, so I just wipe on a coat of titebond 3. I use that on my bows anyway, if I make a bow for someone else than I'll use a spar urethane. The glue is waterproof, and dries with less of a sheen than anything else I've tried. Anything even a little shiny can get ya busted by critters at very close range. It's cheap and easy. I like cheap and easy ;) It dries with a little color. It's also easy to apply more, if next season it needs it.
Tattoo Dave
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Very interesting TIGHT WAD! I never even thought about it, but it makes perfect sense to me Dave.
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Hey Osage
Check around on here I think someone just expland how to do deer fat for finish , If not PM me I think I remember the basics of how to do it!
Guy
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5-10 coats of tru oil is by far my favorite...
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I use the Minwax spray poly high gloss. As far as the shine I have found that satin or even had rubbed beesway can shine enough to get you busted. A few years ago Gordon gave me a few very nice stretch camo sleeves. they are ultra light weight and absolutely hide any glare. Nothing compares. So now I get the best of both worlds. I can have a very nice glossy "show room" bow while out in public and disappear in the woods with the sleeves.
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I put a thin coat of TBIII over snake skins and rawhide before adding a Tru-Oil finish.
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I've used beeswax too. It's a little more challenging to get a real nice finish with it than with animal fats, but it works nicely. I have several large bricks of beeswax that I use to make candles and could certainly use to finish bows.
I'll try deer fat on my next bow. It will be a first for me, but it makes all the sense in the world to use it as it renders down nice and clean and I've got lots!
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I've heard of using bear grease, bees wax and pine pitch melted and mixed together but never tried it. I have a yew bow wiuth only bear grease finish. I need to give it another coat but it has worked well for a couple of years.
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OK Pearl Drums, so maybe that's not the first time I've been called a tight wad, but I'm ok with that ;) It works great!
Dave
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i mix beeswax, danish oil, and miniwax stain and it works fine.
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I've used bee's wax for 12 or 13 years. Never once had a moisture problem. Plus it's just more primitive. Smear it on and heat it up witha hair dryer watch it melt into the pours. I rewax my bows once a year. But you really don't have to. But I like redoing it. Each time looks like you have a new bow.
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Hey guys thanks for the replies.. I have been using a stain, let it soak in and then a minwax poly over that with a coat of wax. Just wondering how long this will hold up. It seams to do the job fine because I went out into the eastern Wa state woods a couple weeks ago with rain everyday and it held up well. Just wondering how often I should refinish if i even have too.
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It wont ever need a refinish if you used good poly.
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Poly, Tru Oil, Formbys Tung Oil mix, Shellac, rendered fat and bees wax all work. You will get good and bad points about each. Personal preference is what its all aboout. All will work for common "joe's" just fine. Romance plays a part for some guys. They may want all natural, or they want what the ol' timers used, or one cost more than the other and so on. The best type will never be settled. Your best bet is to simply pick one and learn about it prior to applying. Some need a fresh coat each year, or several times a year, some never need to be touched again. Some stink and some smell MMMMMM good! Warm bee's wax makes me hungry everytime!
it does seem there are numerous finishes that work well. and many folks have a favorite. or sometimes just a matter of convenience(what ya got on hand versus buying something specifically for yr bow)
used tru oil just once, on a rawhide backed bow. cuz i wanted to protect that rawhide well. dont like the shiny finish but it can be eliminated with some 0000 steel wool. made a mixture of bees wax and walnut oil i like quite well. apply it as mentioned previously. warm it, rub and rub, heat lightly with a hair dryer. i keep applying and rubbing till the wood wont absorb any more. the first bow i used this on was done about two yrs ago and is still holding...
recently got in a trade, some bear grease. dude, that bear grease really brings out the color/grain in osage and some of my arrow wood too! liking it lots. but not easy to procure for some.
in fact, josh(gun doc) stopped by bow class last nite(nice to meet ya josh!) and he was talking about using bear grease on a eastern red cedar bow and that he found it had "cured" the wood in such a way that it noticeably improved the performance of the bow. might ask him for more details on that.
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I use spar urethane. I prefer the spray. Jawge
Me too but I dont use the spray the quart can seems to last longer for me.
Josh
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I don't want to hi-jack this thread, but it was a pleasure to meet you Sadie. I always enjoy good conversation. I particularly enjoyed watching the new recruit taking his first tentative passes with the draw knife while making his first bow! I would say he was in good hands, with Wayne's obvious knowledge and skill, he should slinging arrows in no time! Thanx for the hospitality, Josh
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Either spar urethane or tru-oil.