Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: blackpanem on February 15, 2012, 12:01:19 am
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am i able to use polyurethane as a finish on my bow? also if i can will it increase the draw? and if i do, my bow is still a little green, if i put the poly on it will it screw things up?
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I don't know what the experts will say,but I use it at work a lot and I hate It! It adds durability to woods But makes them look plastic imo! I've never put it on one of my bows. I have a can(dated 1950)of Archer raw linseed oil that my grandfather had in his cellar,that's all I've ever used. I wanna add,there's no real smell,no game spooking glare,no shrinkage cracks(see it at work a lot on older thane jobs)and a personal favorite,turns white woods to a subtle orangy/yellow over time. Sorry but I just don't like urathane or any shiny crud on my bows,Ron :P
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Poly will work fine for bow finish. I use satin poly over a Tru-Oil finish to cut the shine.
If yout bow wood is still grean it is not a bow. Its a noodle.Give it time to dry completely. The weight will raise as it dries but if you stress it too much before it is ready you will ruin your bow before you get to enjoy it.
No finish I know of will add draw weight.
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Polyurethane doesn't have to be shiny. I don't really care to have a glossy shine on my bows either (although it totally suits some bows), but wipe-on satin poly is all I use. It's super easy to apply, dries fast, I don't have to worry about drips or runs, and it seals out moisture. But in your case, it would also lock moisture in... I'd let it dry a while yet before putting any type of sealer on it. Ideally it would be seasoned well before beginning the tillering ;)
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Wait. Did you make a bow out of green wood? Not a good idea. You can seal the back but leave the belly alone until the wood is dry. The moisture needs to leave from somewhere. What wood is it? Jawge
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I use polly a lot and find its pretty good with our UK damp climate.
I also wax polish over that if out in the woods for teh weekend, not bow hunting.
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george, its hickory and it IS green. i am way too impatient to let it dry out all the way
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You will learn one day to let it dry.
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As I understand it, that green bow needs to be clamped to something while it dries so it won't warp, twist, and everything else you don't want.
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Twists, warping, horribly sluggish cast, massive set to name a few reasons it should be dry Gary.
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I echo everyone else's opinions about letting the wood dry.
But back to poly-you're-insane. Go for the low gloss or satin. Apply sparingly, allow lots of time for it to cure, touch it up lightly with very fine steel wool between coats, and add lots of coats. Then when you have about a dozen coats on, touch it up again with the fine steel wool to take off any remaining gloss for a nice matte finish. In late winter when you are done hunting for the year and before spring comes with moisture, add a couple more coats of poly, finishing off with that steel wool again. It makes for a durable surface that to some degree discourages the wood from picking up moisture (no finish seals really out humidity).
That's if you want a matte finish for hunting, glossy bows scare game. But if you are building a bow for a target shooter or a wall hanger for a friend that just wants to show off your bows go all in for the glossiest finish you can make! Nothing catches the eye of a non-primitive archer than shiny things!!! >:D For some reason matte finishes turn them off. Make it look like plastic and they don't feel so scared. >:D >:D
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ok thanks everyone, but one more question. how long should i let my next stave dry before i begin to work it? it will probably be either cherry or hickory
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No less than six months in stave form on all white woods.
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ok, because i watched a video on youtube that made said a month or so.... i guess he had no idea what he was talking about
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You can make a bow from tree to bow in two hours if you dont care about performance or longevity. Maybe that guy doesnt care?
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If you seal moisture in your bow you are making a perfect environment for rot. The spores are in the air all the time but it takes a moist environment for them to flourish. After all, it is the job of fungi to eat wood. If it weren't for that the earth would be completely covered with dead wood...and other more repulsive things! ???
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ok thanks everyone, but one more question. how long should i let my next stave dry before i begin to work it? it will probably be either cherry or hickory
Have a good search through the forum about drying wood. It doesnt have to take as long as you think. I find it best to split so that you have half or less in each round. So if its sapling them into half, if its larger then more. I then leave for a week or two outisde under cover. Then i take it down to rough bow dimensions and leave it for a bit again. Then debark, yet again leave it for a week or so. The it comes indoors in my office which runs a few computers all day so its nice dry and warm and leave it for a few more weeks. Then i slowlly work the bow down further and store it indoors between sessions. If you want to know if its still wet then weight the stave, once it stops loosing weight for a few weeks its pretty much dry. Try and do a few staves at a time dont limit your self to one, all eggs in same basket etc.
You can go from green to bow in no time at all but you need to understand what happens when wood dries and how to best control the loss of moisture. Reading and expereince will help with this. But a blanket statement of 6 months or years isnt quite true. Also look of heat box or drying box.
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ok thanks again for the help everyone!
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I have a nice hickory bow that i only cured for 3 weeks before i made the bow ... and it shoots great ... however . I live isweltering hot florida and it sat in my hot dry garage to cure up ... then after maki g it i did not ahoot or seL it for 3 months . ( exept right when i made it ) it now shoots incredible and after about 12 good oil baths over a week ... i just put one coat of poly on it and it looks store baught. ... 2 things i wanna touch on though ... 1 the bow did "snake out on me " and 2 with a hivh gloss finish ... you can rub wax on it and not buff it out while you go hunting ... then once home from hunt you can buff it off and back to a glistening shine . ....
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if you want a shiney bow that is fine.just buy some camo limb covers for when you hunt.you can have the best of both worlds.