Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: The Gopher on August 05, 2013, 03:25:02 pm
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I've tried the search function so either i'm doing something wrong or its not out there yet.
I've done CA finished on other woodworking (non-bending) projects so i am familiar with the process, i am just wondering if anyone has done it on a bow? I am wondering if the CA will be too brittle over time and crack or flake off? I just have no idea what happens to CA when its under a bending stress, thanks, dan.
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Dan I know Artsy seals his sourwood shafts with it. They are works of art.
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It works fine on a bow Gopher. You can load up a piece of foam or use a paper towel to apply/spread. Slight learning cure here. If you happen to apply another finish over the SG finish later then be sure to scuff/sand well .....Art B
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when i have used it on other projects i just put a drop on the piece and rub it around smooth and thin with my finger (latex gloves of course) CA doesn't stick to latex gloves. one drop goes a long way. i'm going to do this tonight, let you know how it goes.
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Interesting. I was wondering about trying that on fir shafts, thinking it would add mass and strength. I would like to see a bow finished in CA.
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i'll take some pictures of the process
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doesn't Gordon use it on skins?
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A buddy of mine uses superglue on the back of most of his bows and those things are like glass when he's
done sanding and polishing.
But he has the patience for that. I don't!
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First thing that crossed my mind: That stuff aint cheap! That's an expensive finish for a whole bow.
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Never heard of Ca glue finish.I have heard of Epoxy cut with acetone for a finish.Its commonly called the Massey finish,after Jay Massey who made it popular.
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I have tried that on a small, light minibow pulling #20 @12"... locust heartwood.
It didn't work well. i wound up with my middle finger stuck to the bow... and it was rather painful to remove... at least my hand was dirty. Lesson- don't use thick CA glue.
On a better note- I have finished a bow with TB2 mixed with a little water. It did not crack, or anything, but it wasn't easy to apply and looked no better than urathane... and it scratched wayy too easily.
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I've used it on bows and works well but kind of expensive. It's best to use the medium thick stuff so it doesn't dry too fast, I use a plastic baggy to spread. Depending on the stain you use under the glue, it can turn candy apple red. cheers fiddler49
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I love a CA Glue Finish.
On anything but a bow.
I tried it over snake skins and it was Beautiful on an Osage Molly.
Until I began shooting the finished bow.
After 30 shots the finish was cracked or crazed over the full length of both limbs.
I did many water thin coats with sanding about every third or fourth coat.
Rubbed out with Rottenstone and Lindseed oil.
I will not go that route again...
I question CA Glue's tension strength.
-gus
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Darn, i should have checked in again before starting, now the reviews are mixed, oh well first cost Is on we'll see how this goes.
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A superglue finish when done properly looks amazing. A friend of mine makes custom knifes and uses it. I'm awaiting the pictures.
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Jusr remember there are many different types of superglue - it will be worth perserveering to find the right stuff and then perfecting your technique applying it.
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One bottle of GOOD glue will go a long, long ways. Its amazing how far a few good drops will spread. Ive never done a whole bow. Ive done a section or two. And a few tropical wood risers and such. CA glue will not only do a nice finish, but it also seals oils back in woods and allows a conventional poly to be used. I suggest Loctite Professional. About 8-9 bucks a bottle.
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It cost me .99 cent to double coat my last bow. Now that Wally World has raised their 4 pack up to a $1.29 I may have to look around for something cheaper >:D..........Art B
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I put a second coat on this morning and after some coffee it was dry, that is a nice perk of this finish. I strung it up and pulled back several times, at first i thought i heard some crackling but if I did it stopped after the first pull, everything was quiet and i couldn't see any cracks in the finish, we'll see if it holds up over time, i think i'll go one more coat this evening.
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Heres my one and only experience with it. It was on this years trade bow. The Milksnake and osage. Im sure it works well but I made a booboo to start with and I think thats why it turned out the way it did.
I was told at OJAM this year by a very experienced bowyer that he uses it on the backs of his snake skins and that it will fill up the little pockets in the scales, so I tried it. Wipe on a coat, let it dry, lighlty sand it with 400 grit and then apply again a time or two. Idea was to fill in the scale pockets and even it out. I did this, It looked stellar. I let it dry for a day and cure. I then strung it and pulled it a few times. What is that milky look? I was in panic mode cause this bow went from perfect finish to totally unacceptable in no time flat. The finish was delaminating from the skins and creating tiny air pockets. I thought it had ruined the skins. I was devistated, I was almost ready to cash it in and start on another bow. No way was I sending that thing out looking like that, no matter how good it shot. I called my buddy Jimmy for advise and he said bring it over and we'll take a look at it. He scrapped some off with his finger nail and we decided that we could scrap it off and start over without ruining the skin. We made the save. It turned out ok. What I failed to include in the begining of this story is that I had already applied a couple coats of tru oil to the bow. I think that CA did not stick well to the tru oil once flexed and thats what allowed for the delamination. So lesson learned and I will try it again, next time on a pure back with out other finshes on it.
Just my two cents Danny
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Art, have you had problems with it crackling on a bow?
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Danny that is great insight.
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Dan, I realize it is too late for you, but I may as well add my experience. My one and only selfbow with ca looked great initially, than over time it started to chip and flake in areas. I wont use it again.
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No, I've not had any cracking (or chipping or flaking) Gopher. I think these guys are referring to coating snake skins. I don't use SG on skins. For myself, Tite-bond glue works well enough for that. I use the cheap runny stuff, never a problem with it. Not counting stuck fingers of course. As was mentioned, lots of different type SG out there. What I use (cheap Wally World stuff) works great for what I do........Art B
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I tried it over snake skins and it turned a beautiful prairie rattler backing into a frosted backing. That was before flexing it. The back looked like a frozen snake.
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I was thinking about this CA glue finish and recalled how it discolors yew sapwood. When filling checks, knots and thread wraps, I have noticed CA glue discolors the white sapwood, making it bright yellow/green.
I have used it over snake and sturgeon skin in the past, but I have switched to shellac for skins. In my opinion, shellac is a much better option than CA glue for that purpose. It can fill the voids and even it out, just like CA glue. It might take 10 coats to achieve a smooth finish that you can get with 3 coats of CA glue, but you can do 10 coats of shellac in an hour, so it is not as bad as it might sound. And you can use just about any finish over the shellac. Just my .02
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If you google search: superglue finish on a bow, you will get links to how to articles.
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I don't think all CA glues are created equal, I have some CA glue that states on the package it dries white. I have used it on some fletchings and the glue did turn white where I accidentally got some on the shaft where there was no fletching.
Grady
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I agree, a CA Glue finish is the Tops for me.
I've posted several walking sticks with it.
The Osage Hawk handle, Hot Sticks and Cholla Bowie I posted were all CA Glue finishes.
But the Osage Molly was Heart Breaker...
Heck I hope it works out for you...
Please post your results.
I Have been re reading Gordon's Winter Project for inspiration.
In it he uses a Lite coat of CA Glue to lock the snake skin scale pockets down after removing the scales, before he applies his finish.
Not the many thin coats I tried...
At least that's the way it reads to me...
But heck perhaps I did something wrong... :)
-gus
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does a thinned epoxy finish help hold down splinters?
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does a thinned epoxy finish help hold down splinters?
NO
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Here's a link to that build along that Gordon did. He did a great job of explaining and showing his process. Note that both the CA and hide glue being used were made by Titebond.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,30667.0.html
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Got the bow done. at least the finish, I'm working on the handle now. The CA finish turned out pretty good so far, i was having trouble getting a nice even thin coat before it started to dry, so there are spots that weren't real smooth. Not a real big deal since it was kind of shiny anyway i knocked it down with some steel wool and that took off the shine and smoothed it out. We'll see if the finish holds up after some shooting.
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does a thinned epoxy finish help hold down splinters?
NO
ok thanks... jute fiber it is then.
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heres the bow done with CA finish, 3 coats.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,41860.0.html
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_131113_606_zps169e9b58.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_131113_606_zps169e9b58.jpg.html)
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No pics