Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: snowplow on October 22, 2015, 10:28:15 am
-
Hey guys, I think I'm past the point of danger with the vine maple bow I'm making for my boy. I am not all that familiar with whitewood bows. No color and no obvious grain really. Anybody got some ideas on finishes to make this look good?
-
Sometimes a light stain like pecan or golden oak is just enough to highlight the grain. Depends how dark you want it.
-
Heat treating can also bring out the grain on the belly, depending on the wood.
-
Dye and or dyes ;)
-
Alcohol based leather dye works well as well as Rit Dye diluted in Alcohol. Hand rubber charcoal powder will bring out the grain but can be a bit messy to apply. Most bow finishes will work over any of these dyes or stains.
-
They all work depends on what you want I've used dark walnut which isn't super dark and then used brown rit to do a fade
-
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/kid%20bow/20150811_153627_zpstu6lb1cx.jpg) (http://s623.photobucket.com/user/bubncheryl/media/kid%20bow/20150811_153627_zpstu6lb1cx.jpg.html)
Here's a pic of a maple bow as described before
-
To me, dying or staining a bow is like modernizing a classic car, it makes me cringe >:D but there's no doubt some dye or stain can take a boring looking wood and make it beautiful.
-
Thanks for the ideas!
-
A vinegaroon stain looks good on whitewood.
Grady
-
i grease them burnish and in time they age. a pure white bow made of American elm has gone from pure white to a tannish/yellowish with a toasted belly .took about a month.love the looks of it now. to make it pretty i burnt in some decorations on the belly side.sometimes i stain the tips.i like decorating the belly more than anything. gives me something nice to look at in between shooting.if it looks all glassy shiney. i dont like it. any colorations i use are natural . like walnut husks, poke berries, trumpeter vine flowers, grass, stuff like that. i dont like my bows to look too walmartish.Tony
-
A bees wax finish puts a nice ligh honey color. Plus it's quick, easy, and is still the natural color of the wood, as in no stains or dyes. Unless Im finishing something with a skin or cloth backing I've gone to using beeswax/grease for finishing bows. There's no drying time so as soon as you get it worked in and polished up, your done.
Kyle
-
Cool idea, I'll look into that. I've not seen beeswax done.
-
I use wax finish for indoor work, how durable is it for outdoor use?
-
I like the way aniline dye highlights the grain on white wood bows, especially on hickory. On maple, I like to steel wool it. Gives it an antique look. It also dries fast mixed with denatured alcohol.
Love the stain job on your maple bow, bubby.
-
Here is a vine maple bow I finished off with some golden oak (lightly rubbed) then 4 coats of spray on spar varnish. I use Tru oil exclusively now and would do the stain again. It sure made it pretty. And as you know, vine maple is as white as snow.
Patrick
(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w668/lebhuntfish1/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-12/20141204_194417_zpsagrmwcby.jpg) (http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/lebhuntfish1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-12/20141204_194417_zpsagrmwcby.jpg.html)
-
bubby! that is a nice bow. love the fades.
-
For long term use im not sure how well it lasts but, you can always rub more in as you see the need. When I first tried it I put the bow under the sink to see how the water beads off and it does very well, especially if you burnish the wood after waxing it.
Kyle
-
I like the dyes best. Stains work fine, but it seem really hard to build depth of color with. On a harder wood you get what you get on your first pass.
On a wood that has very little grain, If I'm trying to make it as figured as possible, I take an oil, acetone, or alcohol based dye and wipe over the whole thing with a medium color, like walnut. I let it sit, then actually wipe it off with a rag just damp with solvent, or a less volatile solvent. Then, I let it dry well, and wipe it with a rag wet with water, which raises the grain. THEN I rub that all down with fine or medium-fine steel wool. This takes off a lot of the base color, and leaves a bit in the grooves, winter rings, nooks, and crannies. Then go over it again with the same stuff, or a lighter color. It just gives depth and variance to the shades.
This works with stains, but not as well as dyes.
I also flame bellies to bring out grain, and things like damp coffee grounds can put some color in.
-
Just use lard/pig grease and rub it into your bow and burnish the back with a glass bottle. Use charcoal powder or a natural earth pigment with the lard/pig grease and it will show the grain. A very nice and simple primitive finish that is very effective. Just rub lard into your bow say an hour before you take it outside every time. Best thing I have ever used as a finish and cheap.
-
The thing I like about whitewoods like vine maple is that they make a great blank canvas for your creativity. I never want to mar the beautiful wood on a yew bow and so I always leave them plain. But when I make a vine maple bow I go to town on the paints and stains because I have nothing to lose. Here are a few examples of my vine maple finishes. I like the fiebing's leather dyes the best.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6948_zpsbe8e3d2e.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/I5seEUyN2ir8vSKdxEMGoFS08MeiUJaij6IanKz-keOOHhTJ78EDvs-h3kSqUOplF8GRNuIOcwpDMmQ7syNW2mwtK1-XJX_SZ4T7LItlA0JXljgeoljEX4B6dIPI_8sa8GQk10FHQeqyzY28xPyiMi7D6YNwV-28g6EM0pVQVYX25NRkUAm-mKBZ_69J33Svt3YVIKw_XHeVBZcJCqbsbsQZI4Erfzasu5aZNyB4usISRiDPnSLhWAWJYocpgp_z2hXbzX7luxSyPVsxSCN9QrR_ZyH60mXTWVXahC3_mmUUMjLUKEW1jgkxprup6czn_2HwGNkxrNKrGbE0BCMPKGqd_4cI8n6qAN34_Zgxcxxq-LJ2DcJAE5ND7U2ap0RB-hAXndAnAizKAoFXw9YG1RBZuDZT3XQs2YTO-sVakXcJO8OzM1UsheqgRFVtvRO7MTXsRl7E4pMG2bOa6pTu89FHM2aZ9lMc_Ngftc_MvaRYBH42-M3vyYNl9BHXhjrB5NmvoQBftPD96RqLpNy42ujGOw-QN1He02fFCO0tseY=w501-h667-no)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0g2SzOMYepyw_7oCujrO7eFkKAGCO7IsNOUBDLBcIfUDrjsOHJ76V3PD7K_63jitzh06lu1mrpfPV_bIf0FsU3q0ZfwU5wZXTdLwNnc5aukIMOgWxBwiIKCn7wkyPHXLQXeePntX5O4RBbJkdxx2K9huupAXeuov5E1Iaf5KEbCuhttDWxwvUCEs4gkYa3WkcvK_FYMCRwwkRxOKGz4XoSbZfjYKifxag4cNtbkdYOgdhleMB2SYH1sLYcAmB1VbvTrhWflADxuVTj1HzzIgmn52uQV8pFS37U3GAw76zQ2_-Qm_wmuKtnVW8HcH1y3HWAN13ehfAh1tYpq5Haxf63dLf3_w7ks36WCaBpaxN7oym9bmFYd9cqVS9z6hrGsEfkGiwTGnNNt5e_hvJyKQpX7QmMk_hRF0DJdz9nqlAvjcz3Tv47XoeHg00my0Zq11oZE242l8KESi91o8qMQcntfvfT263mty6Ca22kogbQCT9zg61IReW0JM91Z2R7d_XlZiyf3WKE6R_Q__lR3bHV_byQ5nbVtkV4CLWqgumOw=w501-h667-no)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tAj-MYuDhO_usx1vAbQ2WaywpuTMZgC_ezvTaihvvv1_YvOFniU5pH_TwvtFuvYCfKJHcj7Rcq7BKYXzWEinLRz33qc7fvT-aIpNmt2yaRVS9tHk5vl3Hw0sX6M5kNJS9Dpo86oNj5LY8PHza3f_UJJKD334HJt2n5lyD7zjfjL2kX-dcMppLDdBCPtY2PG0JP9S2XnH1rfux4xNuJnJm_EBXtDIaHGnErVmxYxsT4xGw8EqPfheSPTg_PR1grlLjY-XFJonnk8E136oKfYhYwK9XBZp3sBFIsYZfT2BfiQkf1-T7kr7nfCILYJQxJBk8iLSn7avSVE6Bi9BVykg7Bet1WLmcicOE3NYzIKp-mTYCg7_Sl9RGXZZnS6GRz7chkM7Bgq-c-27kOTfkAVfG19qpxxohuzkqn2zeN7LqIS_Cr9vPBQlvBrSOs_qE9U2VkBdtxXkpadZeJmr0CGeFG7JfaGywHdI6i1Kourcnnsdi5PFE9dhYqFRhlu2N60f1T3jTAp-R6lq2TSuyn_5adb0shfGDyJpFK4X8eELBIs=w501-h667-no)
-
Been on a green rit dye diluted with alchol kick,kinda looks like frog skin.
-
Forgot to add first I put on black let dry,then wipe down with a damp rag, then add green let dry and a light wipe down with a not so damp rag.the black highlights the grain.here's a red one,both elm.
-
Sometimes whitewoods look best plain when you get a deep finish on them. This was 6 or 7 thin coats of teak oil varnish on hackberry. Maple is a bit more plain though...
(http://i.imgur.com/oYfa9Oh.jpg)
-
I always like seeing the different finishes shown. Gives me ideas for my next bow. This one is hickory with Golden Brown and Honey Amber aniline dyes.
(http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo207/okdoak/Wooden%20bows/hickory1_zps1424a8e4.png)
-
Wow thank you so much for the ideas guys. Beautiful bows! You have my wheels turning!..
-
PS is there anymore pics of the green rit? I think that sounds pretty cool.