Piper, I'd like to know a few of the recipes. I use pitch varnish for sealing sinew wraps on arrows and to seal the shafts. I would even consider using it for bow finishes if it were moisture proof enough. The varnish I use now is just pitch dissolved in alcohol. When the alcohol evaporates it is only the pitch left. I have found if I use soft pitch it takes a while to dry. With hard, brittle pitch it is dry as soon as the alcohol evaporates. For bows I believe just the pitch would be too brittle and would crack when bent.
