Tried and True Wood Finish

[jaxenro]

Has anyone tried this on their bows?

Tried and True makes several finishes:
 Danish Oil (polymerized linseed oil)
Varnish Oil (polymerized linseed oil and pine resin)
Original (polymerized linseed oil and beeswax)

that are solvent free, non toxic, and made from 100% natural ingredients. I used the original finish on some miniature furniture I made it dried slowly and stayed feeling waxy but imparted a nice mellow glow to the wood

They have a website but I don't know the rules on posing links

[Marc St Louis]

I have the varnish oil, I got it from Lee Valley.  It takes awhile to dry, why I don't use it often, but the finish is nice

[David Ewing]

I wouldn't use the original. That's more of a bowl finish. Don't think it offers much protection out in the elements.
It does smell really good though. Haha

[jaxenro]

Beeswax and Linseed Oil? Beeswax offers fairly good protection I would think. There are better protective finishes but you could probably eat this stuff without too much harm (no I'm not recommending eating it but like you said it goes on bowls) so it is a good safe alternative for a non toxic shop.

The biggest issue I found with the original is it takes forever to dry. You have to use really thin coats

[loon]

Oil and shellac? Shellac dries really fast.. not as protective though. maybe with wax.

[jaxenro]

Shellac?

[loon]

Sorry, not Tried and True brand

[mathius269]

The most important thing to remember when using Tried & True is to use thin coats and follow the directions on the can. The most common mistake people make is that they over apply it and then wonder why it doesn't cure fast enough. It's a solvent free finish so what you put down on the wood is what will stay on the surface. Most other wood finishes are made of mostly solvents which will evaporate off leaving very little of the applied finish left on the surface. If you apply it correctly, you'll find that it won't take more than 24 hours for the finish to cure. I would use either the Varnish Oil or the Original Wood Finish on bows. Both provide protection against liquids, but the Varnish Oil is a little better at being scratch resistant.