Sealer for BBI bows?

[Tim B]

I have just finished a BBI except for the sealer and was wondering what you guys are using besides tung oil for a finish? Living in California is something like linseed oil enough or do you think other choices would be better?

[Dano]

Tung Oil wood be good, Tru oil even better. Even in Calif. you need to keep moisture out. I know "It never rains in California" it's actually So. Nevada where it never rains. 

[Tim B]

I'm assuming that I put it on in light coats, say 3 or 4 letting it dry in between? This is the bow I posted a while ago that had the bamboo separate from the Ipe in the handle area. I had to use a knife to separate the bamboo from the Ipe and scrape the boo and Ipe flat again and start all over again with a new handle design but it seems to work pretty good now. I'll post pictures after it is sealed to see what you guys think.

[Justin Snyder]

I like the spray poly. It works great and it is easy.

I think the biggest problem you will have with sealers in California is finding one that isn't banned because it "is known it the state of California to cause cancer." 

[rossfactor]

I don't know about never rains in CA, get about 90 inches a year in Cazadero.
 

[Tim B]

We don't get a whole lot of rain here in Ventura but it does come down in the mountains where I hunt. Does the poly work without cracking after the bow is drawn over time?

[mullet]

 Tim,  Yep, no problem.

[Dano]

Ventura!! I used to work the oil fields in Ventura, man I love that town. We had some wells on the Rincon too. You know I forgot I have been useing a finish lately called Defthane, comes in a satin spray that works real well too.

[Tim B]

Wow small world eh? I hunt in the mountains behind Ojai that you probably visited a time or two while you were here maybe. Is Defthane the manufacture name of the finish?

[Dano]

Yep a small world it is. Deft is the manufacturer, Defthane is the name of the product.

[Tim B]

Thanks Dano, I do appreciate the info. Now to look it up on the web and see where to get it. Another thing I can't seem to get right is this dying the bamboo with RIT dye. I scraped off the rind and tried to die a sample piece of boo but the stain seems to stay on top instead of soaking into the wood. It streaks instead of rubbing in. What am I doing wrong here?

[Gordon]

I use an alcohol based leather dye for staining bamboo - it works great.

[Tim B]

Thanks Gordon, do you get it at a shoe or craft store? Any brand seem to work better for you than others? Your bows always look so nice and uniform in color and that is what I am trying to achieve here as well.

[Justin Snyder]

Craft stores usually have it, as does almost any other store that sells leather supplies.

[ZanderPommo]

i like tru-oil
6-10 coats with 00 steel wool or 1500 micrimesh between coats
only thing is if you got cocobolo in your riser the tru-oil never dries, i even had trouble getting it to dry after a rub down w/acetone, really oily wood