My bow finish is a mix. I use the mix because it's consistency can be tweeked for the weather in different parts of the country or the time of year. I started out with pitch/grease/wax but also use the grease and wax. I usually start with the 2 recipe,s below and tweek to suit my fancy from there.
!. 1 part pitch to 2 parts grease, then add bees wax untill it's the consistencey of canned shoe polish. After it,s applied it will feel gummy, but if you wipe it down and "buff" it in some it dries hard on the surface (hard to the touch) This will also give the wood a dark brown "smoked" color if your using white woods.
2. Melt beeswax and add grease of about equal parts, then tweek the cooled texture by adding more or less grease or wax. The idea is to have the stuff not be runny when it's hot weather and not to hard when it's cold....depends on your location. Cold up here can be severely below zero but a lot warmer in the south or west. This mixture is basically clear and will not much color.
I start the same on my shorty self bows....get the stuff hot and melted and I stick both ends right down in the mix and they will bubble up like a "fizzy" tablet. about 30 seconds per end.then brush the hot liquid all over the bow and rub in with a cloth. I usually do this twice. Once it's buffed out go over the whole thing with the heat gun and re=rub as you go....set it aside till cooled off (the wood that is) then buff untill dull or warm gently with the heat gun to give it a high gloss like soit shined shoes. Touch ups are done with the original "wipe-down" rag and heat gun.
anyways thats how I do it, and mine see a lot of rain, sleet and snow. Hope that helps some
rich
