Holmegaard Bow help!

[apg]

So I'm finishing up my first real bow, and had some questions.

TILLER - Does the tiller scream any huge problems or do you guys think it's okay for a first attempt?

STAINING - I'm going to stain it for hunting - I'd like black I think. Is there any ancient methods to stain shagbark hickory?

SEALING - I am going to use bees wax - do you all think that makes sense or should I use something more modern you think?

HANDLE - I am going to use a piece of leather with a glove cross stitch on the back to pull it tight. Should I glue the leather to the wood also so it doesn't slip?

Thanks!

[mikekeswick]

The tiller could do with a few tweaks but for a first it is pretty good.
Some traditional black stains are charcoal, lamp black (soot) or trout eye juice!
tung oil is very easy to apply and very water resistant.
Yes glue the leather as well.
You should blend the riser into the limbs better. Check out some 'bow of the month' pics to see how the handle fades should look.

[stuckinthemud]

Ebonising with ferric acid is fun. Ferric acid is rust dissolved in white wine vinegar (malt vinegar works too), its great for cleaning old nails and screws but most people dissolve wire wool instead. If the wood is low in tannin you can flood it with tea first to boost the tannin levels.  The chemical reaction takes a couple of minutes so experiment on an off-cut to see how it works and if you like it. Since it is a chemical reaction in the timber its pretty hard to get rid of if you don't like it....

[WillS]

I think this is in the wrong section 

[Stick Bender]

I was exspermenting last week end with a stain for hickory I tried this Varathane Ebony its almost black not ancient but stains hickory really well I think Im going a little lighter but it is a interesting color !

[BowEd]

If your bows' back is a muscled up corragated type look from the bark popping off during the sap flow a light sanding over the high spots after dyeing makes a wonderful camoflauged look.I used leather dye on mine.Looks like the bow may have been plucked right from the tree.I've done a couple bees wax finished bows.It's a very waterproof type finish if enough bees wax is melted onto and into the wood with a hair dryer or heat gun.As good as anything if not better.A number of other advantages using bees wax.Scratches repair easily also.Dirt and dust can accumulate later too.Only adds to the petina in my mind.Depending on useage of the bow a good paste wax layer buffing occasionally is a good idea too.Disadvantages to bees wax is that no other finish will  be able to be put on securely in the future.
PS...You will taper your handle fade though right?

[apg]

This is all great! Thank you so much. I've worked the handle down over night, and it's better. It was god awful - I agree with you all there!

I'm looking into stains. I think I'm going to try a black leather stain, even though it's not natural, it should look nice, and quite camoflauged for hunting.

I'll post a photo when I'm done!

Thanks so much.

[Pat B]

If you are going to use an oil finish you can mix finely ground charcoal with cooking oil and hand rub it into the wood. The heat from the hand rubbing helps it penetrate. It's not a solid stain or dye but the charcoal dust goes into the grain and helps break up the stark white color. After doing this give it a few days and use your finish over it.