Poll: Gloss or Satin?

[kbear]

Hi all. I am in a bit of a quandary. I have a couple of bows nearing completion, and I got to thinking......... Hmmm mm........ Tung oil, or Tru Oil; Satin or gloss? And now, it seems I have thought about it too much, and can't decide.

I know what you are thinking...... Why not have both?

Well, as much as I like Tacos, I want to know what y'all think!

Oh, the bows....... Two Osage self bows, a Mulberry self bow, and a Hickory backed with black walnut veneer.....

And yes, I will post them when they are eventually finished!

[Pat B]

All of my bows have Tru-Oil finishes. A few I leave glossy but most I spray satin poly over the Tru-Oil to cut the shine. These are intended for hunting.

[SLIMBOB]

If I'm hunting with 'em then satin.  Some are done with a gloss....so both depending on my mood.

[bradsmith2010]

I like gloss,, then I just wax them and leave it on for hunting,, but satin is nice too, ok Im confused

[gutpile]

all mine are satin only...gut

[Woodely]

Apparently a lot of hunters use satin because gloss can give off a reflection which may scare off the deer.

[Dances with squirrels]

All of mine are satin Thunderbird.

[bradsmith2010]

Im usually the one that scares off the deer,,,,,,

[Danzn Bar]

It depends......hunting satin....3D gloss
DBar

[bentstick54]

5 or 6 coats of tru oil, followed by a couple of light coats of satin spray poly for all my bows. I never know which one I will want to shoot for what purpose. They all go hunting, and all shoot 3D.

[Hamish]

A really nice option for osage/mulberry is garnet shellac, it brings out the colour in osage. Steel wool in between coats knocks down the shine to a soft lustre. You can also polish it up to a glossier finish with a coat of shellawax polish.

Another finish worth considering is paraffin wax. Rub it on and melt it in with a heat gun. A nice satin finish on any type of wood, white or dark. Both shellac and paraffin were rated in tests to be the top finishes in regards to stopping reabsorption of moisture.

Whitewoods I prefer a white shellac finish, rather than coloured.

For varnish finishes, gloss is usually much tougher than matt or satin. So give the bow a couple of coats of gloss, then if you want a satin finish apply a couple of coats of satin varnish on top.

[Msturm]

Gloss. Paste wax before hunting to cut the glare if need be.

[kbear]

Wow Hamish, thanks again mate. Some good tips right there! I really like the look of shellac, but worry about marks being left from grubby hands et al. Parrafin is a great idea, and cheap too! But alas I have already got the Tung and TruOil.

I think I'm gonna go with a couple coats of Tung to waterproof, followed by a few coats of Tru to gloss. Then as some of you pointed out, I can rub some wax over them to dull, for hunting if needs be.

Thanks all for your input. My brain doesn't hurt so much now........

[willie]

Gloss. Paste wax before hunting to cut the glare if need be.

I agree as I remember reading the gloss is a more mechanically substantial finish, than the same product with the matte additives. sorry, I could not find the link.

[Pat B]

Gloss is a lot stronger than a matt/satin finish but a quick spray of satin poly over the gloss finish will cut the shine without weakening the finish. I use Tru-Oil which is a linseed oil finish and the satin poly is compatible. Even when finishing hardwood floors usually 2 applications of gloss poly first for the strength and satin over that to soften, appearance wise, the finish. Some bows like Bill's(Danzn bar) turkey feather backing absolutely need a glossy finish to add to the flash of the feathers.