I am planning to build a bow again this year at the TN Classic (will likely be a hickory self bow), and I ran into a bit of a problem last year that I am hoping to be prepared for this year.
Due to the time of year, the chance of rain is pretty high. It was so wet and humid last year that I wasn't able to shoot the bow I built because I didn't have a chance to give it any protection from the weather. Even leaving it stringed under cover for a few minutes caused it to take a little bit of a set.
This year I am planning to take some sealer with me, but I'm not sure what to take. Will something like Tru-Oil or Tung-Oil dry quickly enough for me to apply a few coats in an afternoon? I have used the spray spar-urethane in the past as well, but I don't think that will dry fast enough either.
What about a CA coat?
The plan is to hopefully be able to apply it late in the afternoon or evening on Saturday to be able to shoot it on Sunday.
Any tips or suggestions? Thanks!
A couple of methods come to mind, first is teak oil mixed with a good amount of japan dryer, just one really good soaking coat, let stand for a half hour then wipe it down should be ready overnight also an even quicker way is a product like sunwax or even satin wax just a couple of coats should do it just make sure all rests strike plates or anything that needs to be glued is on first. Sunwax is also uv resistant, just reapply when needed.
I use tongue oil a lot on bows and arrows. You need the tongue oil that you wipe on and wait 6 to 8 minutes and buff off, just like waxing a car. You could shoot it right after you buff it off. This type of tongue oil is not 100% water proof though. So you could apply a coat of furniture wax to the bow after you buff it off for extra protection. But it would be good enough to get you through the weekend.
Being hickory you may want to seal your bow with a good oil based stain first. That would help somewhat. Hate the look of white hickory myself. Let dry overnite and apply a coat a Tru-oil early that morning. You could probably fast dry it with a heat gun and be shooting within an hour or so. ART
Thanks for the ideas gang, I hate the thought of not being able to shoot but even worse would be ruining a bow before I got to shoot it :D
You can almost bet it will rain at the Classic. This will be the 13th year and it has rained at all 12 before. Pappy has hot boxes and a hot cabinet so you should be able to get a few coats of finish on your bow. I don't think I'd put wax on it because that would inhibit any other finish later. I think I would use tung oil or linseed oil and get as many hand rubbed applications as I could, leave the bow in the hot box when not in use and carry a soft rag with whatever oil you use in a baggie when you are out shooting, in case it rains on you.
Shellac is a good sealer that will dry fast. Make sure it isn't past its shelf life.
I've used the following for demonstrations that span the course of a day or weekend, especially when weather is a factor:
1) Beeswax...rub over the bow, then gently warm over heat source (I like a fire reduced to coals). The wax will almost instantaneously melt, allowing you to rub it into the wood.
2) SnoSeal...it's a leather footwear waterproofing product. It's mostly beeswax, but contains some silicone.
3) Paste wax, followed by some Birchwood-Casey Gunstock Wax
4) Mink Oil
I like option best in the order they are listed for this type of application/situation. Hope this helps!
In "Hunting the Osage Bow", Torges performs an experiment and found Paraffin Wax had the best moisture protection; however, it had the worst durability.
I think Shellac would be a good choice it came in second I believe (good moisture barrier and easy application) and it works great as a base for any other kind of finish later.
The good thing about shellac is it can be removed easily if you want to later or any other finish will go right over it.
I'll third the shellac. It drys very fast. It can go on pretty thick and be rubbed back in 20 or thirty minutes. You can put a water base stain under it if yur so inclined.
Have used Tru Oil over the shellac with good results. One coat of tru oil over a coat or two of shellac is like four or five coats of tru oil alone. Even in high humidity, a single coat of tru oil should be ok to shoot in about two hours. second and third coats seem to go a bit slower though.
The shellac can be lightly sanded to be removed right? Lightly as in not enough to drastically effect bow weight but removed enough to add another finish?
Also, I was afraid to put a bow that still had some wet finish on it back into the hot box... I would hate for it to rub off on someone else's bow. Is there anything I can wrap it in to protect other bows that will still let it dry?
Thanks for all the tips.
Chris
Shellac will dry fully in minutes. It can be lightly sanded and then about any finish can be put on top. Think of it as a sander-sealer.
what about floor paste wax?