I'd like to see some pics and hear about what finishes you use on a hickory self bow. I have used mix wax but looking for something different. Thanks
I use Tru-Oil on all my wood bows. For hunting bows I do a quick spray of satin poly to cut the shine of the Tru-Oil.
I just put a dark brown Rit Dye dissolved in alcoholo a hickory bow. LOL. I should have used some gloves.
I'll finish it with 3 coats of spar urethane sprayed on from an aerosol can.
Jawge
Perry the possibilities are endless. It's wood, so any wood sealer will suffice. It's all up to you and how you want it to look.
You can use polyurethane wood sealers, spar varnish, plain ole varnish, paraffin, bee's wax, furniture wax, bear fat, etc.
I guess I should say that I'm looking to get a darker color. The mid wax stain didn't get very dark. Perhaps I should've applied more coats
Hickory is tough to stain. Dyes work better. Try what George said he did above. Get some brown RIT fabric dye from the grocery store. Dissolve the whole package in 2 cups of denatured alcohol. Stir it very well. Better yet, put it in a mason jar and shake it over and over for an hour. A lot of it will not dissolve. Filter it through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Then apply like you would stain. More coats will make it darker. Definitely wear gloves and old clothes.
Someone mentioned to me that leather dye sowkrs well on hickory also ... but RIT is super easy to gett at the grocery store.
Here is a hickory bow dyed with RIT and finished with tru-oil.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC13934.jpg)
Leather dye is definitely better but as you say, less available and more expensive.
One coloration I like for hickory is finely ground charcoal hand rubbed into the wood. You can use oil or water to help carry the charcoal. I used bear fat and charcoal on a few bows with good results. It darkens the early wood pretty good and the late wood slightly. More of a "wash" than a stain. Test it on a scrap to see if you like the effect.