I just finished up several bows and they turned out great. One td recurve and two td longbows. I use Fullerplast and they came out a little too glossy. Any recommendation to knock down the shine? thank you!
Did you spray it with gloss or satin?
satin I think... shoot I'll look when I head home.
Satin is what I used, but it was sometimes a little too shiny for me, so on my last coat or two, I would hold the gun back and not completely wet it... not dust it... but not completely wet it either. And after it was dry it would be more dull.
You can use 0000 steel wool to knock the shine down, or use water and a rubbing compound or rottenstone and it does a REALLY nice job too. There are other ways too I'm sure, but these are a few things to consider.
Dean Torges gave me a method using a catalyzed varnish that used flattening paste in the last coat, turning up the spray gun pressure to get a diffuse mist and dusting it for a flat finish. Made a great hard finish that was dull and great for a hunting bow.
using lacquer flattening paste was really nice because you could make the final coats as dull as you wanted. as flat as a chalkboard was possible with flattening paste. we cannot buy flattening paste in Ohio any more because of all the ridiculous clean air laws. for the last couple of years I've been spraying a couple of finish coats of the solvent based (not acrylic/water borne) Rustoleum or Valspar matte finish from an aerosol can. it adheres well to the (thoroughly sanded) catalyzed epoxy finish I use and is quite durable in its own right. no compatibility issues with the epoxy, produces a nice low sheen finish and is easy.
Thanks to all.. Where do I get that flattening paste? Do you just mix it with fullerplast or is it a spray on its own? thanks again,
a paint store that sells commercial paint products. not Lowes or Home Depot. probably a 50/50 chance that you can even buy it in your state. stir into your catalyzed varnish along with a little solvent. determining how much to use requires some experimentation.
I use #0000 steel wool. Gives a matte look though.
Lou