looks great roy.

Roy...those are going to be pretty when you bring the bow outta them.

I've read about you using it..never knew EXACTLY what kind you used till now.

I've read about "tung" oil a bit. My worry is..well I'm not ROUGH on my bows but I do hunt with them, and I often hunt in pretty dense woods. I try to be careful but scratches happen.

Neither am I a fair weather hunter..I hunt when I can regardless.

So I'm drawn to the tougher poly's.

All that said..I do find your type of finishing interesting.

Right now I'm battling a bad situation. The only warm room I have to finish is also a wood shop....too much dust floating around. My "dust free" areas are about 40˚. I may end up having to steel wool and and recoat this one in the summer when my dust free areas are warm.

While researching tung oil and other finishes last night I cam across Watco exterior wood oil. Sounds like it may be a tougher tung oil type finish.

...ever try it?

Never heard of watco. And a bow isn't a bow till ya get a couple scratches on it..  

I like a plastic finish too.  But much of my bowmaking is done in the depths of winter in an unheated garage.  I use Watco danish oil or teak oil in the same manner as Roy describes for tung oil.  

It is a pretty finish, smells great and can be applied anywhere, anytime.  When conditions allowed and intended use warranted, I have applied poly over oil finishes on bows.  Particularly for ones I have made for week long backpack hunts out west.  

I have no problem using oil finished bows in the worst of weather for day hunts back home.  You can apply subsequent coats to freshen up the finish whenever you like.

Thanks Guys.

I do have some teak oil around..only used it on some steering wheels though.

...well time to start thinking about the next one...lol

john
i used to build commercial park benches and used
watco exterior oil and it was pretty tough stuff

Ah crap, now I gotta go buy some to try it..  

lol    

Bamboo...Is it a wipe on / wipe off type finish like ting or linseed oil?

Or do you HAVE to put on an even coat in the beginning?
I like the idea of flooding the wood and wiping off the excess..

What is ting oil?

I put on rubber gloves and flood the bow with tung oil. Wait 6 or 7 minutes and wipe it off, the first pass down the bow with a dry rag will be very tuff sledding. But after the initial pass, it's just like buffing wax off a car.

Ting oil is the fat finger way of spelling tung.

I was going to start on a new bow this morning but woke up with a savage flu so feel like crap , and we had about 10'' of rain last night causing couple land slips in the area. Six months of non stop drought and then 2 months rain in one night, gotta love this place.

Going to make some fine looking risers there Roy.

john
I looked it up [been a long time!]
but I remember the finish guys would all but mop it on and another guy would rub it down--then it was another coat the next day--it took a special breed to work the finish dept!!lol--the fumes from some stuff were unreal!![not watco!]

http://danish-oil.com/how-to-apply-danish-oil/

Sounds like a plan.

Thanks Mike

Have a PC I built when I ran my business coming in to work on.  I still warranty my work.  This happens from time to time.

Been shooting my trade bow that is in the works right now. I am pleased with how it shoots. Been thinking of starting my next bow soon as well. This one is staying put for once. Gonna make me a short R/D bow for this fall season!! Bocote under clear glass. Got a chunk of bocote and wenge for the riser and some natural color phenolic for the accent.

One or two radius is the only question... Decisions decisions????

That'll be pretty.

Today was a kids day...finally didn't have to work a saturday.
Got out the playdough and a glow in the dark drawing kit with my daughters, made powered paper airplanes with my son, watched the girls put on a dance/music show..lol..it was a good day.

Tonight I'm planning the next bow...

Dang that Bocote is unreal

Just glued up a bocote bow, bocote riser with a curly maple accent for last years St Judes auction kids bow....(had trouble deciding on woods)

Today I realized I'm getting old.  I was shooting that latest longbow I made for myself which is 58# and wasn't doing so hot.  Came back in and grabbed my 53#er and shot good.

At this rate, I just hope I can still shoot bow that's legal for deer when I reach Roy and Kenny's age.