Help With Cresting

[jmorgan41480]

new to building wood arrows and Im having an issue. here was my process:

straightened arrows
stained with minwax gel stain, dry for 24 hours
mixed a 1 to 1 ratio of mineral spirits and minwax polyurethane satin, dipped 4 coats and allowed 24 hours dry time between coats.
crested arrows with testors enamel, allowed to dry for 12 hours.
mixed 1 to 1 ratio polycrylic and water.
dipped once, looked great allowed to dry 2 hours
dipped second time looked like crap, cresting flaked off
please help.
 

[jmorgan41480]

i would like to seal the cresting but is it needed?

[Tater]

I crest with testors enamel and let dry for 24 hours, then seal over the cresting with straight polycrylic applied with a foam brush, never had a problem. Maybe thinning was the problem, not sure?

[WESTBROOK]

shoulda let the first coat over the cresting dry for 24 hrs. 2 hrs is not near enough, might be dry to the touch but its not fully dried.

[Jack Denbow]

I do about the same as Tater. After cresting with Testors is dry I put the arrow back into the crester and put 2 coats of straight Polycrylic just over the crest, allowing to dry 3 or 4 hours between coats. If you don't put something over the crest the metallic colors (gold and Silver) will smear.
Jack

[jmorgan41480]

ok thanks for the advice guys!
really appreciate the help!
I will give it a try again and let the cresting dry for 24 hours and then let the polycrylic dry for 24.
I will keep you posted

[DerekWB]

I see that this is an old post, but I have a question about the polycrylic. I just finished cresting some carbon arrows with Testors paint. They have been drying for a few days and this afternoon I attempted to clear coat with some wipe on polyurethane I had in the cabinet. It instantly took off the testors paint. First, the metallic silver, then the black and orange after a few more swipes. Would polycrylic have ruined the paint just the same?

I crested over a spray painted white crown.

Thank you in advance!

[Jack Denbow]

Polycrylic is a water based paint and won't bother any other paint. I put the arrow back in the crester and brush 2 coats over the crest.

[Pat B]

I think with all the other sealing coats, one coat over the cresting should be plenty. That is a well sealed shaft.   

[M60gunner]

I have used the waterbased Testors before. I put waterbased Varathane Polycrillic over the crest and cap with no issues.

[Deno]

X2 M60 ^^^^^

Deno

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I am not a pro but here's what I have learned if I am staining I do that first than one dip in Minwax polyurethane Gloss and than I put on my crown dip and I do my crest I use Testors they work best for me more colors to choose from, than I dip in Minwax polyurethane for the second time if I need to do my crest again than I do dip it a third time and done. But since I started doing my arrow with method I haven't has to crest more than a couple time. One of my favorite lesson was from Al Kimery " your just painting wood" 

[DerekWB]

Thank you for the replies everyone! Polycrylic went on very well and I'm now waiting for the fletching glue to set. So are you lightly sanding in between your coats of polyurethane? Also, do you have to thin the poly at all or does it dip nicely straight from the can?

[Benoli]

Very lightly with steel wool between coats works best for me.

[dnovo]

Odd man out here. I've been dipping with Minwax clear poly for years. I use Testors for my cresting but I never bother with a coat of anything of it. I don't have any problems with smearing. I shoot my arrows a lot.

[Eric Krewson]

Another odd man out; I stain the cap with leather dye, put 4 or 5 light coats of Truoil over the stained shaft, crest with water based acrylic craft paint (el-cheapo) from the craft store and seal the cresting in with a couple more coats of Truoil. My cresting never flakes off.

I write the shaft weight and spine on every finished arrow so I can determine the best shooters of the bunch. After I letter I put a couple of light coats of Truoil over my writing with a small brush. I fletch with Duco.

I gave up dip tubes years ago, I never make more than a dozen arrows at a time and usually make only 6. Wiping on the finish is quicker than using a drip tube and without the wasted finish dripping off the shaft.