I used the wrong top coat, so what to use.

[Bruce M]

For the first time I am purdying' up a set of arrows for 3-d and stumping and also just because I want to.
Anyway I stained them to my liking, I then crowned them and then crested them, all with acrylic and latex paints.
All steps with very ample drying time between in a VERY dry heated room.

It was now time to top coat.

I chose Watco brush on gloss lacquer. I speed dipped one no problem then the second and while hanging the second I notice the first one that the black band of acrylic paint started to run real bad. Strange thing is it only ran in one place, right where it blends the crown to raw wood. There were two other black bands(along with other colors) that were applied to the crown base< not raw wood under them, and they didn't run at all.

Anyway obviously lacquer doesn't play well with acrylic so what would you'll suggest, wipe on Poly?
As I understand Crest-Lac is a shellac base and thus yellows, I do not want any yellowing because I have whites mixed in here.

[Pat B]

When I was making arrows fancy I would do a finish coat first with water based poly then crown with latex paint and crest with craft paint then another poly dip. Never had any problems with paint running.

[Bruce M]

Yeah I think that is what I need to do is use a water base poly. I'm no paint guy and I don't know what kind of base lacquer is or has but I think theres acetone in it and I believe that is what is make in run .

[Pat B]

It's always good to do a test first to be sure everything is compatible.

[M60gunner]

You can put a different finish over lacquer but not under it. To prove my point using Bohning products. They sell a small bottle of cresting finish to protect the cresting using the regular cresting lacquers. It's waterbased, says so on the bottle. I have been using regular ole Varathane waterbased Polycrillic as a wipe on overcoat for sometime time. A can costs about the same as that little bottle. I haven't had any yellowing problems and I do live and shoot in the sun 99% of the time.
 

[Bruce M]

Thanks, I'll get some of that from the big box.

[Overspined]

I dip water based poly. 2 coats turn out nice.

[Pat B]

The main reason I went with water based poly and paints was to get away from the heavy chemical smells like acetone and benzine.

[Tim Finley]

I dip then I crown and crest then spray with poly over the cresting then I dip again , the cresting doesnt run but if you mix water base and regular poly it will probably work but I have found water based poly is not very water proof.