I want to refinish a bow, where do I start?

[bear bowman]

I have a 1968 black hawk avenger. It's nothing fancy but I'd like to give refinishing a go.
So how do you go about refinishing a bow? It's got 2 holes in the riser where a sight was once mounted and the glass isn't the prettiest anymore. I love to shoot it and would like to make her look new again. Thanks for any help.
Oh yeah, the specs are 42#@28"-52".

[macbow]

First document any writing on the bow in case it is destroyed.
Mostly you will be removing old finish.
So sanding by hand or using a palm sander.
Start with somethin in the 120 gritt to 150 gritt.
Once all the finish is removed, move to finer grit sandpaper till smooth.
If you want to fill the holes. Get sme walnut or whatever wood you like  a little larger than the holes. Use a drill bit to make the holes the same as dowell. Just glue in and then sand smooth when dry.

For a finish any spray can of poly type finish will work. Just spray light coats.

[yeager]

If you would like a tutorial, there"s nothing better than Bow Doc's thread titled "restoration 101".  Another good source is Rich Lopez's (droptine59) website.  Good luck.

[Keefer]

Yes document the writing and do some measuring where the silk screens are placed just in case you want to put new on. There are a few folks that make new silk screens so measure where and how far down the limbs etc.
 I suggest taking pictures from a cell phone if you have one or any digital camera as well.
 Now ( Rich Lopez as mentioned above) has a great tutorial on his site on how to get old finish off.

[Ray Lyon]

Originally posted by yeager:
If you would like a tutorial, there"s nothing better than Bow Doc's thread titled "restoration 101".  Another good source is Rich Lopez's (droptine59) website.  Good luck.

Yes and yes.Both are good resources. Also if you're a TBM on-line subscriber I did a two part article about a year ago that you could pull up for reference.

[mahantango]

Sandpaper, cabinet scraper, or even a pocket knife used as a scraper. Stay away from anything with a cord. Spray Poly, Deft lacquer, or Tru Oil. OOOO steel wool between coats, final buff with compound.

[warpedarrow]

Different methods for different folks.  I do not use steel wool as I find tiny little wires in the finish even when blowing the bow off with compressed air.  I prefer to wet sand every forth or fifth coat with 400 grit WetRDry sandpaper.  when the finish is is thick enough so there are no wood pores showing, I finish sand with 600 lightly then give a good rub down with 1000 grit.  Then I pull out the variable speed drill with a cotton wheel and start slowly buffing with rubbing compound.  Follow that up with a good wax and a hand buffing.  My favorite finish is TruOil but I have used polyurethanes with good success.  Sometimes I put ten coats on a riser and some times I put seventy or eighty.  You reap what you sow.  Go to the history and collecting forum and look at some of the restores that guys have written about.

[Longtoke]

How do you get the throat of the grip of the bow to come out nice and smooth? I keep getting runs in the deep part of the grips

[warpedarrow]

Longtoke, what are you using for finish and how are you applying it?  

I always wipe on the finish on the riser.  I usually spray the limbs with Helmsman spar urethane.  Any overspray onto the limbs gets sanded off.  The throat of the grip is the hardest to get cleaned up when sanding but runs are not a problem unless you are getting sloppy when you put it on.  I use a maybe two inch square of cotton cloth, folded in half and wetted with finish.  I make one pass per coat and do it under bright lights so that I can see how the finish is laying down.  If a run occurs, I let it cure good and hard and sand it off before applying more coats.  If you keep the runs sanded off and wet sand fairly often, your finish will be pretty smooth prior to the final sanding.  Once you start buffing with the drill and cotton wheel, it will be as smooth as glass.  Just be sure to buy a wheel large enough to reach down into the grip throat without the drill chuck rubbing on the bow.

[Longtoke]

I was using oil based spar and applying with a folded up coffee filter. I guess maybe I am trying to put to much on at once or maybe just not being patient enough.

[Jim Keller]

I did a search for bow doc's restoration 101 and found nothing. I'm interested in reading it as I have a bow I would like to refinish. Any help,would be appreciated. Thanks, Jim

[warpedarrow]

I have found that the coffee filter does not lay a flat enough swath of finish.  I get lines where no finish is applird.

I have Restoration 101 on an old computer hard drive.  I may have to do some drive swapping to get to it.  There is a abreviated and edited version in the history and collecting forum.  I look at it occasionally, but it is chopped up and is hard to follow.

[ksbowman]

For wipe-on finishes I like to use an old T shirt and cut 3" x 3" squares, then rough them up and remove any loose threads. Use them with plenty of finish and try to only wipe one coat at a time as it dries so quick it will clabber up pretty fast.

[bear bowman]

Thanks guys. I'll try to get some before, during and after photo's. I'm excited to give this a go.

[Bud B.]

Ever get it refinished?

[Rob DiStefano]

ttt