Woodies in the rain?

[Bjorn]

You have heard it: "but even sealed shafts will be affected by rain".
I put two used arrows out yesterday at noon-rained all day and night-and brought them in at 7 AM this morning. Before they went out the shafts spined at 71# and weighed 597 and 599 grains. I wrote the info on the arrows in permanent marker so as not to screw this up. These arrows were used but the finish was in good shape except one had a gash 2 inches long and a an eigth to a sixteenth wide. I was only testing for effect on spine and weight gain of the wood, not fletch. And I did not want new arrows in perfect shape. Any guesses while I run some errands?

[robtattoo]

No effect, whatsoever!  :D

[SpikeMaster]

I with Robtattoo on this one. Same weight, same spine( I hope!!!)

[Aeronut]

I'm saying the one with the gash will soak up some water and be a little heavier.  I don't think the spine will change much at all.

That said, I had a Chundoo spend the winter out under the grass.  I found it the first time I mowed the next spring.  I checked it and the spine had not changed and it had not warped at all.  I refletched it and am still shooting it.

Dennis

[Bjorn]

Aw. You guys peeked!! And you are right! No change at all-even the one with the gash must have had finish soaked in enough to protect it.

[Stone Knife]

I hate when the fletch goes flat in bad weather, but mine still shoot good. I figure if they don't shoot good after they been in the weather i better be doing something different. After all I'm in it most days I'm out.

[Rico]

I was still going to use mine even if ya said 100 grains. Glad ya didn't.

[Nakohe]

I have arrows I have used in rain that have had no ill effect. I spray the fletch with No Snow and it works great. Fletch stays up.

[John Nail]

If you gasket lacquer to seal them, and leave them out for a week, it will flake off and ruin the shaft. I use wipe on Polyurathane and have no trouble

[Aeronut]

I used Polycrylic on mine.  I have started using some polyurethane because it doesn't seem to make the wood dyes run as bad.

Dennis

[Molson]

I like the water based Poly too.  It will "milk" if it stays wet for awhile, but a quick wipe of Johnson's wax before you head out eliminates it.  Easy finish to repair too.

John Nail has it right with the gasket lacquer.  Quick to use, but worthless in weather if it gets chipped or stays out over night.  There is zero finish penetration into the wood.

[killinstuff]

I've started using Cetol Marine finish for wood boats on my arrows and I like it a lot. Great finish and tough. I've have poly's burn when shooting a lot of 3-D but not this stuff. But it costs $25 to $30 a quart.