Correct order for finishing arrows?

[McDave]

When you're making arrows, do you stain, crown dip, crest, and then apply clear finish, or do you stain, clear finish, crown dip, and then crest?  Or maybe some other order?

Also, I've heard it's not good to crown dip over stain.  So I assume you draw a line around the shaft where you want the two to meet and then stain up to that line?  I can visualize it being pretty easy to crown dip to a line, but it seems like it would be more difficult to stop the stain at a line.

[Gordon Jabben]

McDave, I crown dip and then stain to the crown dip.  Then I clear finish over stain and then crest.  Then I clear finish over everything.  I have always had great luck with gasket lacquer and model paint for the cresting.

[Sam McMichael]

Do you use a primer under the crown dip?

[M60gunner]

Usually with woods anyway I cap dip, stain if wanted, crest, clear coat, Fletch. At least that is way I did my shafts withGL. I had issues with GL and went to pure Tung oil. I don't stain anymore either. I also changed the order, dip, crest, clear coat the cap dip with waterbased polycrillic then Oil the bottom of shaft. No, not a quick method but being retired I am not in big hurry.
 Never could understand why people would stain whole shaft then dip over it. If a sealer is wanted just use a wash coat of the paint, like I would do aluminums.

[Bill Carlsen]

Depends. If i am using alcohol based RIT dye for the crown i do that first. If the front of shaft is going to be stained that's next. Then i dip full length  three times with steel wool in between. Put on nocks. crest. fletch, cut to length, taper, add points. if my crown is some sort of paint then staining is first, dipping shafts full length next, then comes the crown dip. Apply nocks, crest, fletch, cut to length, taper and add points.

[The Whittler]

Everyone has their own way and it's all good. If I stain I only do the bottom part not where I want to crown I leave that bare.

After the stain has dried I sand it to where I want it then I crown. When I crown I use a white coat first then the color. The white will bring out the color more make it brighter.

When everything is dried real good I crest. After the crest is dried a day or two I poly over. I use a water base poly the oil base will turn a little yellow.

I apply 3 coats of poly then I lightly sand and apply a 4th coat and I'm good to go. I find that if I apply the 3 coats then sand I get just as good results as sanding between coats.

[bucknut]

Mike Vines PBS arrow build along changed how I do a lot of my process. It is a very good step by step process that I have found to work really well. Check it out.

John

[M60gunner]

I have one tube with a thinned white. Maybe 75-25. I use that to seal and bring out the top coat like red or yellow. I used to use flo Orange which required a base coat otherwise the shafts were butt ugly. Whites easy, just double dip.
 I also keep it simple, only use Fletch Laq paints except for the polycrillic. I fell for the Bohning thing about the "clear" to protect the cresting. $5 for a small bottle, you can buy a quart of the same stuff for that. Live and learn.
 I also only make "good" arrows. I spend the amount of effort on all my work. No "stumpers" or "hunting" arrows. If lost or busted so be, make more.

[McDave]

Thanks!  I wasn't too happy with the way the last batch turned out, so I thought I'd get some fresh ideas, which you have provided me.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Here is how I do it. After I straighten the arrows, I sand them with 220 sandpaper. I wipe down the shafts, then I dip them three times in Minwax Polycrylic. In between each dip and after drying, I sand the shafts with steel wool. After the third and final dip, I crest the shafts. Once cresting is completed, I dip the shafts three more times without any sanding in between dips. I haven't crown dipped shafts yet, so I'm eager to learn from your post.

[Mike Vines]

I've found that after staining, I like to do my first clear coat.  This way when applying your crown, the bare wood is sealed, and you do not have the grain showing through the paint, and it gives you a MUCH cleaner look.  That was a tip from my arrow building mentor, Ken Scollick, that I include whenever painting the crown.