How to Best Clean Up Old Bows!

[TimberlineX]

Some old bows, when discovered, are really a cosmetic mess. The most common culprits being  crystallized slatherings of mystery glue on and around the arrow shelf area, half-deteriorated tape of all sorts stuck fast to limbs and risers, and discolored and tattered leather grips and rests plates.

 

 

 

With some work, though, such dilapidated old warriors can usually be made to look almost new again. But how best to do that in a do-it-yourself fashion?

What I’m hoping with this post is that all of you who have some experience cleaning up old bows will be willing to share with the rest of us the products and techniques that you use. Actually, there are three questions here:

1.  What actual products and techniques work well for removing old, hard-as-rock glue  in the shelf area and tape residue elsewhere without damaging the finish underneath?

2. What works to try to un-stain and restore salvageable  leather    grips and rest plates?

3. What’s the best products you’ve used in the way of quality  waxes  and polishes to clean and restore that looks-new luster to the finish of old bows?

Experiences and opinions, especially on products, will likely vary and that’s okay. But what do you use to clean up old bows?  Commonly-found products? Secret formulas? Amazing wood and leather cures from your grandfather? For example, one thing that works surprising well to remove still-soft tape residue is WD-40.

I suppose what we’re trying to find here is do-it-yourself “ BowDoc/Droptine59-in-a-Can .” They will both probably shoot me for that!

But I’ll still be interested in what you use to clean up old bows.

[Grant Young]

Oddly enough Bill, Bowdoc concocts a polish-not a wax- that I get from him and just rubbing it in with a soft polishing cloth removes the old oxidized finish and minor scratches noticeably.
  The problem with the leather grips is that the leather is often completely dried out and deteriorating all the way through. If you take it off to try to re hydrate it, it falls apart or rips. Its possible that a good application of a quality saddle soap- actually a few applications can restore it to a large degree. Ideally you could treat it with a quality dressing like Montana Pitch Blend or Obernauf's boot dressing and let it settle in good and improve the looks of the leather a good bit. The only downside of that is that it make make the leather feel a little "oily" for a while until it is all absorbed.
  The "mystery glue" is a whole nother thing. I've been lucky in the past just carefully flaking the harder stuff off with a small sharp blad like an exacto knife or scalpel and then just buffing the area back to a shine. Often the problem is that the glue has been on there so long that the finish discolors in that area. If that is the case, and it is a really nice piece- Off to Bowdoc or Richie, LOL.

[The Great Jashu]

I use fast orange hand cleaner to take off old goo. It does have a slight abrasive in it along with the "cleaner". Seems to take off about anything without harming the finish.

[Rick Enos]

I 2nd the orange hand cleaner.Then clean up with wd40.Then a good polish with Gun stock wax.

[portugeejn]

I have used Flitz polish on bow limbs and risers with good result.  It says it leaves a bit of protective coating.  I want to try BowDoc's cleaner, but have not as yet been able to get hold of any.  

On old glue I use WD40 and elbow grease, along with some mild mechanical means on large chuncks (like Grant says, pick it of carefully with an exacto knife tip, or some hard plastic.  

On leather, I try Lexol, and if that doesn't work, I replace it.  There is no bringing back leather with dry rot, so if it has dry rot, I just take it off and replace it with something that looks as close to the same as I can make.

RonP