thompsons water seal

[Scott Beitzel]

just finished a bow other than the sanding of evenry thing  and was wondering if anyone has ever used thompsons to treat a bow or is it not suitable.

will post some pics when i get her all done .

thanks,
Scott

[kung fu kid]

I've used Thompson on outdoor furniture and decking.  It will waterproof the wood, plus darken it a shade.  But the treatment is only temporary, and requires treatment every year.  It also does not put a hard surface on the wood, making the bow easy to scratch/ding.

[Scott Beitzel]

thats what i was thinking  but just wanted to check with someone else first.

thanks and merry chistmas ,
Scott

[Mike Most]

And especially in hot climates it is parafin based and doesnt hold up well.

Mike

[Shakes.602]

Very Good Question!!

[frank bullitt]

Scott, it isn't even good for outdoor wood. I have powerwashed and sealed alot of decks over 20 years, and would not recommend it.

Tru-oil or even a good poly spray or wipe-on is a good choice for overall protection, and very user friendly.

Good shootin, Steve.

[Don Stokes]

I worked for a wood protection company for several years as Product Development Manager, and we did lots of testing on "waterproofing" formulations. Of the commercial products, Thompson's was one of the poorest performers as far as protecting the wood from moisture absorption, but it beaded well on the surface. Apparently that was enough to let them dominate the market, just because it looked good when you poured water on it, and even though it needed to be reapplied every six months. Go figure.

[Scott Beitzel]

thanks guys for the info thats exactly what i was looking for information  .
guess i will look at other finishes.

thanks,
Scott

[George Tsoukalas]

I've used it for years on my deck but not for bows. My whitewood bows get stained with water based formulations or alcohol in Rit. My osage bows get 3or more coats with Tru Oil to fill in the pores. In both the finish is 3 coats of spar urethane. Jawge

[ChristopherO]

For decks Thompson's Wood Protector is much better than their Water Seal.  They have excellent marketing, though.