Spray finish choices and why??

[T Folts]

This question is for finishes sprayed through a air gun, not tru-oil, spray can finishes ect..
What I want tot know is what is the best or favorite finish to use by bowyers of fiberglass bows both pro's or part timers like myself.
I currently use ML Campbels Krystal and want to know if there is something better. I like it but dont, I think it could be more durable. Also you can't spray it over snake skins, it will flake off. So who uses what and why???
Thanks
Terry

[Bowjunkie]

I used Fullerplast for a long time, but switched to Thunderbird a couple years ago and I like it better. It seems a bit more durable and more 'flexible', or 'elastic' for lack of better terms, and I love the looks of the T-Bird satin.

I use it as its own sanding filler, laying it down thicker for that use... then once any poors in the wood have been adequately filled and leveled, I thin it a little more and shoot it again.

If I want to dull it out further, I hold the gun back and go light on the last coat.

It's pretty hard for even me to screw up  

I'm spraying 5 bows currently. I'll likely finish them up today.

[T Folts]

Bowjunkie, How long does it take you to put a finish on a bow?

[BigJim]

I like the epoxie finish myself. I used to buy the Tbird, but I now buy in quantity direct from the mfg and repackage to sell. I call it buffalo hide and although it is a bit slower, there is no other nearly as tough.

bigjim

[Bowjunkie]

T Folts, it takes 2 to 3 days, only because I have to wait 24 hours before sanding. These 5 bows I did this time took me 2 days... just a few hours each day. They only needed sanded down once, which I did this morning, and then sprayed a few more coats. I just checked them and they look great. They're dry enough to handle already, but I'll let them hang for a few days before I leather the handles.

[Blkbird]

Originally posted by BigJim:
I like the epoxie finish myself. I used to buy the Tbird, but I now buy in quantity direct from the mfg and repackage to sell. I call it buffalo hide and although it is a bit slower, there is no other nearly as tough.

bigjim

Did not see your finish listed on the site...where can I find prices and quantity?

[J.F. Miller]

I'm a professional painting contractor by trade, so I've sprayed just about everything. I've come to prefer polyamide epoxy for finishing bows. it's a two component epoxy system(resin + catalyst). you'd be hard-pressed to find anything more abrasion or moisture resistant, yet it is flexible enough to work on bows. it sprays well if properly reduced(about 20-30%), builds a good mil thickness with little fear of sagging because it tacks up very quickly. I've sprayed bows three times in less than three hours. sands very well after 24 hours @ 70+ degrees and low humidity, and dries faster with more heat, as in a hotbox. anyone can walk into a local "real" paint store and probably get polyamide epoxy as well as epoxy thinner. can't be had at a big box store, so don't waste your time looking. this is commercial grade material.

downsides are that it only comes in gallons(which is two gallons total, one of each part). I buy in gallons, repackage in quarts and sell/give it to my bowmaking buddies at cost, which is about $80 for two gallon kit plus 8 clean, new quart cans. it has a shelf life, so I store it in our extra fridge in garage, which will triple the shelf life. keep it right next to my Urac resin. :-) it only comes in high gloss. I used to add lacquer flattening past to dull the final coat, but can no longer buy it in Ohio because of all of our damn new clean air laws. I've resolved to spray with three coats epoxy, steel wool thoroughly, then spray two coats of clear acrylic matte finish from aerosol can. sticks just fine and dulls finish nicely for a good long time. this epoxy does not adhere well to certain oil stains. I dye my bows, and it sticks just fine to aniline dye. it has a pot life of only several hours, so only mix what you need for a particular project, store dirty gun and unused material in fridge to keep it from hardening up overnight.

I've sprayed a bunch of this stuff through a DeVilbiss gravity fed cup gun that is sold for spraying automotive finishes, and it does pretty good. by my measure, it is low cost, and very, very effective.

[T Folts]

J.F. Miller
Thanks for the info. it sounds like the Krystal I am already using, is it the same?

[J.F. Miller]

don't know, but it certainly could be. the stuff I use it called Coropoxy, made by the Coronado paint company. polyamide epoxy is probably made by all major coatings manufacturers and sold under many brand names.

I forgot to mention that it is rather nasty stuff. I advise wearing a quality respirator fitted with cartridges that filter organic vapors at all times while spraying. best not to get it on your skin, either, so where chemically resistant gloves, too.