self finish bow questions

[NYAntler]

Hey fellas

Although I am a carpenter by trade and have cabinet making knowledge of finishes and such... I need some help with a self finish "GI Bow" longbow I bought as a project... is it okay to sand sharp edges on limbs and smooth out the wood a bit without weakening the bow? and... for a first time project is a faux cloth snake skin going to give me a realistic snake skin look? I want to keep the cost down... and can I use Tru Oil and still spray on a finish coat of poly at the end or do I even need to for a durable finish?
I plan on hunting with the bow...

[takefive]

Rounding the edges on a wooden bow is a must, and I think if it cost you any draw weight it would be negligible.  Maybe someone else will weigh in on your other questions 'cuz I got nothing on those.
Good luck on your bow!

[KenH]

I turned one of those GI Bows into a 2 piece takedown for my lady-friend's daughter.  Certainly round those edges a bit.  I wouldn't use anything rougher than 150 grit though.

IMHO cloth snake skin is gonna look like cloth snake skin.  If you're set on a snake look use real skins.  If you just want something decorative to back the bow with there are lots of alternatives including a wide variety of wide silk ribbons, Sharpie or ink line pattern drawing, etc.

Spray "varnish" over Tru Oil won't go well.  Use Tru Oil and wax or a wood stain and Helmsman Spar Varnish.

[Pat B]

Round the edges for sure. The old timers use to say to the diameter of a pea. I don't go that far but I do round them pretty good. You are basically removing dead weight anyway and it shouldn't affect the draw weight.
 For finish I use Tru-Oil on all my bows. For hunting bows I add a quick spray of satin poly to reduce the shine. Generally you should not use a hard finish over a softer finish but in this case it works fine.

[bigbob2]

X 2 re snake skins. I've used couple on bows and not at all impressed with the look.

[joe nichols]

I've used trü oil on all 3 of my guitars as well as my first completed bow.  It is quite versatile.  You can get that shiny look with enough coats or a dull one.  You don't have do put anything over it.  Just make sure to use steel wool if you want it nice and smooth.

[George Tsoukalas]

Round the edges for sure. I use Tru Oil on osage and they spray with spar urethane.
It should wok on all woods but testing it on a scrap piece of the same wood as the bow  is a good idea.
Jawge