what finish to use on my first TD recurve Bow?

[Full Draw Too]

Good Morning Bowyers! OK, I'm down to the final stage of my first TD recurve Bow and I'm wondering what kind of finish to put on my Bow? I do not have a spray gun to do the Thunderbird finish so my question is 1.To obtain a gloss finish on the riser and the glass limbs what do I use and how many coats? 2. If I want a flat finish on the riser and limbs what do I use and how many coats? is there a link that maybe someone knows about that would help me in this area or knowledge from someone who  puts a finish on their Bows without the spray equipment?

Thanks ahead of time! I'll sit back and wait for some answers... John 12:48

[Sam Harper]

You don't necessarily need a spray gun to do a Thunderbird finish.  You can get disposable PreVal sprayers.  They sell them at Lowes and Home Depot.

[Full Draw Too]

Thanks Sam for your reply, now I need your help in the " how to do it"? I just looked online for those PreVal sprayers and found them at Lowes. I'm such a caveman at this because I never did it before, so if you could walk me through the process and explain step by step using this sprayer and what mixure it would be soooo helpful and very much appreciated. Thanks Sam

John 12:48

[Full Draw Too]

Hi Guys, anyone else who can help me in this area of finish on my Bow and "How To" would be greatly Appreciated..Pat

John 12:48

[beachbowhunter]

If you can get a decent finish using a PreVal you are way better than me. Nothing but orange peel and runs when I tried it.  Do you have a compressor, even a small one?  Spray guns are cheap at Harbor Freight. So are compressors for that matter. If I were to go back to my first bow I would have skipped the work-arounds and tried to use T-Bird from the start.

[mwosborn]

FDT -

In my opinion, it really comes down to what you want and how much you want to spend on a finish.  Thunderbird is an excellent finish - the bows I have with this finish are nice looking and have held up very well to hunting condition.

With that said, I have a hard time justifying a compressor, a sprayer, and $50.00 per pint for thunderbird to finish the 1 or 2 glass bows I might make per year. (not to mention cleanup).

For the few I make, I have found that a quality lacquer finish (watco) in the aerosol can gives pretty darn good results.  I spray several coats of gloss following the manufacturer instructions.  Then I let it cure for a few days and then finish with 3-4 coats of satin.

It is probably not as durable as an epoxy finish such as thunderbird - but you can get a good finish for about $10.00 with no clean up.

If I ever get to the point where I am making 10 bows a year then I most likely will look into a sprayer and start using thunderbird.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Bow man]

Originally posted by beachbowhunter:
If you can get a decent finish using a PreVal you are way better than me. Nothing but orange peel and runs when I tried it.  Do you have a compressor, even a small one?  Spray guns are cheap at Harbor Freight. So are compressors for that matter. If I were to go back to my first bow I would have skipped the work-arounds and tried to use T-Bird from the start.

No paint room or anything fancy needed I have PM'd you sprayer info Call us if you have questions

[JamesV]

I have not tried the gloss but the satin Rust-oleum 2X ultra cover is the best and easiest finish in a spray can. This stuff sprays even and dries almost instantly to a very hard finish that is clear and will not yellow. I spray a base coat then sand out any imperfections then a final coat that dries clear and even and can be used after about 30 min. One tip: Don't spray over two coats on the limbs.

Can be bought at Wally World for $3.66 a can.

James

[Msturm]

I have used DEFT spray can on several self bows, and Bamboo backed bows.

[Bow man]

Only other suggestion is don't have air compressor in the same area as you spray. The Tbird fumes can seize up a compressor over time.

[Full Draw Too]

thanks so much guys, I really appreciate all the input you guys are sharing with me and others on this forum...have a great day...Pat

Acts 4:12