Bow finish woes!

[OkKeith]

I am putting the final touches on my swap bow. Its been raining for three days and at least a day or two more are in the forecast. I don't wanna send anyone a gummy bow.

I have hit the light colored Hickory with a stain and it came out good and is dry. My plan is to put a coat of Danish Oil on next and when that is dry overcoat with the clear matte Wheel Paint. I don't see any problems with putting the bow in the hot box (with the temp at half) to dry the oil but what about the clear matte coat? Is it OK to force dry it? I'm worried it will take forever to get dry otherwise.

BONUS QUESTION: I have never mailed a one piece bow. What are all ya'll doing to ensure safe delivery?

OkKeith

[monterey]

The matte wheel finish drys very quickly.  In fact  you should not allow more than about 20 minutes between coats (double check the instructions on the can).  You are going to want to do it outdoors and with temperatures at least 70*.  Unless you are putting the Danish oil on for a special color or effect then you can probably skip that.  Maybe Kenny will comment on that.  He has done more experiments with it than I.

For shipping I like the stiff corrugated drain pipes from the big box.  If I can't get that I buy or scrounge a big cardboard box and make a triangular box sized to the bow.  I  shipped an ASL to Washington last week in that type of box for less than $14.

[Robertfishes]

a good strong box, double box or add extra cardboard to ends, pad the tips with bubble wrap so they look like a small boxing glove.... bow tip thru box is bad.... use plenty of shipping tape. send it like you would want someone to send it to you..

[Roy from Pa]

Pack it well padded in a plastic drain  pipe then put cardboard on the outside of the pipe to make it square or rectangular shape. Just a round pipe and it will roll off the conveyor belts at the shipping places and that whizzes off the folks who work there, having to pick it back up.

Insure it for $300.00  or more incase something happens or it disappears.

[Crooked Stic]

I get 4 in. carpet tubes.

[Pat B]

I use PVC pipe, 2" to 4" depending on the bow and ship it USPS Priority. Priority comes with $50 insurance. I've never had a bow get lost or damaged shipping USPS Priority.

[OkKeith]

Thanks for all the help!

I may do like Monterey suggests and not do the Danish Oil. The stain on the Hickory darkened it plenty.

I will have to measure the deflection on the D/R limbs. It might need a pretty big drainage pipe to make it fit without the limb tips rubbing. A big 'ol carpet tube or some such stuffed full of premium bubble wrap could work.

Thanks again!

OkKeith

[kennym]

Here is what I use,dries fast on anything I’ve sprayed it on. The matte wheel won’t seal up like the clearcoat will, had about 12 coats on a bow before it quit showing dry spots...

So I spray wood surfaces with about four coats of the red can, then 2 more on entire bow(glass only needs a couple) . Then 2 coats of black can on entire bow to knock off shine.

So far I love the finish it makes...


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[Bvas]

I agree with the others, that the wheel finish dries extremely fast. And there’s no need for the danish oil underneath.

My swap bow was the first I ever shipped. I took a foam pool noodle and split it length ways. Then I cut it in two pieces and used them to wrap each limb, leaving it extend past each tip an inch or two. Then I used two of the triangle boxes from the post office to make my tube.
Any remaining gaps around the handle and limbs I just filled with crumpled newspaper til everything was nice and snug.

[Flem]

I use those foam noodles also, in a triangular box and reinforced with lite weight plastic sheetrock corners.
USPS priority only. I don't trust UPS or Fedex, they answer to no one.

[Overspined]

Yeah never ship a round tube...

[scrub-buster]

I put 4 coats of the clear matte sealer on a bow at the Tennessee Classic in about 20 minutes.  It dries super fast. 

I'll have to try to that clear coat Kenny.  Thanks for the tip.

[soy]

Ive never had a problem shipping a round tube...thunderbird drys well in all conditions...

[goobersan]

Ive never had a problem shipping a round tube...thunderbird drys well in all conditions...

Me too...... still waiting for that Thunderbird build-along though

[Roy from Pa]

I've had 2 bows broken when shipped in those triangle cardboard boxes.

Heard shipping employees hate 6 foot long packages.

Also heard shipping employees hate round tubes because they roll off the conveyor belt.

Now I use cheap plastic pipe, then tape one of those triangle boxes over the center of the tube to stop it from rolling around.

And I put 300 bucks of insurance on it.