Testor's Paint??

[Huntschool]

Thanks man.  I'll check the site but if acrylic works that good I will try some of Marilyns artist colors or get some at Hobby Lobby.

I have made a goodly bunch of wood shafts back when I could get Lodge Pole..  

Where did ya get the SureWood shafts from and do they do a taper on them and footing?  I have a taper jig and can do it myself but.... time.

We never got above 30 all day.  The ice got off the roads quick this morning but between here and Harrisburg the "Fog" kept building a bit more on the trees.  Not heavy enough to be bad...  just there.  I would have "killed" for 55 deg today....

If ya need help splicing I may be able to help also.

[Tree Rat]

Spray bomb your clear coat. A real fine light coat an then a little heavier for the final coat.

Stick the arrow in your cresting lathe and spray away.

[NoCams]

Mornin' Bruce,
Bought my Surewoods direct but several sponsors on here sell them. I think Braveheart offers them tapered as well ? I tell ya Bruce, these Surewoods are simply awesome compared to POC that I have tried to use. I wanted to use POC due to tradition but it was hit or miss for me. I made Mason a dozen and after a little straightening they were okay. The next dozen for me were pitiful ! I had to straighten them 3 times and finally got them decent. Every time I did something to them they would go crooked again. Straightened them when they arrived, again after stain, again after cap dipping, again right before cresting just so I could get a decent small pin stripe, and still not straight enough. By the way.... these were Rose City Premiums purchased direct. I am done with POC, nothing but Surewoods for me going forward. Straighter, much straighter, heavy and durable. I asked for shafts around 400 grains and got exactly what I wanted from Surewood. I simply did not know how bad my POC was till my first dozen Surewoods. Don't spend too much at Hobby Lobby bud !

[snag]

     Another one who sees the light! haha   SUREWOOD SHAFTS all the way!  But really, isn't it great to make an arrow out of straight wood? Like any project it make things so much smoother when you start out with good materials.

[Huntschool]

Jimmy:

Sounds good.  My thing is getting them spined righ to shoot out of my Widows.  I guess I am doing carbons because they are easier for me.

I really want to build some footed stuff to shoot out of my LB. Just think that would be cool.  The Lodge Pole stuff was OK but man they were heavy for what I wanted.  I can go with a 10-11gpp arrow but not much more for the way I shoot.  I am not gonna build out my strike plate to use a lower spine arrow.

Its still totally cloud covered up here.  Looks like it could do something any minute but the weather folks say just clouds.  I would really like to see the sun and for the temps to get up in the upper 40's.

Think we kinds hijacked this thread.

[cedar]

I have always used testors regular enamel with water poly.  I have only ever had a problem with smearing the crest one time.  That was with the green, it was a hot and humid couple of days and I don't think I let it dry long enough(about 24 hrs)before dipping in the poly.  I am always looking to improve thou.  Are you guys saying that the difference between regular enamel and acrylic is faster drying time or is there other advantages?  Time doesn't bother me, I'm in no hurry when making arrows, but if acrylic covers better, I would certainly be interested.

[NoCams]

Woooops, Bruce is right, bout got off track there......

Okay John49 to get us back on track here....

I waited a week one time, yes it was summer and humid, probably what really caused the problem, and my silver outlines and blue metallic crest ran on me, ughhhh ! Another time my crest crackeled under the Min Wax Polycrylic. was told by another tradganger that is how they used to get antique crackeled look..... enamel or oil base under a top coat of something water based. I had so many problems with testors enamels I was afraid to touch an arrow.

To answer the question about testors enamels or any other paint for that matter.....yes, enamels are oil based and acrylics are water based. Dry time is not a issue for me with either cause I am going to let them dry for 24 hrs at least before the next step cause I am still gun shy !

[Huntschool]

John49:

This is long....

My wife is the art person so what I know about these types of paint come from her and my experience.

The enamels take more time to dry due to the oil base.  They are affected by temp and hum.  When I started building arrows she had me play around.. with her.. (NO, not that) ideas on some practice shafts.  We found out a bunch about paint compatibility.  I also read what had been posted here on TG about arrow cresting, dipping, etc.

So, here is what we came up with:  I use a primer or base coat of some color.  For carbons I almost always use a white or grey.  These do not have to be “Primer” paints.  I tape off my arrows and spray at least 2 coats allowing the coats to dry overnight in a very dry and temp stabilized atmosphere. The trick on carbons is surface prep.  I clean the shafts with acetone really well before the base coats. I do not touch the paint areas with my fingers.  I do the same thing on wood after applying the first stains, steel wool (OOOO) to achieve a very smooth base surface and then two coats (sometimes more depending on wood porosity) of some kind of poly.  I have used a thinned oil base poly for this.

Then, on carbons, I am pretty much ready to go with cresting, caps and whatever else I am going to do.  On wood, I will prep the surface by LIGHTLY and I mean LIGHTLY wiping with acetone again.  This softens the surface and allows the enamels (spray or brush) to adhere to the surface coat.  All cresting etc gets the same dry time for each operation but…. (both wood and carbon) I have found I can speed it up a bit by judiciously using a heat gun.  Be very careful if you try this as those things can burn right through a shaft let alone the paint.  A hair drier works well and generally produces lower heat levels but it is still “DRY” air.

OK, now here is where Cams and I differ, and Tree Rat and I agree….  I use a water based poly most times.  I just LIGHTLY..  I mean LIGHTLY spray the work.  Then let it dry 24 Hrs.  I come back with another light coat 24 hrs later and let it dry.  Now I steel wool (OOOO) the surface lightly and finish with 2-4 coats of the water based poly.  Doing light coats in a controlled environment does not seem to affect the paint condition.

I have used two different poly finishes on the same shaft just to get a better tip finish.  Oil for the tip end, and water based for the cresting etc.  I just use a “penetration” band to cover the meeting place.
Cams, just a note, but to get that “crackled finish, I think you have to go non oil over oil or non sticky surface.

Here is a pick after work was done.  This is a carbon.

 

Hope this helps….