What kind of sealer for cedar?

[slayer1]

I was working on a dozen cedar shafts and was wondering if I could get a decent sealer at Lowes or Home Depot. Do any of you guys have any suggestions? Thanks for the help!

[Dave Bowers]

Sanding sealer works well

[Zradix]

I just made up my first wood arrows a few weeks ago.
I used minwax wipe on poly gloss.
It was REALLY easy to apply and got a nice smooth finish when 0000 steel wool between coats.

I just used bounty towels cut about 5"x3" folded over once to apply. Worked good..cheap too.

[slayer1]

How many coats did you use? I was thinking 3. I stained the shafts first not sure if that matters or not. Thanks guys!

[Charlie Lamb]

Water based poly is great stuff for sealing arrows. I've got 20 squirrel arrows in the works right now and that's what I use.

No fumes and seals well. Also compatible with all the fletching adhesives.

[Zradix]

I stained one set with a home made aniline dye the other with some minwax oil stains.

You could get by with 3 coats...4 for certain.

I was trying to do a really nice job though...
I learned to first 0000 steel wool the raw shaft.
Then stain.
then very lightly 0000 wool it.

next I applied 3 coats...The stuff dries enough to wool in about 3 hrs. sometimes less.

After 3 coats the pores were filled flush with the wood.
Then I wooled it heavy to get everything smooooooth.

After that 5 light coats with super light wool between.

Made em extra pretty.


Really though, I'd say if you applied 2 thin coats, then wooled it to take off the feather, the 3 rd coat would get you a decently smooth but good seal.

My shafts were tapered. I noticed a LOT more feather in the tapered section of the shaft. The parallel section got smooth much quicker.

Not the best pic for seeing the finish.
I did it in a room with lots of little bulbs that kinda made the finish look bumpy..but it's smooth.
 

[Zradix]

Originally posted by Charlie Lamb:
Water based poly is great stuff for sealing arrows. I've got 20 squirrel arrows in the works right now and that's what I use.

No fumes and seals well. Also compatible with all the fletching adhesives.

Mr. Lamb..

I've never used the water based on anything.

I've heard the water based is a quite a bit softer than the wipe on and often shows target burn.

Have you noticed anything "weaker" about the water based stuff?

I've thought about trying it next time, but I'm sitting here with half a can of wipe on already...lol

Thanks

[Ben Maher]

Polyurethane every time for me .

[Charlie Lamb]

Zradrix... I find the water base poly to be as good as anything else for the job. Makes a nice smooth finish and seals well.

For what it's worth, though, I don't expect my wooden arrows to last forever. Matter of fact I'm more than willing to shoot them all away on any given hunt... arrows are made for shootin. Right?

I also take the time to rub on some parafin or car wax to the finished arrow. (after fletching) Really adds to the weather protection.

Can't comment on target burn. I seldom shoot "targets" per se. Most of my targets are flesh and blood in one form or the other.

[Zradix]

Thanks Mr. Lamb.

I sure wish I could spend more time hunting so I could shoot at more fleshy "targets".

Good Hunting!

[Patrick55]

Does the water based polys or lacquers cloud over in high humidity situations as Gasket Lacquer and Fletch Lac does? I bought a few quarts of the wipe on poly I want to try but thought I would ask first.

[slayer1]

Thanks for the info guys! I just sprayed the first coat of the Minwax spray poly. I am probably going to do 5 coats just for the heck of it, and then follow up with some paste wax for good measure. One more question, glue for the knocks? Will the Lock tite gel work? I have never tried this but it works great on feathers. I plan on wrapping these in white vinyl with orange 5.5 shield cut feathers, I hope they turn out ok - trying the vinyl wraps for the first time! I will try and get you guys some pictures.

[TIM B]

I'm new here but have been crafting arrows for 20 years or so.  I used to dip them in a clear two part automotive clear coat but have since went to polly like many others.  I apply it with those small foam brushes and keep it in a ziplock in the freezer between coats so i don't waste brushes.  cheap fas and effective.  I steelwool between coats and use 4 - 6 coats

[Jake Fr]

i realy like my gasket laqure but polyurethane works realy good i now a lot of guys that use that and swear by it