Newbie Bear Takedown A Mag Refinish

[OutbackMan]

My step dad pulled this thing out of the closet a couple of months ago.  I just started shooting a recurve and figured I'd jump into the pool head first and told him I'd refinish it, although I'd no experience w/refinishing bows.  Hopefully these pics come out.  I've got several, so probably do them in segments.  I think I've given this bad boy a new lease on life.  Let me know what you think.

Thanks to JimB for directing me to Al H...and thank you Al H for the decals and instructions...they look great.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[OutbackMan]

Next batch of pics...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[OutbackMan]

And another batch...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[OutbackMan]

And another...


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[OutbackMan]

Getting closer...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[OutbackMan]

OK...last batch...I swear...


 
 
 
 
 

[OutbackMan]

I ending up using aircraft stripper, a brush, and elbow grease to get all the old finish off.  I ended up priming it, using truck bed liner for durability, and then painting w/some Krylon camaflouge series no chip paint in an ultra flat olive color.  Putting the paint over the black liner really gave me the shade I envisioned, although in some of the pics it looks a little more gray than the green that it is.  

I had to fabricate a strike plate and fix the sight channel cover.  A past owner apparently tapped the riser for a quiver.  In doing so he tapped out the strike plate set screw hole and then drilled a second.  He then used a screw/bolt that was too long to secure the quiver and it stuck thru and busted the sight channel cover.  In the middle pics of the sight channel cover it looks fixed, but I actually didn't like the way it looked or it's sturdiness so I broke it back down, cleaned it up, and did it again.  You may also notice that in the earlier pics I have a 2R grip and in the finished pics it's a 1R.  I traded w/a gentleman on another sight as my step dad and I are more comfortable w/the low wrist grip.

There were some nicked up marks in the riser that needed fixed and I decided to paint the latch bears in the same color as the riser (I stole that idea from you JimB...I hope you don't mind.)

The limbs are dry enough to handle, but I'm going to wait another 3-4 weeks to let it dry/cure/harden before I string it and fling any harpoons out of it, which is unfortunate cause I got a couple of great looking strings from some members on another sight (one endless loop and one flemish twist.)  Thanks for looking.

[Mike Theis]

Looks like you did a very nice job. It looks great.

The joy of shooting this bow will be even better since you are the one who brought it back to life.

Does your step father want it back?  

[shick]

"Outback", excellent job!! You'll find that bow to give you all that you ask from it.  Good luck.

Shick

[Trooper]

Wow, that is an awesome job you did.  You have a bow to be proud of and pass on.  That bow will perform as good as any bow out there.  Good job!

[OutbackMan]

Thanks guys...glad to see it was a job liked by people that are much more experienced than myself.

Mike...whether or not my step dad wants it back has been a question...I always thought in the back of my mind he would give it to me when done, but that may just be wishful thinking.  He's had it for 10 yrs. and never shot it.  Kind of a funny story how he got it...as a kid he had a Kodiak Magnum that got stolen...roughly 20 yrs. later an old "friend" called him and said he'd gotten his stolen bow back from the theif and wanted to give it back to my step dad cause he felt guilty about having always known who stole his KM and never said anything.  Low and behold the bow he gave my step dad was this TD and not the KM.  So if I don't end up w/it right away I may track down a KM similar to the one he had stolen and trade it to him for this TD, cause he loved that KM and had it and shot it for years.  He's already told me he feels a little afraid to take the TD into the woods now that it looks so good.

I shot this thing quite a bit before redoing it...was really impressed w/as smooth, quiet, and dead in the hand as it was.  Typically shorter than I would normally use (it's 56" w/that limb/riser combo) no real problems were noticable (I've got a 29" draw that may be closer to 30" now that I've changed some form/shooting aspects up.)  Thanks again for looking.

[Al H]

Beautiful work Vaughn!  You brought that bow way back from the dead and it looks Great.  

Al

[JimB]

OutbackMan,outstanding work!I have neglected this forum for awhile.I've been too busy chasing the bears(the furry kind).That bow really needed some serious help and you sure covered every detail.I love the color.I still think the Mag takedowns are one of the most underrated bows ever.Extremeley well thought out and engineered.You sure gave that one a new lease on life.i hope you get to keep it.

What model Kodiak Mag do your step dad lose?

[OutbackMan]

JimB...thanks...after seeing how nicely yours turned out I'm glad mine gets a thumbs up from an experienced A mag refinisher...I'll have to check on the KM model as I'm not sure...He's coming down to my house this weekend so I'll do some checking and post what I find.  Thanks.

[Hoof]

Nice Job! time to enjoy  

[Archery_Collector]

Very nice job! Thanks for sharing!

I redid one myself in black, came out very nice. I actually adjusted the spray nozzle (I used a modelers spray gun) to simulate the dimpling the factory used. This is a bad pic but the only one I could quickly find
 

Now I just need to know if anyone can simulate that rubber coating Bear used!   :confused:

[OutbackMan]

JimB...talked to step dad last night and this is what I came away with...he thinks he got the bow sometime between '68-'72...said his uncle got it right off the line at the plant...he swears it was the green futurewood (I swear one time I showed him a brown one and he said that looked like it) look but he doesn't remember the stripe color (all the one's I showed him were blue stripers.)  He said he also doesn't remember it being 52", but swears it was the KM and not a Super or Hunter.  Thanks.

[JimB]

Interesting.It seems like there are a lot of green ones around.Shouldn't be too hard to find one.

[OutbackMan]

Well, I posted the story in the Pow Wow, but the refinish project on this bow has come full circle.  Not only does it look much closer to what it originally use too but it was used by me today to harvest my first trad deer, so it's back to functioning like it was intended to. I think that's pretty cool that this thing was as close to the scrap pile as it was and to now be back in action.  Thanks again to everyone who helped in the process.

[cacciatore]

Thanks for sharing,and congrats for the job and the deer.