And then ...One note to make for doing your new tip overlays: Always follow the original lines of the bow. Sometimes the original tips are not always straight or even. I find its best to stay with the original shape and depth of the string grooves. I also try and keep the thickness of the new overlay about the same, as the originals were unless the limb tip is damaged you might need to add one more layer for strength.
I cut all string grooves in all bows with a 5/32 chain saw sharpening file. A chain saw file is not tapered. If you use a rat tail file it’s hard to keep the grooves even depth because of your file taper.
Please see above pics. Bear Archery string nock cutter dude's used rat tail files noted by the pic of the tip overlay on the left has more of an opening on the left side .I try and get the corewood to show completely around the edge of the new overlay just like the originals did. Those tips do need a little finish sanding but I try and keep everything as smooth as possible to prevent string wear. The riser overlays come back to about 80-90% original looking color.
One thought on removing them or replacing them rather. It’s kind of hard to follow the original bend on the back of the bow right at the shelf without a form. If you do use clamps you will see dimples in the new overlay from the clamps they are hard to sand out. Plus it’s hard to get a good bite with clamps on the back of the bow because of the limb angle.
You can make a small form that will bend the overlays fairly well but they were original formed with the air bladder system.
Ya know I almost forgot one other thing. If you have a factory quiver bushing in your bow, it’s best to remove it first before sanding. Sanding the head off the bushing is not good. The bushing was also installed after the leather grip to create a real nice looking edge. There was a factory tool for installing the bushing that was normally supplied to Bear dealers or if you ordered a quiver bushing kit the tool came with it.
I know I got one someplace but darned if I could find it right now. I have a tool I made that works pretty good and a bit easier to use maybe. It’s just an old square shank screwdriver I cut the flat blade off.
I think that it’s 1/4" but I will double-check it. The square shank fits the quiver bushing real nice. Sometimes the bushings get stuck and you may split the wood by forcing it to hard. I stick the end of the screwdriver in the torch for a few seconds and then place it inside the bushing and let a little heat transfer to the brass bushing.
It only takes 20-30 seconds. They normally will come right out then. Just don't force them.
You may find them around somewhere. I've also plugged a few bushing holes in bows and got a couple that way. It’s not the tapered hole stem seat. There the straight threaded so the quiver mounting screw will screw flush rather than the pipe thread type.
OK you should be about ready.
Got all you little spots glued and sanded clean?
Final inspection. I am thinking we will start putting the first coats of finish on real soon. Stay tuned.
Another thing you may want to do is get your finishing area all real nice and clean. It really does not matter what type finish you use. The cleaner the work area, the less airborne particles floating around. New finish of any type is almost like fly paper. Anything and everything will stick to it.
I will be spraying a 3 part with a flex agent mixed in so I guess you might say a 4 part. Ted told me Birchwood Casey gun stock finish comes in a spray can I've not tried it yet but several guy's I talked with seem to like it. Its sprays on fairly thin so and a person may have to add 3-4 extra coats.
In most cases I can feather the finish back on the limb and then place the transfers then spray over that spot only. As mentioned above I usually wet sand the entire bow and add 1-2 final coats over everything to blend it all together. When I set the decals on the first operation I finish up the riser and wood sections first as they will soak up lots of finish. Then when that’s done I add 2 thin coats right where the transfers are going.
I let that set a few minutes up to half an hour. Place the transfers down and then spray 1-2 coats over them. Let that dry 24 hours and then finish spraying the whole bow. If you are using brush on or wipe on type finish, make sure to go over your transfers with a very thin app. the first 3-4 times and do not brush or wipe to hard as it will wipe the new transfers off.
If your using Birchwood & Casey Tru-Oil gunstock finish its best to maybe get the spray can. That way you can spray over the transfers without damaging them.
For serial numbers it’s best to remove the lettering and rewrite it. If you leave the lettering there will be a yellow circle around it from the original finish. The wood part of the bow needs to be almost all finished before you apply new finish to the limbs. The wood will soak up 5-10 times the amount of finish needed on the limbs.
After I have the wood pores filled fairly good 4-6 coats I wet sand where I am going to do my lettering so it’s clean and smooth. There are several good brands of gold pens on the market. Maybe someone has the brand names of them.
Myself I use Testors gold model paint and a calligraphy pen. It’s a bit more work but looks OK I think. When putting finish over the lettering no matter what type pen paint or ink you use to letter your bow with you will have to apply your new finish in several real thin coats.
If you are brushing your finish on you will want to kind of blot the finish over the new lettering silk screens or decals and let it dry like 24 hours. A regular paintbrush or those sponge brushes may brush the letter off maybe test a small spot first. The sponge brushes may work a little better than a regular paintbrush.
OK you guys should be bouts ready to put your finish on. One thing to make sure and do is get your bow nice and clean. Myself I do not like to wipe the bow down with any solvents cleaners acetone or anything like that because those types of solvent will bring natural oils to the surface of the wood and can cause problems. The solvents can also leave stains on the fiberglass. I just give the bow a good light sanding from tip to tip and then blow it clean with my air compressor...
I have several bows to set up this AM and will try and get some pics starting with the riser sections first.
You got your wood sections all sanded clean and all the dust blown off and did you reset the coins yet? I start off with a thin first application of finish on the riser. The wood will take 5-6 times more finish then the limbs. First application is thin and I wait about 20-30 minutes. This is with the type finish I use. Always follow the instructions per manufacturer’s product. 20-30 minutes later another thin app of finish wait 20-30 again and apply a 3rd.So you will have applied a total of 3 layers again this is what I use.3 applications are actually one layer now about 3 mils thick. If you’re using gun stock finish or Danish Tung oil type finish you can only apply one coat of those type finishes and you have to let that one dry 100% before you apply another.
Those finishes and any finish you’re going to apply a 2nd or 3rd application should be wet sanded after 24 hrs. or so cure time.
Please note the maple sight window 59 Kodiak has 3 applications of 3 thin coats per app. Total of 9 coats on the wood and the pores are about half way filled (damn rosewood). However that’s the best way to bring the true rich colors out in the rosewood and Purple Heart both or any wood.
Sand it good and blow it clean with compressed air. Let the bow set in a warm room temp area for 2-3 days while you’re working on other little projects. Then apply thin layers of finish at first so it will penetrate.
If you apply to thick of finish it will harden before it really soaks in good. Wood sealers and fillers suck and they are for guy's looking for a short cut.
The best way to remove the grip is just peel it open at the seam and peel it off however you can. Sometimes they are a little stubborn and you will have to actually scrap the old leather off. I use a small wood scraper on lots and lots of leather grips.
I managed to get all the wet sanding done early this morning and enough time to add 3 more applications to most bows risers this afternoon. The maple sight window now has 12 super thin layers applied in 3 applications 20 minutes apart over 4 days. I wet sanded with 600 grit in between each spraying.
Still showing some pores in the rosewood.
Topic: Restoration 101 - (Holy Smokes!) (Read 7376 times)
