Arrow Finishing question

[Green]

Hope this is the right subforum to post this question in.  If I use a water based sealer like Polycrilic for wood shafts....what brand of paints will work best for crown dip/cresting?
Thanks for your help and expertise!

[PEARL DRUMS]

Any high pigment paint will go right on water based stain. I use 3 dollar artist paint with great results. You will want to let it dry for at least 24 hours before sealing, otherwise it will smear.

[rbbhunt]

I've used red deveil enamel for crown dipping and model paints for cresting and then dip in the Polycrylic.

[Green]

Is the high pigment paint water based also?  Showing my ignorance of finishes here....I've never used a water based sealer so I'm assuming I'd have to use water based paints/stains to keep the finishes from destroying one another?

[PEARL DRUMS]

No it isnt. You will need Acetone to clean brushes and such. I use the gasket system from Lost Nation Archery, works PERFECTLY. I highly recommend using it. You can seal a dozen shafts in an hour and fletch and hour after that. The acetone in the laquer will smear the paint, hence the 24 hr wait.

[magnus]

Pearl Drums.
What consistency do you make you poly for the gasket system. I just got it but haven't tried it yet. Thanks.

Keeping the Faith!
Magnus

[Pat B]

When I was making cedars I use water based craft paing or water baseddecorative paints and sealed with water based poly. Both work very well and no fumes to deal with.
  I did use a dip tube but not a gasket set-up. I just let them drip dry. I did taper the nock end but not the point end and would hang them by the point end to dry. When ready for the nock I just broke or sanded off the hardened drip from the tapered point.

[Green]

One question leads to another....lol.  So, after staining, how many coats of Poly are sufficient before crown dip/crest...then once that has dried just one coat of Poly for a final seal or am I missing something here?  When I last made arrows in the late 90's I primarily used Bohning paints/lacquer so the water based methods are new to me.  Again...thank y'all for the help in getting started again on the right path.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I put two coats on, crest, then two more coats. The cresting will cover nicer and look better over a poly coat rather than stained wood. I end up with 4 total coats of poly. Its hard and durable as ever.

[magnus]

Green. I do 2 or coats of sealer then crest and then 1 or 2 coats after that. Usually a total of 3 is enough. If I make them for someone else I do 4 total.

Keeping the Faith!
Magnus

[Green]

Last question....what ratio on sealer/water and paints/water do you prefer?

Thank Y'all for the info.  Great site, great members, and sure wish this site had been available 15 years ago.....would have saved a lot of trial/error/$$$...lol.  Just glad to have found it now that I'm back into things.

[Pat B]

Green, I usually put down one base coat, crowned and crested then at least one more coat but usually two more.
 When I thinned the poly I didn't measure but diluted it until I got the consistancy I wanted. I would do test dipe with arrow cut-offs to finf the right consistancy. I usually used the crown and cresting paint full strength.

[Green]

Thanks Pat...I'll experiment with it to see what gives me the right finish.  I've seen someone suggest 50/50 but that seems awfully high...but again I've never used water based sealers on arrows.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Prior to the gasket system I used Minwax poly in a can. I never thinned it one bit. I poured it in a PVC tube and dipped my arrows. Its thin enough as is as will run off perfectly, just takes longer than gasket laquer. Most polys will tell you not to thin, not all of them thought. DO NOT use a fan to dry it, it will dry it down before a total run-off has happened causing funny waves and a crappy finish.....trust me!

[Green]

Sounds like a plan Chris....appreciate the advice.  No problem letting them dry naturally....rather take the time for them to come out as good as they can.

[PEARL DRUMS]

You have done it before so you know how patience pays off in quality shafts. Have fun and welcome back to arrow building!

[muskiedaze]

I just tried minwax wipe on poly on some arrows. It dries quickly and looks good.

[hova]

did i just see someone talking about red devil paints? not to rag on anyone , but i used to do some...*ahem* spray art , and red devil was the most watery , runny , crap-tastic stuff i had ever seen...

hopefully it was just the fact that i got a bunch of it from BigSnot's , and it was just junk , but man that stuff was terrible.

my arrows are stained with coffee and sealed with some spray on clear i had , no cresting .


if i ever get some decent feathers to use , i would do the marble-izer dip using thinned enamel on top of water.cresting will be done with junobo markers.


-hov

[Green]

"my arrows are stained with coffee"

Give us the how-to and some pics of the coffee stain....price oughta be right.  

[magnus]

That would be cool!

Keeping the Faith!
Magnus