Best finish for bow?

[Knawbone]

Just ordered a bow blank from HHA. What is the best finish for a do it yourself-er. I don't have a sprayer for my compressor, but may get one for this and future projects. Tru-oil, poly, varnish....whats your oppinion- favorite?  Best method? Ease of use?

[macbow]

I really like Tru-oil but have trouble with it going bad before I use it all.
I currently use deft spray lacquer. Drys fast.
My last coat is satin but all before are gloss.

[Al Dean]

Min wax spar varnish in aerosol can if you don't have a sprayer.  Excellent finish once it cures for 3 days.  Gets harder the longer it cures and water and sun proof.

[Sam Harper]

I used to use TruOil, but I had the same problems as macbow.  It would go bad before I could use a whole bottle.  It coagulates.

Then I started using spray polyurethane.  The only problem with that is that it wouldn't dry on oily woods.

Then I switched to Deft.  I used Deft for the longest time because it dries quickly on the oiliest of woods.  But I've heard it's not that durable.

Now, I use Thunderbird (which I get at 3 Rivers Archery).  It starts off as a lacquer and therefore dries quickly even on oily woods.  Then after six hours, it turns into a polyurethane, and is therefore very durable.  You can get disposable sprayers for it.  They sell "Preval" sprayers at some Lowes and Home Depots, or you can order it on line.  It's very handy, but the nozzles sometimes clog if you leave it sitting too long.  I avoid that by removing it from the jar when I'm done spraying, and spraying a little air through it.

[MoeM]

I used linseed varnish thinned with turps to get in deep and dry fast, several coats and then 2-3 layers of thin rubbed out hard wax. Not that durable but easy to restore- but hard to sign with common felt pens- next layer will wipe it away.

For the futere I´m going to reduce the appliance of the linseed varnish to the riser as ground and colour popper and finish with 1K spar varnish applied with a pad or foam brush untill I find a good one available in rattlecans...

Ed.: like     this

[carpin'mark]

Helmsman spar urethane is available in rattle cans, I would recommend urethane vs. varnish, varnish tends to be hard=brittle and tends to crack over time. Spar urethane will remain flexible, has UV absorbers and will handle moisture better.

[Knawbone]

Thanks All I appreciate your input.  

[Xander]

Not much advice for bow finishes, but I have finished lots of woods and gun stocks/knife handles.

Tru-Oil, pour out what you need into a seperate small cup, re-cap the bottle and store it upside down.  Do not dip your finger directly into the bottle.  Also, some people recommend puting marbles or large nuts in the bottle to take up the air space.

There is also a catalyst to speed up drying of Tru-Oil, I can get 8-10 coats in a day.  If there's interest I can do a seperate write up of the process I use.

[macbow]

I would like to hear,about your process.
I've been guilty of the finger in the bottle.

[shade mt]

another finish that you don't hear much about is diluting clear Epoxy  (i use devcon ) with acetone or denatured alchol then wipe on. You need to work quickly and try to get it smooth and covered without going back over it. i then spray with spar poly once it's dry. it makes a hard tough as nails finish. And looks good. I have heard some others using epoxy and then coating with true oil but i haven't tried that.   One thing to remember if you use only poly, is Gloss poly is harder, use it as a base coat then finish with semi-gloss or flat if you want to tone the finish down.

[macbow]

The clear,epoxy and acetone is used a lot.
Around the,web it is know as the Massey finish in honor of one of it's first users.

[Xander]

Varnish over epoxy has been used on boats for lots of years, makes an excellent finish for teak.

I'll do a write up of how I use tru-oil on my knife handles and gun stocks tonight or tomorrow.

[john fletch]

I love Tru oil for my gunstock work but I like Tung oil better for my bows.  I make predominately primitive style bows and I want less shine than many modern finishs.  Tung oil soaks in well and dries with a low luster that I like.  It will not crack or peel.

[Bowjunkie]

I've tried several finishes over the years... polyurethane in a can, Massey finish, tung oil, linseed oil, deft urethane, fullerplast, thundebird, etc. Thunderbird makes the most durable and professional looking finish of those I've used. All you need is a compressor and a cheap touch-up gun.

[Roy from Pa]

I like Min-Wax tung oil, the finish comes out run and dust free. It is not water proof, but is water repellant. It does take time though because it has to dry 24 hours between coats. I put on 4 coats, sometimes 5. I smear it on with a rubber glove, wait 6 or 7 minutes and wipe it off with a clean rag. The first pass down the bow, it feels like glue, but you keep rubbing it and it's like waxing a car after the first couple passes down the bow. The more coats you apply, the higher satin gloss you get. When done with the tung oil, a coat of furniture paste wax seals it even better and gives it a higher satin gloss. I don't like high gloss bows, but that's just me.

[Knawbone]

A lot of good info here, thanks everyone and keep em coming.

[BigJim]

A very simple, easy to use finish.... Krystal and I have them broken down in to quart kits for resale (formerly only available in gallons).

Tougher but a little more dry time and effort...Buffalo hide epoxy (also known as TB).

Both are available on our website.
thanks, bigjim

[Bowjunkie]

Jim, which one of those two is tougher?

[Dan Bonner]

Second the Krystal. I have been using CVs for the last 3 years and I love them. I have used Tbird, FP and Spar too. They work but they are not as quick or easy as Krystal. I have heard TB is tougher but my experience has not proved that to me. Spraying a bow used to take a couple days, now it takes a couple of hours. I spray it with a $14 detail sprayer from Harbor Freight. If you run a little acetone through it after the CV it will last for a bunch of bows. I will buy my Krystal from Big Jim in quarts as soon as my gallon runs out.

Bonner

[BigJim]

I personally use the Buffalo hide epoxy as it is by far the toughest finish I have found...that being said, it takes me 2 1/2 days to put a finish on a bow but it is ready for battle.

Krystal is also tough, just not as. It is however very easy to and you can finish a bow in a half a day or less. It is also cheaper if that means anything to you.

thanks, BigJim