Easy and durable finish?

[rockkiller]

Originally posted by Bvas:
I used all satin coats on the bow that chipped.  Which may explain why.  Satin formulas never seem to be as durable.

Im
I used the matte clear.So maybe if a guy used the clearcoat first like Kenny, it would hold up better??

[Zradix]

Anybody try Krlyon ColorMaster® Paint + Primer Acrylic Crystal Clear?

I like spar and wipe on poly for some stuff.
It would be nice to find a good non-yellowing clear.
I'll have to check into the wheel coat Kenny is talking about to.
Thanks


  http://www.krylon.com/products/colormaster-paint-primer-acrylic-crystal-clear/

[Bow man]

I am going to ask? Why not just use Thunderbird? You just need a Air Compressor and a $30 spray gun. After that a pint kit will do approx 15 to 20 bows. so you are looking at a cost of approx. $3.75  per bow shipped to you price. Or pick it up at one of the many events we attend. and you will have the best finish you can ever have on a bow, and you know it has proven it's self with time.
Look at our testimonials page and see just a small number of Bowyers that use it,       https://tbirdarchery.com/p/testimonials  

 With all the time and money put in to that bow why wouldn't you use it?

And no we are sorry but we are still not shipping overseas.

[Bowjunkie]

That's what I was going to say. Why mess around?

I used various finishes prior, from true oil to some that the pro's used, but have used nothing but T-Bird for many years. Imo, it's the best, by a long shot in many instances. A fine, professional quality(or better), super durable finish, is an integral part of making my bows the best I'm capable of.

I'm content, and sorry but not interested in others until one is found BETTER than T-Bird.

Why NOT use T-Bird? Because you need an air compressor and spray gun? Take $100 and go to Harbor Freight.

Because you have nowhere to spray it? Sure, a spray booth would be nice, but I've never had one, I've done most of them hanging from the garage door track, but have done them hanging in the shop, from a rain gutter, from a tree limb. Lol whatever works.

[Bvas]

Originally posted by Bow man:
I am going to ask? Why not just use Thunderbird? You just need a Air Compressor and a $30 spray gun. After that a pint kit will do approx 15 to 20 bows. so you are looking at a cost of approx. $3.75  per bow shipped to you price. Or pick it up at one of the many events we attend. and you will have the best finish you can ever have on a bow, and you know it has proven it's self with time.
Look at our testimonials page and see just a small number of Bowyers that use it,          https://tbirdarchery.com/p/testimonials      

 With all the time and money put in to that bow why wouldn't you use it?

And no we are sorry but we are still not shipping overseas.

I have not tried Tbird, but have only heard great things about it. There are a couple reasons I have hesitated on trying. I already have the compressor and gun, so that is not an issue.

My biggest concern is shelf life. As of now, I only build a handful of bows a year. So a pint kit would last 3-4 years. Will it last that long?
Second. It seems most guys do the first few coats with gloss, then just do topcoat with satin or flat. So now I’m looking at doubling the investment.

[Bow man]

Originally posted by Bvas:
 

Originally posted by Bow man:
I am going to ask? Why not just use Thunderbird? You just need a Air Compressor and a $30 spray gun. After that a pint kit will do approx 15 to 20 bows. so you are looking at a cost of approx. $3.75  per bow shipped to you price. Or pick it up at one of the many events we attend. and you will have the best finish you can ever have on a bow, and you know it has proven it's self with time.
Look at our testimonials page and see just a small number of Bowyers that use it,            https://tbirdarchery.com/p/testimonials        

 With all the time and money put in to that bow why wouldn't you use it?

And no we are sorry but we are still not shipping overseas.

I have not tried Tbird, but have only heard great things about it. There are a couple reasons I have hesitated on trying. I already have the compressor and gun, so that is not an issue.

My biggest concern is shelf life. As of now, I only build a handful of bows a year. So a pint kit would last 3-4 years. Will it last that long?
Second. It seems most guys do the first few coats with gloss, then just do topcoat with satin or flat. So now I’m looking at doubling the investment. [/b]

As long as it is kept in someplace cool we guarantee at 2 years shelf life. We have heard of some people use in it up to three or four years when it is kept somewhere cool. Four years though seems like it would be really pushing its shelf life

[wayne rollinson]

Bowman is this something that can be delivered worldwide?
Regards Wayne

[Bow man]

Originally posted by wayne rollinson:
Bowman is this something that can be delivered worldwide?
Regards Wayne

No Wayne we have not been able to come up with an international shipping method that is cost effective enough. We will continue to work on it.

[Bowjunkie]

Bvas, I don't know how long exactly, but I know I've used it well in excess of 2 years without a problem.

I did a bunch of bows with Thunderbird satin finish only... no gloss underneath, and was happy with the results.

If you want to use up the finish faster, don't put the gloss underneath, and use the satin as its own filler, instead of using their sealer/filler. The sealer/filler does speed up the process because it has more solids and dries faster, but I've used the finish itself as the sealer/filler by simply using a little less thinner and laying the finish down in heavier coats until the pores of the wood were filled, sanded and leveled off, then add a little more thinner and lay down a finish coat or two. Done.

That said, some folks don't worry about totally filling the pores of the wood, they're content to put a few coats on, seal and protect the wood and make it look half decent, and it'll do that too, plus it's tough.

[Zradix]

Interesting thoughts guys.
Have to admit, I've never really looked into using T-bird mostly because I figured it would be hard to do correctly. I'm sure there is some sort of learning curve to figuring out how to get a nice looking coat of the stuff ie..correct ratio of thinner, the right pressure/flow of air, the right nozzle etc. I have zero experience with any type of spray rig...always seemed like an art form that I didn't feel was up my alley.

The thought of buying a rattle can seemed so much more simple.

Might have to think about T-bird a little harder.

[Mark R]

I'm with bow man and bowjunkie, I'm a true oil guy but on more grainy and porous type wood I brush on  Tbird sealer let dry, sand and then true oil. When I use spray equipment I use Tbird products.

[Bow man]

Originally posted by Zradix:
Interesting thoughts guys.
Have to admit, I've never really looked into using T-bird mostly because I figured it would be hard to do correctly. I'm sure there is some sort of learning curve to figuring out how to get a nice looking coat of the stuff ie..correct ratio of thinner, the right pressure/flow of air, the right nozzle etc. I have zero experience with any type of spray rig...always seemed like an art form that I didn't feel was up my alley.

The thought of buying a rattle can seemed so much more simple.

Might have to think about T-bird a little harder.

Yeah takes just a bit to learn to use and to adjust your set up, but by the time your first bow is done you'll realize how easy it is. We can easily give you enough tips and information over the phone with the first order that you should be able to take right off spraying.  When Tracey and I first took over St Joe River, we tried several things in the first 4 months including rattle cans then one day I bought my first order of Thunderbird and never considered using anything else again.  Remember simple does not mean better

[Zradix]

In you guys' experience, does the t-bird affect aniline dyes that were wetted with alcohol?

I've tried some finishes that will pull the dye out of the wood and leaves a blotchy type appearance....especially if over sprayed slightly.

I don't seem to have much of that problem with spray spar urethane.

[Bow man]

Tracey does a lot of staining on Bows and not been an issue. But I do tend to use a little less of the thinner on a bow she stained

[Zradix]

interesting..Thank you!

[Bowjunkie]

Zradix, I think most folks feel as you do, and I did at one time as well. What convinced me to switch to an air sprayer back in the day was the quality of finishes my mentors were getting on their bows.

Honestly, sure like anything new, there's a learning curve, but this isn't much harder to get good at than learning to use a rattle can properly or wipe on finish... and I'd venture to say it's easier to achieve top quality results this way. Once you're reasonably familiar with it, 2 or 3 bows, you'll probably wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Anyhow, go check out their site. There's a 'How to apply' page that gives you an overview of the process and offers suggestions on prep, the best size tips to use, thinner ratios, cure times, etc. And of course if you have any questions not covered there, those of us who use it will try to help.

I'll add this. You don't need fancy expensive spray guns and compressors. I use cheap spray guns... generic touch up or 'jamb' guns for 20-30 bucks at the local discount store, use them for as long as they last, for a dozen or more bows, just rinsing some cheap lacquer thinner through them, then pitch them when they get gummed up and go buy another. I'm not tearing them down and changing packing, gaskets, rods, tips, and all that for 20-30 bucks... ain't worth it, and those guns do a great job, so I'm not buying expensive guns.

I thought I would have to have water separators and filters throughout, and it's not a bad idea. But I bought them and have them around here someplace, but I never got around to putting them on my 'system'... and guess what. I've never had an issue with water getting into the finish and causing fish eye, orange peel or any of that. Just compressor, regulator, hose, gun. Maybe I'm just lucky :^)

Maybe when I get ready to spray my next couple of bows, I'll do a little 'spray along' thread so you guys can see what's up.

[Bowjunkie]

Zradix, I use alcohol aniline dyes on many wooden bows I make. From coal black to subtle coloring just for grain highlights, I haven't had the tiniest, single issue with T-Bird over those dyes. Nada.

Generally, after they're final sanded, I dye them, blending and fading colors as I work for an hour or so... let them dry for 30 minutes, and then rub/buff off any dye residue with a clean cotton cloth. If I'm happy with the dye job,
I then write the length and weight on them and sign them with India ink, leave them in room temperature until the next day to be sure all alcohol has evaporated and ink has dried... and then wipe with a tack cloth and spray.

I HAVE done this all in one day without an issue, but it makes me nervous, so I like to give the dye and ink a day to dry if I can.

[Zradix]

Thanks for the great insight Bowjunkie.
 It is really a very tempting idea.
I was just looking at harbor freight...looking at the cheapy guns that were at least gravity fed (some with regulator some w/o), the filters, separate regulators etc..

Very tempting for sure.
I think I'll be trying it soon.
I'm a little reluctant right now though...
I just got done spending a few hours playing with green and yellow dye to get just the right color. Was a real pita.
Learned a few things...

1st the color was coming out too teal color even with LOTS of yellow added. Then I learned by adding more alcohol not only de saturated the color a bit but also changed the hue considerably towards the green color.

2nd was that it was totally surprising how teal the dye looked when on the wood. Then after spraying with a little spar was a perfect green.

so...there was a lot of head scratching gone into making this wood/dye/finish combo come out right...kinda reluctant to throw that time away at the moment...lol

[Bowjunkie]

Yep, been there. I've had several come out different than intended, often for the better, but only had one bow that I really didn't like in the end. It was a color my wife had chosen, a turquois blue/green on a Hophornbeam selfbow. I HATE that thing, purely because of the color. Otherwise it's a good bow and I would have used the heck out of it. I shot it 200 times before I finished it, but probably less than 30 times since it was completed. Does that make me a bow racist? lol I should sand it and refinish it.

[Zradix]

lol...not a racist..maybe slightly vain..lol

Funny..my worst experience was with my Wife's stuff too.
She wanted purple stained arrows.
Made a great colored purple stain from red and blue.
Wiped on some poly..still looked good.
While the poly was drying, it raised the red dye to the top or something and all the arrows turned out a weird bluish fuschia color.
She was ok with it...but everytime I look at those shafts I feel defeated...lol