2024 Bow Swap Progress Thread - Open

[Mad Max]

Sorry for your loss Chris.

I have my victims bow finished up. Just needs a rest and a string and I’ll get it shipped.

 


Nice bows everyone 

[kennym]

  :thumbsup:Awesome work this year guys!!

[jess stuart]

Awesome work everyone

[John Scifres]

This is not my swap bow but my practice fiberglass takedown sleeve.  I've always wanted to try it and now I know I can do it.  Now to get my actual swap bow done up like this one.  I learned a lot that will help with that.  So that's "progress", right?

[Roy from Pa]

Very nice, John..

[jess stuart]

John I bet that bow would do great in New Mexico with our dry climate.

[canopyboy]

Holy cow are there some awesome bows being sent out this year! I plan to start making real progress on the one for my victim after April 15th but still with plenty of time before the deadline.

I am however remiss in posting up some pictures of the amazing bow I received from Kenny! Apparently someone had moved the camera from the sock drawer but I finally found it and got someone to take a full draw picture. I don't think the pictures fully capture the beauty of this thing. I don't think I've ever held a bow with this many glue joints before!  I really like the way the walnut/maple action wood creates the patterns up the side of the limb profile. But without further ado:

[jess stuart]

I will be dropping my victi.s bow off at UPS  this afternoon

[Crooked Stic]

What is the tracking# Jess

[jess stuart]

14 I think hehe

[Smguinnip]

Hopefully the clear will cure on the bocote this time around, had to sand back to bare wood and wipe down with acetone after the first try, hit it with a light coat of spar to see if it’s gonna cure this time. I will have to wait for good weather to be able to spray the whole thing. Hopefully the color is not too loud for my victim.

[Mad Max]

Shellac works good for sealing oily woods, lightly sand and your ready to spray your finish.

[Smguinnip]

I have read that and will try that if it doesn’t cure this time around, I didn’t have any on hand and get impatient at times. I appreciate the help. Thanks

[kennym]

My experience with oily woods and spar was first coat seemed good and second turned sticky.

I like the auto clear coat much better, dries quick on any wood I've sprayed it on ...

Like that back overlay!!

[dbeaver]

i hope my victim got their bow... i seemed to misplace my tracking number

[Smguinnip]

I shied away from the VHT wheel paint “clear” last year because it took so long to cure, but in hindsight, i believe that was because I put it on unsealed bocote and put on successive coats before the previous coat had set up enough. If this go round doesn’t work, I will take your advice and go with the shellac and auto clear. I’ve seen that a lot of you guy start with gloss for durability and finish with satin or flat, I’ll prolly go this route. Thanks again for your help guys.

[Jon Lipovac]

Another great looking batch’s of bows going out. Well done.

Right or wrong. I’ve been known to wipe down a Bocote riser with an acetone soaked paper towel right before finishing to wipe the surface oil off. You do have to be careful as it can discolor white accents and the like. Not sure if that would help with the slower drying finishes or not. I personally use conversion varnish that drys pretty fast.

[kennym]

I never seal bocote before spraying the clearcoat on it and it dries in 15 min or less, but I don't use VHT , altho somebody compared the two brands and said they were virtually alike. Don't remember who read up on it tho...

What I use is from O'relillys , Duplicolor Perfect Match clear

[Mad Max]

I never seal bocote before spraying the clearcoat on it and it dries in 15 min or less, but I don't use VHT , altho somebody compared the two brands and said they were virtually alike. Don't remember who read up on it tho...

What I use is from O'relillys , Duplicolor Perfect Match clear

BenBow started a test with VHT Matte clear

[Crooked Stic]

Finishing epoxy thinned 50 percent with acetone will seal the wood. But sometimes a pain to sand.