Refinished my old Ben Pearson Colt.

[Bob L.]

This was my first Recurve that got me hooked. 62" 40# @28. It had seen better days the Riser was just crappy. The bow came already drilled for a sight or to attach a quiver so I left them on there and I use an alpine 5 arrow quiver with it. I had some left over Thunderbird Satin finish that I applied on it. The limbs are perfectly fine so I didn't fool with them. I reshaped the shelf a little bit and used velcro for the rest and strike plate. Don't ever get rid of your old bow, just give em a face lift. Anyone know what Riser wood this is?
Bob

 

 

 

 

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Nice job Bob    I've got one of those bows also. My brother is using it and my wood seems to be darker than yours, It looks like walnut on my bow    

Tracy

[Double Tee]

I'm not sure on the wood but I have one just like it except mine doesn't have the quiver inserts.I refinished my BP-52 and was going to do the Colt but haven't gotten around to it yet.I have thought about redoing the shelf like you did,one reason I haven't done it yet,can't decide if its the thing to do on the reshape?I bought mine in 1969,it was my first bow 45@28" What did you use to reshape the shelf?

[Hot Hap]

I believe that is olla wood. Hap

[Killdeer]

Hap's right. I had my old Colt refinished too. To my eyes, these are some of the most beautiful bows out there. I remember clearly, I was fifteen, and my mom, little brother and I were at a flea market. I wandered off my own way, and found a bow on a table. I begged my mom for the twenty dollars, and when she saw the bow, she gave it to me.

I had graduated from my Bear Green Fox.
I shot that bow every chance I could, taking it on my bike through the naval base and naval air station to the field range that was set up in the nether regions of the base. I took it to college and shot it there, taking gym just so I could shoot it more. Got a job on a horse farm, took it with me.

After moving on, I picked it up and saw that the finish was crazed and popping off in spots, and couldn't bear to have the bow fall prey to moisture infiltration. I sent it and another Colt to Bowdoc, and now it looks like new. Well, except that Bowdoc writes so small that you can't read the serial number, especially with eyes that are thirty-eight years older than they were when they first rested on the swirling, mysterious beauty of an olla wood riser.

Killdeer

 

[Harmless]

Bob, great job !!  

[Wannabe1]

Nice work Bob! I like the looks of it.

Killdeer: Great story. Some things you just can't let go of, right?    

[vermonster13]

Some fine wood in these older bows. Nice job.

[Bob L.]

Double Tee,
I used a Rasp and Mil Bastard File to give a little Crown in the shelf for better arrow clearance. Then Rounded all the shelf corners with 120/220 grit sandpaper. Applied the Velcro with Barge Cement which is really nice stuff to work with.

Thanks for the comments and stories everyone, those Colts are underrated.
Bob

[d. ward]

Wow Bob that looks just super nice.bowdoc

[Bob L.]

Thanks Bowdoc

[eman614]

that bow looks alot like the ben pearson javelina that my little cousin shoots. you did a great job refinishing it. looke like i'll be doing the same for my cousins. got to replace the tip overlays since one side popped off. hope my work turns out nice as yours!
eric

[Bob L.]

Thanks Eric, good luck refinishing the Javelina.
Bob

[wollybear]

GREAT JOB!!!  fine verry fine""      :cool:        

[threeundr]

Bob, that's a great looking bow. I had a Pearson Mustang that almost looked identical.

-Leonard-