it figures I'd open my old email addy and there it is! Ha, so here you go. I'm not up to posting his contact info so maybe he'll chime in if he's not to busy fishing! I know a bunch of us have used it and it works well. it took a little for me to get it right...well hey it's just me, I'm prone to making bad mistakes and getting them out of the way first LOL! so here it is......
Tom Kiessling's epoxy/acetone finish for arrows, and its application.
1) First thing I do is stain shafts after marking the stain/crown
line. I usually use aniline dyes from Gray Ghost Archery, but
anything will work. I only stain up to where the stain and crown
meet.
2) After stain dries, sand off any raised grain, then stain again
if necessary to achieve desired color.
3) If I don't have any epoxy formula made up, I use the following
procedure for that:
I purchase Devcon 2-ton epoxy and a can of acetone from Wal-Mart
in the paint section. I use a 4 or 6 ounce baby food jar to squirt
the entire contents of epoxy in to. I then completely mix the 2
epoxy parts until clear. I then add 1 ounce of acetone (1/2 jar)
and stir until the epoxy appears to have dissolved and looks like
only acetone remains. I then fill the jar with acetone and stir
again for a few seconds.
4) Applied one coat of epoxy as described next:
Always wear chemical resistant gloves, I use the blue Nitrate cloves
that the tools trucks (Snap-On, Mac) sell to local automotive and
diesel garage mechanics. I use small cotton rags cut from t-shirts.
Hold arrow at nock or point end, make one long continuous swipe
from end to end. Then rotate shaft 180 degrees and do again. (Do
not attempt to double wipe on same side, the rag will only stick to
the first coat).
5) After epoxy dries, check for raised grain. Sand if needed.
6) Apply second coat of epoxy.
7) Next, I tape (2 inch making tape works well) off the shaft where
the crown and lower shaft stain meet. I then spray the crowns on,
(I usually use Krylon enamels, and usually 2 coats are needed too).
8) After crown dries, apply cresting lines (Testors and Odds-n-Ends).
9) After crown and cresting are COMPLETELY dry, spray or brush the
crown and cresting with a thin coat of Min Wax Water Based
Polyacrylic (blue can). I prefer to brush mine on.
10) After poly dries, apply second coat.
11) After letting poly dry an hour, apply first coat of epoxy over
entire shaft. Make sure to check wiping rag for paint residue
after first arrow to insure that acetone is not attacking cresting
and crown. If paint is being attacked, crest the arrow if
needed, and give another coat of poly over all arrows.
12) If all is ok, I will usually put on 4 to 6 coats of epoxy,
make sure to smooth out finish very lightly with 0000 steel wool
between all coats (do not steel wool last coat unless you prefer
a satin finish).
13) I then set nocks using Duco cement, and mount feathers with either
Bohning Fletch Tape or regular super glue (not the gel stuff).
I prefer the tape. This makes for easy feather repair if needed.
*After I am done with the epoxy, I store it in a empty (purchased
new and unused at a paint store) pint paint can. I will sometimes
mix up 3 or 4 doses of epoxy for the paint can too. I do this
when I know I will be making several dozens of arrows. The can
keeps the sun out, preventing yellowing. It also keeps the acetone
from evaporating.
Topic: Spray Paint for Arrow Dip (Read 1127 times)
