spray paint for arrows?

[Luke Vander Vennen]

I'm going to try my hand at something new on a few arrows I'm going to make. My question is this: will I need to finish the arrows before I paint them, or will the spray paint do the job?

[42WLA]

I have used spray for a crown dip. Just mask and spray. I have used Krylon Appliance Epoxy for White and I like the Fusion for colors.

[PaulRoberts]

I've been using Krylon fluorescent colors for some arrows. They work just fine.

[Shakes.602]

I use Spray Paint for Crowns, then I seal them all with MinWax Satin Poly. Dip & Drip method for the Sealer.    
 When everything has had a couple of days to dry really good, I give them a Coat of Turtle Wax! Makes them Slicker than Cat Snot!  

[Golden Hawk]

Dupli Color engine enamel works good also. Mask and spray prior to dipping.

[Dustin Waters]

I used krylon to crown these arrows after i gasket lacquered the shaft and sealed.  I just masked them off then painted them.  The only thing i will suggest is be careful using DUCO to put your nocks on.  The glue will take the paint off when you try to clean it up.  Then i used fletch tape to put the feathers on.  The turned out better than expected.

 http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e349/trdtnlbwhntr/Picture093.jpg

[tamure]

Very nice, Dustin. I think I'm going to start using paint instead of dye.

How did you do the cresting? My cresting is so pathetic, I need a better way.

[Big Dave]

I use the cheap wallyworld paint but you better use the gloss because I have not had good luck with the flat. Then I dip and drip water base polyurathane and let it dry real good. If you are going to stain part of it,do that first and mask it off.   :D    :D    :D

[Huntschool]

I do as many above.  First I dip or do the water based poly to seal.  Let it dry good.  Next I mask off the length of the dip and spray with Krylon or Rustolium for color.  After this sets up hard I do my cresting with Testors enamals and the finish with another two coats of water based poly....... I use fletch tape also.....

[Jake H]

The real trick is to make sure you're using compatible finishes.   I've found, for example, that cheap enamel spray paint is woefully incompatible with Bohning finishes and with Testors paints.   Might work better with the waterbased polyurathane finishes.

With all the incompatibility in my test case I did the following:
stain up to the line of the cresting
dip in Fletch-Laq to the line of the cresting.
Mask and spray the crown dip
Add the cresting.
Glue on the feathers.
Paste Wax like there's no tomorrow.

It *worked*, but the results weren't very satisfying even so.   Which comes back to 'use compatible finishes'.    There's been some good advice above on what has worked for folks and I'd listen to it.

Frankly, for the number of arrows I make in a year, it's not worth the headache to me to try and pinch pennies.  I use Bohning all the way and everything always works.

Jake
(who salutes the frugal fletchers who have taken the time to do the matching.)

[Bowspirit]

I always use spray paint for my arrows. I haven't tried any other way of finishing them, but I use a spray on finish. Cheap, but surprisingly effective...

[Stacal0]

Originally posted by Bowspirit:
but I use a spray on finish. Cheap, but surprisingly effective...

Is this like the Krylon clear coats?

[ny state land]

I have been spray cresting also and then clear polying the hole thing. after flecting with tape eventually I have had very few, but some pull the clear off with the tape,
' usually after a hit" . can someone explain how you are dipping? and what in? Thank You