Watco Danish Oil Soak for Weight

[Green]

I would think Poplar, being wide ringed, would soak up the most oil.  Hope you get a chance to test that.

[Bud B.]

Mine are in a 1.5" PVC tube and they were banded when initially put in the tube. Preliminary indications are they are getting a good all around soak. I have thought of warming the oil to aid penetration but o far all seems well. A doz 11/32 shafts fit nicely in the tube and one pint completely submerged them. I have an old pill bottle sitting between the cap and shafts forcing the shafts downward to stay submerged.

[Bud B.]

Originally posted by Green:
I would think Poplar, being wide ringed, would soak up the most oil.  Hope you get a chance to test that.

Let me get past Christmas and magnus will be getting a PM.  

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

Hey Bud, rather than warming the oil, you might use a heat gun on the arrows to open the pores of the wood just before dipping/soaking. My brother is a custom pipe maker, and he uses heat to allow stains to penetrate deeper into the briar wood. This may cause issues with straightness though, I wouldn't know as I've never made wood arrows.

[b.glass]

There was an article in TBM a few years back where the guy used as I recall poplar soaked in Watco. I started doing that with 1/4" kids arrows of poplar. He said that the evergreen type woods don't soak up the oil like hard woods do because of the resin in them. Poplar is a soft hardwood that really soaks up the oil.

[Keefer]

Bud,
 If you have a 2x4x8 laying around the shop or any long board and have some cloths pins that have that spring clamp(modern style) and some hot melt glue and a glue gun you can lay the board horizontaly and glue cloths pins horizontal as well so you will have a jig to clamp the shafts to drip dry in a shop,garage,or anywhere you like...Just put some newspaper or whaever you got to catch any drips under the shafts and prop the 2x4x8 jig between two step ladders,two work benchs,trashcans,sawhorses or whatever you can rig up unless you already have a drying rack of some sort...I use my jig ll the time when dipping wood etc..
   

[Bud B.]

Just an update.

Danish oil soak was about two weeks worth. The shafts have been out of the oil for nearly three weeks now. They are still not dry. I have used an ACE roller straightener to check and straighten them as they dry. In using the roller it squeezes out undried oil from the wood fibers. Thought I'd post the update in case others contemplated trying this....the dry time seems loooong.

[Keefer]

Bud,
 The Dry time can take a good week to dry if in a cool climate..If you have a heated garage,or even a boiler room that would speed up the drying time..Those perfect 70 degree days are pretty much over here in the North East so drying time will take longer unless in a heated room with air circulating..
Now when you taper the shaft for the point make sure you use a good glue like "Ferltite" if I remember correctly and duco in the green tube for the nocks and the feathers...If you deside to use wraps then Bohning fletch tite will be o.k. cause the duco I just use on some wraps recently fell off next day..You may just want to leave the shaft all natural with just the danish oil and to me it's more "Traditional" looking!

[b.glass]

I made my arrows in the summer and let them dry on the porch in the sun. They didn't take too long to dry that way.

[FAV 52]

alright guys a few questions ; what do the shafts look like after being soaked ; do you straighten them before or after being soaked ; can they be cap dipped and crested .

[Bud B.]

These have been downstairs in the kitchen area. Now they are upstairs where circulation is nil (last three days). I will wait it out. I can hang them over the heat duct vent if needed.

[Linwood Hines]

WOW!  Thank y'all for this info!  I use to use Watco on canoe paddles.  I should've thought about it for shafts.  BTW:  kudos to Surewood Shafts - I recently discovered them thanks to TG and Sure do like their Wood!  Now, I wonder if it will work ok with footed shafts (Surewood shafts, footed by Great Basin (both sponsors, btw)?

[Russ Clagett]

I shoot Surewood Doug Fir arrows....havent had to straighten one ever.

Ever.

[Caleb the bow breaker]

Probably not the info you are after, but I made a dozen Ash arrows some years ago and with a regualar finish job and point weight they came in over 850 grains.  Might be something to consider if you cant get where you need to be using this technique.

C

[Bud B.]

Originally posted by Russ Clagett:
I shoot Surewood Doug Fir arrows....havent had to straighten one ever.

Ever.

Wish I could say the same but they straighten very easily with the Ace roller. Great quality but I have had some that needed attention.

[Keefer]

FAV52,
  "Floquil" Which can be found at a model train hobby shop will work for the cresting an comes in some little 2 or 4 oz. bottles...I bought the flat finish which made them look really dull and not shine but I do believe they have a gloss finish as well..As far as dipping you can check the hobby shop to see if they carry a spray paint made by "Floquil" for those little choo choo trains I know my crest which was just a thin couple of lines I preferred din't peel off so to speak cause someone else wrote an article about this paint in some Traditional magazine about 10 years ago or more...I will try to see if I can locate that article...I just remember it took well with the danish oil cause some paints won't bond well unless surface is prep. correctly...

[FAV 52]

Hey thanks Keefer ; might give it a try ; going back to wood shafts that's for sure !