Staining and finishing your bow is the crowning glory to all of your hard work during the process of crafting a bow. These methods are to numerous to cover on this site, but I will however mention those that have worked well for me in the past. Stains and dye’s come in many types from oil based, water based, alcohol suspension to sealer stain combinations. Sealers come in the form of Varnish, Polyurethane, Varathane, Paraffin, Tru Oil, Lacquer or some type of Penetrating Oil. Finishes can either be on top of the woods or can penetrate into the wood grain itself. Most Oil finishes penetrate the wood but must be renewed seasonally for moisture protection Tru Oil being the best in my opinion. Poly, Verathane and Lacquers are applied and build up on the woods surface. They are susceptible to nicks and dings and touch up is a pain. Ideally we want a finish to be a moisture barrier and also to look good.
My favorite type of stain or dye is Fiebings leather dye. It comes in a variety of colors and can be rubbed on with a rag. Multiple colors can be blended on the bow for a different look if you wish. It takes 24 hrs or so to dry depending on how thick it is applied. Rit dye is also very good and can be dissolved in either water or denatured alcohol. The colors obtained using Rit are more translucent but can be applied darker with patience. I usually don’t use oil based stains due to the mess and the drying times involved. Also the water based finishes can be a problem in some cases trying to seal the bow. Natural stains and dyes can be made using many natural materials such as Black Walnut and Pecan hulls (green), natural earth pigments (Ocher’s), tree barks and other plant matter.
Finishes can be either hand rubbed or sprayed on either from a can or using a spray rig of some sort. I do not own a spry rig so I don’t have any hands on experience with it.
For hand rubbed finishes, Poly, Tru Oil, and Paraffin are the best in my opinion. A finish can also be made by mixing Two Ton Epoxy and Acetone into a thin slurry. This can then be wiped on the bow. Jay Massey used this for a long time hence the name Massey finish. He used this finish with great success in the harshest conditions of Alaska on sinewed bows.
Spray finishes are by far the easiest to apply. For spray on finish, I also recommend Poly for ease and consistency. It’s readily available at all the “Big Box” stores and gives a predictable finish every time. Varathanes also work but my success with those has been less than desirable. Care must be taken using the sprays due to the long drying times involved. If you don’t keep the bow in a clean area all kinds of crud can and will contaminate your finish requiring loads of sanding to remove it.
To obtain the best possible finish for your bow the surface must be free of grit, dirt, dust, oils or anything else that would affect it. Progressively sand your bow down to 400gr paper removing all traces of tool marks. Take a rag or sponge and dampen the wood lightly to raise the grain of the wood (you can feel the little hairs sticking up). Briskly sand this off with 400 gr paper or better if you have it. Let this dry for a while and repeat as many times as needed until the grain no longer rises. It should be VERY smooth by this point. Inspect the surface with your finger tips for rough places and address them accordingly until you have the bow completely smooth. Wipe the bow down really good with acetone before applying the finish.
There are several ways to hold the bow while applying the finish. I usually hold the bow with a strong spring clamp at the bows center. This will eventually
Be covered with a leather grip so any inconsistencies in the finish in this area are not a problem. Apply the first coat of finish and let it dry completely. Sand off any imperfections with 400 gr paper and hit the finish with 0000 steel wool. Wipe the bow down with steel wool to dissolve any of the steel wool that may have embedded in you finish. Apply the second coat and repeat the steps until you have the desired build up. This method works with hand rubbed finishes as well.
To apply a paraffin finish you need the ability to warm the wood so the wax will penetrate the wood cells when melted. I use my heat gun for this. Take the heat gun and begin to warm the bow. Don’t get the bow to hot or you can remove any heat induced corrections you may have done or it can make glued on backings come loose. You just want to warm the bow by working a small section at a time. Warm the bow and quickly rub the paraffin on the bows limbs, working from one end to the other. You will see that the wax sets up on the bows surface pretty quickly. Go back with the heat gun and re-melt the wax again. You will see it transform to a liquid and begin to seep into the pores of the wood. Keep doing this until it will no longer soak up the wax when heated. Once this is done heat up the bows surface enough to melt the wax and rub briskly with an old cloth. I use an old wool sock with great results. Keep doing this until you have a nice natural luster to the wood.
Take care.. Sparky
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