Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

Hey! Sorry to keep bothering you but since I can't shoot, I mine as well get information for my reference book.

When I was shooting the wheel, I always made my own arrows from bare shafts. Now that I shoot the 'curve, I really want to make my own arrows. Sooooo, I know how to put feathers on, points and nocks and even crest an arrow but I am unsure as to how to properly treat/seal/laquer an arrow. Just curious what to use and how to do it. Oh, and if you can recommend a good book on traditional assembly, technique, and form, I might quit bothering you. Thanks for your time guys.

"Clutz by Nature, Hospitalized by Fate..."

Pyral

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

I seal my shafts with Minwax Polycrylic.It's a water-based sealer.I fill up a 36" dip tube and put anywhere from 3-6 coats on.Then I'll fletch,nock and put the points on.

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

I am assuming that you have to hang these to let them dry? If so which end do you hang them from? Thanks for the reply.

"Clutz by Nature, Hospitalized by Fate..."

Pyral

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

I usually loop a rubber band around the point taper,dip then hang to dry.With the Polycrylic,they dry pretty fast.When that coat is dry,I'll do my cresting,let that dry,then dip again a couple of more times.If you cap your arrows,do that and let dry before dipping your 1st sealer coat.Also,Traditional Bowyers Bibles(3 Vols)will help in arrow and bow building.

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

Great! That's just what I wanted to hear. By the way, you have a gorgeous line up there. I can't wait to get started. I have a set of bare shafts on the way and they should be here in a week.

Thanks for your help Jim.



"Clutz by Nature, Hospitalized by Fate..."

Pyral

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

I've had really good results with the gasket lacquer system. It's a nitro-cellulose based lacquer that dries pretty quick. I apply it with a standard Big Dipper dip tube that's fitted with the special cap and gasket. I generally put on two coats, let dry for about 45 minutes, polish with a 3M type abrasive pad, and then apply three more coats. After the finish dries for a half hour I can glue on nocks. Another half hour and I can begin fletching. The finish dries fast enough that I can put on coats right after one another and there's no dripping at all.

It's a bit of a specialized system but the results I get are well worth the effort.

Guy

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

Grey,

I dont want to burst anybodys bubble using gasket lacquer but it aint stuff worth making arrows out of.

I have purchased a 5 gallon can, plus a few extra quarts of the stuff and have really put it to the test up here, both in my hands and in others.

In almost ALL circumstances, it cracks! The sheep hunters is where I notice it the most, but even a few of the caribou and local moose hunters who go home every evening show signs of cracking. It didnt matter if I built the arrow up or they did. The gasket lacquer I had or the GL they ordered, it all cracked. On some of my arrows right now I can peel the GL off like its a bannana peel.

Just some food for thought from a guy who puts everything to the test every fall! It just comes with the nature of the hunting I and my partners do, and gasket lacquer on atleast 6-8 different occasions has failed!

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

lilhunter, im curious as to what kind [brand] of gasket laquer you had problems with. ive always used the stuff from 3rivers and can say nothing but good things about it. its a little pricey, but gives a durable finish fast. never had any problems with peeling. groundhawg

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

Lilhunter, I pretty much figured you'd be posting right after me. I've seen your comments to others about GL before. All I can say is that I have had absolutely zero problems with it on either my personal arrows or those I've made for other folks. I even get it from a guy whom you've lambasted for selling and recommending it.

I will say that after a few hundred shots into an excelsior bale the finish behind the point begins to wear away. But I don't know too many finishes that would survive the equivelant of sandpaper anyway.

Pyral, if you're interested in this finish I'll send you a shaft coated with it (so long as I have your spine). You can nock and fletch it to your choice and try it out; that way you could test a finish prior to committing to it.

Guy

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

I use Gasket Laquer, and it works pretty good. I have seen the same thing Lilhunter talks about happen. In my experience, the clear is more durable, and I haven't noticed it cracking under what I consider normal conditions, but I have seen at least two different colors crack and/or peel from just regular 'ol shooting. I'd say the clear should work fine for most of us, but under extreme conditions (such as what Lilhunter hunts under) you might want to consider something else. The clear that I have seen crack/peel was mostly on arrows that I had lost and then found some time later, after they had been exposed to a lot of heat and moisture.

I have also been using some arrows a friend made for me that has an epoxy finish that I really like. Seems to be very durable, but it more time consuming to apply.

One thing to remember with some finishes--in my experience they melt when you shoot your arrows into a 3-d target or a cardboard butt, and literally glue themselves in--those are a bugger to pull! Haven't seen this with the epoxy or the gasquet laquer--I think it was the spray poly that did it to me.

Good luck!

Chad

Long Bows Rule!

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

Chad, I suspect you're right about the difference between "normal conditions" vs. what Lilhunter experiences. I'm in So. Calif. and the conditions we experience just aren't what he's got up in his area. I think I'd have to fill my quiver with water and then toss it in the freezer to get an equivalent test :-)
I've never used the colored gasket lacquer, only the clear. I use Rit dye and aniline dye for all my coloring and it gives me greater flexibility than if I were limited to the colors the gl is available in. Besides, with a clear finish I can see the beauty of the wood. If I was using opaque finishes I'd miss one of the best things about wood arrows.

Pyral, my offer of a shaft stands if you want to see how this stuff works out for you. You can email me through my profile if you're interested.

Guy

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

Gh,

Its exactly the same!

btw, welcome to the board!

Grey,

Your exactly right. For a person who hunts, and goes home every evening, lives in motor homes, hotels, wall tents, or the home base as your hunting cabin, yes it will work great! WHere getting dry mean sitting in front of a fire place, not trying to scour the tundra for a piece of wood praying its dry, sitting behind a rock outcropping 13 miles from you inflatable, a couple hour flight from civilization. I cant use things that will fail period! I wont allow myself to knowing use things that will fail period! And I cant tell someone else to go and use it KNOWING it WILL fail period! <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>! You catch my drift, its like selling a car that might work, might not at 50k miles.

Dont use it in very wet conditions, IE southeast Ak, Wash, or on an august or october sheep hunt.

All that said, I have found a way to fix it and still use the fast, arrow maker friendly Gasket lacquer! Works great but diminishes the reason people use it. Speed!

Use what you will heck if I care :)!


Edited by - Lilhunter on 11/29/2002 15:38:28

Edited by - LBR on 11/29/2002 15:47:02

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

Gasket lacqueris not waterproof. When I have found a lost arrow, I have noticed the cracking of the finish too. The one thing that seemed to help was that I dipped the ends of the shafts after tapering. That seems to help. I shoot carbons now and don't worry about the weather. I do miss my woodies though. Very Pretty! Dick

RE: Arrow Treatment/Sealer
 

oops ty Chad <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>