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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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!