Arrow finish

[Novashooter]

I am building my first arrows and I have a question I have not found a really good answer for. I am looking into sealers, and I'm not surprised to find there are tons of ways to seal wood. In the future I may try a special product such as Bohning fletch-lac, or the often recommended Daly's profin. For this set of arrows I want to stay with a finish I can buy local. I plan on using basic wood stain, I don't see any reason to get fancy with this. I am open to suggestions for a sealer, but I really don't like things that are complicated for no reason. Here's a link to one finish I found, and I have to ask, why? https://www.archerytalk.com/threads/epoxy-finish-for-wood-arrows.237189/ What does making such a complex concoction and multi step process like that do? After all that work, why add something so mundane as Minwax polyacrylic in the middle? Why not use the finish all by itself?

Another example I found is here. https://lifeandlongbows.wordpress.com/2010/12/13/aba-arrow-builders-anonymous/ Seemingly much more straight forward, at least until the end. There's tons of references to using a polyurethane for a sealer, possibly the most common one I see listed. He says he applies 3-4 coats of polyurethane. Then he finishes that with one last coat of shellac or polyacrylic? Again, why not use polyacrylic or shellac all by itself? What is wrong with using polyurethane all by itself?

 

[3Esski]

I've always just used 2 or 3 coats of poly after staining and call it good. Never had an issue. I make my arrows for practice and hunting, no reason to make love to them. But there certainly are some good looking woodies out there guys spend lots of time on and I appreciate their effort and sharing pics of their work...mine ain't pretty but work.

 

[Novashooter]

That's probably the route I will go. I don't want them to look like glass, I want them to look like wood. Half the time I see pictures of wood arrows, they paint half of them. What good is wood if you hide it? Mine are Surewood douglas fir with some strong looking texture. No way I'm hiding that. If it turns out to not be as slick in my foam target I'll try something else next time.

Are you dipping, wiping, or some other method?

 

[3Esski]

I just wipe. I looked at making the tubes to dip and all that jazz but ultimately just wanted to make some wood arrows and start shooting. So i just wiped on some stain and poly and was happy with the results. And I agree with you, when you buy the carbon wood look arrows they are printed to look like wood grain, why would you hide it. I've seen some real nice crested arrows but i don't have the skill or patience for all that.

 

[Boxerboxer]

Wipe on poly is super easy and came out really nice. Maaaaaaaaybe if I were building for others I'd consider something more advanced but for my own use I don't see a reason.

 

[Novashooter]

Are you using normal oil based minwax polyurethane? Are you thinning it? Are you using that special minwax wipe on polyurethane?

 

[Boxerboxer]

Are you using normal oil based minwax polyurethane? Are you thinning it? Are you using that special minwax wipe on polyurethane?

I just used the minwax stuff that says "wipe on" right on the can. I don't remember if it's oil based or not, but I wouldn't worry about it either way unless you have a strong preference.

 

[Novashooter]

I know the kind you are talking about. I'll give that a shot. Its probably the same stuff as the regular, just pre-thinned. Thanks.

 

[LostArra]

I use Helmsman Spar Urethane by Minwax. I wipe on multiple thin coats rather than one thick one. Any urethane coating probably works just fine.

After everything is dry I apply a paste wax and really buff it out. Makes the arrow very slick. I tell myself it aids penetration but it definitely makes it easier to pull from foam targets.

 

[Ohiohuntr]

I like at least 4 coats of poly, seems to help keep target burn down

 

[wytx]

Used a product called Raptor Finish for years then he stopped making it. Now that maker reccs. Behr urethane varnish in semi gloss. I always lightly sanded after finishing to take the shine off.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

I’m one of those guys that coats mine thick. I dip and use 4 or 5 coats of gasket lacquer. It’s easy to apply, dries super fast and make a tough finish. They’ll come out shiny though.

Sometimes I’ll do the exact same with poly. I’ll use the Minwax gel poly matte finish. It’s a little more time consuming.

 

[Novashooter]

I did a test on a junk arrow, and I'm quite happy what my stain and 3 coats of minwax wipe-on polyurethane looks like. I got all my arrows stained today. I'm not going to full on crest them, but I'm going to add a little color line where the two stain colors meet. You will understand when I post pictures.

 

[Btaylor]

Nothing at all complex about squirting a tube of epoxy in a jar and mixing with acetone. Takes a couple minutes tops. Wipe on, let dry, rub with 0000 steel wool and wipe on another coat. I have tried several finishes and nothing I have tried comes close to the durability of the epoxy finish.

There are crap tons of options that will work ok and fit the microwave mentality so predominant today but doing something right usually means there is going to be some time and effort involved.

 

[Novashooter]

Nothing at all complex about squirting a tube of epoxy in a jar and mixing with acetone. Takes a couple minutes tops. Wipe on, let dry, rub with 0000 steel wool and wipe on another coat. I have tried several finishes and nothing I have tried comes close to the durability of the epoxy finish.

There are crap tons of options that will work ok and fit the microwave mentality so predominant today but doing something right usually means there is going to be some time and effort involved.

I got a headache trying to read those instructions. Can you explain why you would epoxy coat, then polyacrylic, then more epoxy over that? It looks like it would take you all week to finish all those coats.

 

[Beendare]

Nothing at all complex about squirting a tube of epoxy in a jar and mixing with acetone. Takes a couple minutes tops. Wipe on, let dry, rub with 0000 steel wool and wipe on another coat. I have tried several finishes and nothing I have tried comes close to the durability of the epoxy finish.

There are crap tons of options that will work ok and fit the microwave mentality so predominant today but doing something right usually means there is going to be some time and effort involved.

Thats a Very clever way to get a super durable finish

 

[Btaylor]

I got a headache trying to read those instructions. Can you explain why you would epoxy coat, then polyacrylic, then more epoxy over that? It looks like it would take you all week to finish all those coats.

There is no polyacrylic coat in the middle of the process. It is just doing 4 to 6 coats of the epoxy/acetone wiped on, allowed to dry and steel wooled. If you want a dull finish you can spray them with matte polyurethane after the final epoxy coat but it isnt necessary. It normally takes me a the better part of a week to build a set of wood arrows but I am not in hurry. That is from raw shaft to fletched and perfectly spinning broadheads.

 

[Btaylor]

These have been shot into that target all summer.


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[Btaylor]

Mounted broadheads last night. No target burn at all.


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[Novashooter]

There is no polyacrylic coat in the middle of the process. It is just doing 4 to 6 coats of the epoxy/acetone wiped on, allowed to dry and steel wooled. If you want a dull finish you can spray them with matte polyurethane after the final epoxy coat but it isnt necessary. It normally takes me a the better part of a week to build a set of wood arrows but I am not in hurry. That is from raw shaft to fletched and perfectly spinning broadheads.

In the link I posted the epoxy coating instructions have layers of polyacrylic between layers of epoxy. They do 13 coats total with 12 separate steps. I bet it would take a full week minimum just for the coating.

Your method sounds way more reasonable.