Sealing Arrows - What Type Of Varnish Please?

BobSpoons · Sealing Arrows - What Type Of Varnish Please?

Hi
Ive been making arrows for quite some time but have never bothered sealing them.
Ive just been shooting in the wet and a few have soaked up some water and mud so have decided to do some varnishing or selaing.

As I have a lot of ready-made arrows I dont think I can use spray varnish as It would cover fletchings as well.
So that leaves me with what type of sealant or varnish???

Yaucht Varnish?
Any type of polyeurethane varnish?
Wood sealant (Such as decking seal) instead of varnish?
Water-based or spirit based??
Is wax furniture polish better?

My two criteria are for
1. To do the job
2. To apply well with a brush without blobbing or streaking (IE Id guess a fairly thin varnish needed)

Thank you very much for any advice you can give.

Thanks

Alex ( BobSpoons )

mik

I find that yacht varnish is too thick, try using modeling varnish its really thin and goes on well.

BobSpoons

Thanks Ill have a look into that.
Cheers

Alex

JimN

Agree with mik, after a couple of layers of yacht varnish I managed to get a shaft stuck in my taper tool

I use a few layers of danish oil and I think they look better as well.

Dawn

I use cheap general purpose varnish, sometime the water based one, I apply several thin coats with a rag. it works for me

But I dont think it will be very easy if the fletchings are already on

jaselpool

Hi BobSpoons

I use several finishes depending on the arrows I'm making. I've used Beeswax, polyeurethane, water based wood varnish, Bohning Fletch-Lac, Danish Oil. Some I dip and others I use the rag method Dawn talks about. If you are putting it on arrows already fletched I would use the beeswax or danish oil to save getting it all over the feathers. These days I'm mainly using a high quality wood varnish and dipping the shafts.

CaptainBeaky

3 coats of beeswax furniture polish...

BobSpoons

Thanks for all the advice folks.

One question on the beeswax furniture idea,
Is it the stuff that has parafin (or some similar compound) pre-mixed in with it?

Does the beeswax actually seal the arrow surface like varnish does??

Also, does the beeswax coating method last very long or do you have to redo it every couple of months/years??

Thanks a lot again folks

)

Alex ( BobSpoons )

EDIT: PS to CaptainBeaky .... You are number Six!

BobSpoons

Another thought,
Does the beeswax leave a residue or tacky/sticky/oily coating on the arrows or does it kind-of "dry out" and be okay to the touch like varnish eventually does.

Thanks loads again

Alex

(Sorry to double post cant edit above post as more than 20mins gone by)

CaptainBeaky

Alex

Rub the beeswax well in, leave 24 hours, repeat x 2, then rub down again, and it leaves a dry, smooth surface. Yes, it gives a waterproof finish, and yes, re-application every few months is probably a good idea.

The polish I use has turps in it as a viscosity modifier, plus a few other bits.

P

PS: I am not a number: I am a free man!

BobSpoons

Thanks Captain Ive had a look and the stuff I have (for my longbow limb) is also turps based.
Ive had a go with a first coat so well see what happens.

PS: Fan of the series or the old pop song??

Alex

CaptainBeaky

Let me know how it goes.

The series, although the song isn't bad. (Pop????

)

BobSpoons

Yes there was a pop song called the Prisoner released in the 80s (used to have it on cassette) but when I search online I can only find the one that Iron Maiden released (not the one I was meaning).

Fantastic series!!
Bit nervous about the idea of a modern remake thats on the cards at the moment starring Christopher Ecclestone. Not sure if its a good idea at all..

Will keep posting on the arrow sealing developments

Alex

Blackheart

jaselpool

Blackheart

jaselpool,
Thought that would be the case.

I might be interested in some of the paints - I rather fancy having a go at cresting, but attempts using modelling paint have been sub-optimal at best, and I wondered if the proper paint might be better.

jaselpool