I was just watching your review of the black hunter bow. Looked up "how to refinish bow riser" and here you are again! Thank you so much for your videos, genuinely. The amount of information and experience you offer to archers all over the world is amazing and helpful beyond words. You're an international treasure!
Hope you stuck with watching him, he is INSANELY knowledgeable on all things archery. He's also very active on Instagram and so far has been a tremendous help with several bow builds I've done so far. Great guy, great vids, etc.
Another great vid - I've spent a lot of time finding and restoring garage sale and pawn shop finds, and I use a lot of the same techniques! I'm a citrus strip, 3coats of Linseed oil and spar urethane refinisher myself. Here's a fun tip - you can add colored inks to linseed oil to help cover small stress cracks and blemishes in laminated limbs. For more serious cracks or gouges, I use inks mixed with either super glue or 5 minute epoxy.
@@kramerammonsarchery be sure to use inks though, paints and stain don't work as well for some reason... I completely changed the limb color from brown to black on the first bow I refinished!
An excellent video, plenty of great tips! My Dad passed away 4 months ago and left me his 1968 Bear Kodiak Hunter. I'm going to refinish the riser. The limbs are in perfect shape. I've ordered two bow strings from your company, but they haven't arrived yet. I can't wait until they do. Thanks Kramer.
boiled linseed oil, bees wax and a bit of turpentine mixed together will clean dirt from the pores of older wood while protecting it. put some on and leave it for a few hours then wipe the thin application off and buff well. A couple applications can really make old wood that was treated with natural oils originally look really good. I've used it on old military rifle stocks or beaten hunting rifles with decades of grime in the wood, and it worked well.
Excellent episode. I suggest staying away from oil based stains. They work, but they do leave a drying oil finish, so really need to over coated with more oil, like TrueOil. If going Polyurethane, I suggest alcohol based dies. They dry pretty quickly and can be over coated with anything, spar varnish, poly, epoxy, whatever. You know those cool see through finishes on electric guitars, the best of those are most often alcohol based dies with lacquer top coats. So if you want ruby red see through to fancy grain below, try the alcohol based dies 😊
Love your passion. Try a homemade wipe on poly. Mix 50/50. Water Pop that wood between sanding, and rub down between finish coats with a brown paper bag to get the nibs out, and get that piano smooth finish.
I just completed a refinish of a 1969 Bear Kodiak Super Magnum. Used gloss wipe on poly, and was sanding with 1500 grit between the last couple coats. I've done furniture before as well as a few rifle stocks, but this was my first time ever going for high gloss. It's not perfect, but I'm happy with it.
Thanks Kramer! You're kind of like my bowyer mentor.. I'm building my 16th to 21st bows currently. I've tried Poplar, Maple, Red Oak and old wooden hockey sticks so far, with varying degrees of success.. I'm currently looking for an affordable source of custom length bow strings for some of my shorter bows.. any suggestions? Thanks for all you do! :) The budding Bowyer on yt 🇨🇦
Supposedly old muzzleloader rifle makers had a big tub of boiled linseed oil they’d soak the stocks in for a period of time (don’t know if it was a day or month) never tried it because it would take so much in a tub for the furniture I make but it wouldn’t take much to fill a custom box that fit a longbow in.
Until recently most military rifle stocks around the world were dipped in BLO as a finish. The Russians would use Cosmoline to preserve stored guns/rifles.
Very informative vid thanks! Would be super cool if you could follow up with like a bunch of planks from different woods glued together and then finish them all in different streaks of finishes across the planks. So like, that you can see how the different finishes look on each type of wood.
I believe tru oil is actually boiled linseed oil with drying agents. Thats why you need fewer coats before it "polymerizes" and gets shiny. I personally like patience and BLO. Ido like the idea of adding bees wax after years of BLO applications to waterproof better. To me there's no better finish than natural Osage.
Trick I learned from a bowyer a while back- matte poly has modifiers added to give it the matte look. For a matte finish without losing durability he recommended using high gloss poly and burnishing it with steel wool or fine sand paper to get the desired finish
I actually use a boiled linseed oil and polyurethane mix for most my finishes. Just keep a Mason jar of it mixed up at 2 parts oil to 1 part polly. Shake well before use and apply.
Pro tip for sanding. Brown paper bags are roughly equivalent to 1000 grit. I prefer it to the alternative, cause higher grit paper like auto paper gets clogged up really quick on wood, then at that point youre just burnishing the wood with fine dust lol
I rehung an axe head I had and I sanded the handle smooth and used boiled linseed oil.. Just keep coating it til its absorbed. The wood will soak a good amount.. After that it is soo silky smooth and feels amazing.. Havent done it on a bow but worked great on an axe handle. I heard something along the lines with oils of coat it once a day for a week.. Then once a week for a month and then once a month for a year. It'll keep from drying the wood out.. After that you can coat it as needed (maybe twice a year)
Dude, I really appriciate your Vids and the ideas I get from them. Also I try myselft as a bowmaker, and today trashed my second bow (out of two...). I guess I wanted to much to fast... But anyhow, your videos keep me going and ordering the next pieces of wood to gvt the bowmaking thing another chance.... Keep up the good work Kramer, I really love your style of making Videos, I see the affort you into them. Much love from Germany, Truely yours Sascha
Hey man! I absolutely love how you experiment with different styles and material. Could you please make a bamboo belly sinew backed bow and test how it compares to a horn belly sinew backed bow?! I'd love to see how boo compares to horn! Thank you in advance. Much love from a land without horn or a straight piece of wood 😅
Im just finishing my first bow build, hickory that i cut down in my back yard and dried for 2-3 hrs a day over woodfire for a week i picked up danish oil for finish, would this be fine if i put on enough coats or should i bees wax over it ?
Bro, thanks for so much education and fun. What about teek oil on a bow? It soaks in like linseed, but is designed more for water protection I believe. Causes wood grain to strengthen I heard. Thanks and Jesus bless you! 🙏
I shoot a fiberglass backed, Bamboo Longbow, and I feel the tips getting a bit scratchy. A endlessloopstring ripped at the tip, so I would like to smooth it out, so that doesn't happen again, what can I do? This vid was all I wanted! Great.
Thank You for trying this again! How about trying a take down version with the lambs being beef up with fiberglass? Bet it would be fast and pack a punch. Maybe laminate the handle with a hockey puck-shaped into a arrow rest ?
Tip for Fiberglass recurve, a base paint like a flex seal or Rust-Oleum older version is used first then then the color you want, i went with the light Army green color to make an old Actionbow 3200 36# new using the Rust-Oleum from the camo paints in Army green they sell but an older version not the newest versions that are less matt then what I used. I love the one camo paint since the colors are very very flat in reflecting sun and the new stuff even flatter. I did however tape up the grip and the logo of the brand/model to save that part. The base spray is needed or you will need 2-3 coats of the color you are using to work. Actaionbow only made two models oldest mine in fiberglass dyed sage green as the flatbow from 1960-1979 and the other burnt orange moas the flex longbow/recurve from mid 1960's to 1979 more done the way the Ben Person models were but a single solid color. Compound bows came out in late 1970's and early 1980's to take over the bow market of the non wood bows as to why they stopped making bows, as well as moved factories overseas to China or Thailand. After 1979 that the Actionrod company went to making only fishing poles as Actionrod made the poles and still makes good Fiberglass ended Aluminum fishing poles and some solid Fiberglass models though everyone wants other tech either slightly older like full Aluminum pole or the newest tech of full on Carbon Fiber pole that is covered in a thick plastic shrink wrap to protect the Carbon Fiber.
I'm new to bow and I made a mulberry bow so the problem that the bow is white and I don't like his natural color . what do you recommend to finish it ?
Dude! That’s a Browning! They are great vintage recurves. At one time I owned 4 of them. Their entry level hunting bow was the Wasp. I shot my 55# Wasp through a chronograph. Then a guy with a $1k 55# Black Widow recurve shot the same arrow through the same chrono. My Wasp shot the same arrow through the chrono faster.
You can add a little rosin to a beeswax and boiled linseed oil mix to improve its durability. You just need to make sure not to go overboard with the rosin, or else the finish will offer quite a bit of friction if you rub your hand across it (this could be a desirable thing if you're putting a finish on tool handles though).
Hi , could you please show and share the knowledge about how to refinish a laminated Bow , removal of stress marks, applying fresh coating etc.... Thank you
i bought an Amazon bow, unfinished..great video i have ideas mow....is it ok to leave my take down bow stung up or should i take it down...i kinda like looking at it strung up and hanging while i wait to shoot it?
The only bows that are good to leave strung are compound. Even if it has synthetic limbs, like fiber glass, its bad to leave them strung for long. All material has a "memory" and leaving it strung will cause the imprint that bend into the limbs. That causes the bow to become weaker, in draw weight, and longevity. Always unstring your bows.
Do Not use steel wool unless you're really experienced with it. I've done finishing professionally and as a hobby. Boats, furniture, instruments and I have ALWAYS regretted using steel wool. You WILL leave scratches in the finish. It's great for heavily contoured areas but the finest steel wool still leaves scratches you will see after 3 or 4 brushed on coats. It is not finer than 600 grit. A fine scotch pad is much better overall. Bronze wool is okay. Steel is good for taking small amounts off but I always get cross grain scratches when I wouldn't with a poly pad. Minwax spray is completely legit. Best 10 dollars you can spend, and it's got the best satin finish going.
Thank you, I was always doubtful of the steel wool myself. I Have a late 60's bear alaskan with no cracks that I'd like to refinish. Would using 600 grit or higher, then applying some type of poly urethane or shellac spray be the best way to get a factory looking gloss/ semi gloss finish?
@@jake4194 I think 600 is a touch too fine just because this will be in and outdoors and be used I assume. I'd get a gray scotch pad (green is too coarse for this) for the rounded surfaces and the sides of the limbs and 400 grit wet/dry for the flat surfaces. Corners are really easy to burn through so be really careful, and make sure to overlap but do it really soft. Remember you're sort of wiping scratches onto it, not really sanding it. YOu can definitely use the scotch pad for everything but if you back the 400 with some wood and then use plenty of water it'll come out insanely flat. The other advantage of using the w/d paper is you can do a light pass, dry it off, and the irregularities will really show up. I'd do the sandpaper on everything I can first then use the gray scotch pad on what I couldn't conveniently fit the paper into and on the thin limb sides. If you get lumps or streaks the 400 with water will take it out just be patient. Try to not be tempted to get rougher paper. If you have any flaking or holes gently knock it back with 220 or 320 then smooth it in with 400. I think the Minwax spar varnish spray is a great option. I'm new to this on bows but I believe this guy if he says urethane is flexible enough. The Minwax cans have a great nozzle and you can go really light or go fairly heavy without it running. I don't have a ton of experience with shellac but I do not like it. It's great for going over other surfaces when you don't necessarily know what's on it or if you got it completely clean. But I can't get it to look good. The varnish is a little heavy but I think you'd want to scratch/clean/level, do one thickish first coat, scuff it mostly off to get an even surface, then do a thin coat. I tend to use high gloss usually, not sure why, then on some pieces I'll go back with 1200 or 2000 grit wet/dry to give it a sort of matte finish. Might not be what you want for an antique but it actually yields an incredibly tough surface that's both smooth and easy to grip. But the minwax flatter finishes are very good. Anyway, one young amateur's guess.
@@jake4194 One thing I remembered: Varnish takes quite a while to reach full hardness. It can be handled within 10 hours or so but I'd wait a couple days at least to do anything after the last coat. Even still you might get some hand prints on the riser so I'd honestly wait a week or two before shooting it, depending on how warm you keep it.
I really enjoy your videos young man ;) Found a York Super Crest recurve that I'd like to restore. But first I'd like to buy a string from your site. This is a laminated wood and fiberglass recurve...35#@28" and 66" I tried the string quiz on your site, but came up with a d67 that says not to use with a vintage bow. What string would you recommend for this bow? I'd like to string the bow and shoot an arrow before I take the time to refinish it. If it breaks...it breaks, ya know? Appreciate any help you could give on the string type ;)
Hey, what's that bow handle that I can see at 1'32? It's very similar to one that I saw at a local archery shop, but they only had it left handed, and the guy told me it was one of a kind here cause they could not import more. Forgot to ask for a brand or name, hehehe... Oh by the way I also love the look of those ipe bamboo bows you make (though I believe you could improve a lot on the handle, but that might just be taste) Cheers
Hey Kramer Ammons! I’d like a little advice if you can. So I just started a new bow after my first failed attempt, this new bow is made out of solid Brazilian Walnut, and after I watched your newest Will It Bow episode I was a little annoyed😂 I am not giving up nonetheless but do you have any tips or tricks to help my bow not explode like the first one. I’m planning on making it a recurve backed with fiberglass tape, if you could help a brother out 👍
Larry Potterfield on MidwayUSA channel has some good videos on finishing gun stocks. I would think any of his techniques would also work if anyone is looking for more ideas. He is a professional gunsmith so I value his opinion. Some of his rub on finishes take weeks to apply so you need to be serious about it.
usally when i have something i wanna protect n all, when ive done everything i like to put a layer of gorilla glue epoxy all over, so therefore gives it a smooth hard glass protective layer. ive always done this on gun wood i love, never have tried it on a bow though! and about to!
Im buying the same recurve as my fiance so he can get heavier arms and i can gave a recurve. Gonna sand and use unicorn spit to make it look different. I have a pink camo compound right now. I was thinking of doing a galaxy theme lol
Hey, can you make a video on how to repair limbs? I had a bow that I invested so much time, got it finished and two days of shooting it, it got a small crack mid limb. Please show me a way to save this beautiful bow!
@@kramerammonsarchery I think I found a solution for that split limb. Well, it's been working after over 50 shots from the bow. Anyway, step 1, I cut a piece of PVC (1in. diameter) that goes over 2 in. past each end of the crack. 2nd, used a heat gun to get the PVC soft and flatten. 3rd, quickly grab hot PVC and slip over the crack (wear gloves!) I did a little tiller afterwards to balance the limbs a bit. But yeah, try it and if you think it's a good way to patch a limb, feel free to through it into a video! 😁👍
I was just watching your review of the black hunter bow. Looked up "how to refinish bow riser" and here you are again!
Thank you so much for your videos, genuinely. The amount of information and experience you offer to archers all over the world is amazing and helpful beyond words. You're an international treasure!
Hope you stuck with watching him, he is INSANELY knowledgeable on all things archery. He's also very active on Instagram and so far has been a tremendous help with several bow builds I've done so far. Great guy, great vids, etc.
Another great vid - I've spent a lot of time finding and restoring garage sale and pawn shop finds, and I use a lot of the same techniques! I'm a citrus strip, 3coats of Linseed oil and spar urethane refinisher myself. Here's a fun tip - you can add colored inks to linseed oil to help cover small stress cracks and blemishes in laminated limbs. For more serious cracks or gouges, I use inks mixed with either super glue or 5 minute epoxy.
@@kramerammonsarchery be sure to use inks though, paints and stain don't work as well for some reason... I completely changed the limb color from brown to black on the first bow I refinished!
An excellent video, plenty of great tips! My Dad passed away 4 months ago and left me his 1968 Bear Kodiak Hunter. I'm going to refinish the riser. The limbs are in perfect shape. I've ordered two bow strings from your company, but they haven't arrived yet. I can't wait until they do. Thanks Kramer.
You couldn't have posted this at a better time
I literally just finished tillering my new bow :)
boiled linseed oil, bees wax and a bit of turpentine mixed together will clean dirt from the pores of older wood while protecting it. put some on and leave it for a few hours then wipe the thin application off and buff well. A couple applications can really make old wood that was treated with natural oils originally look really good. I've used it on old military rifle stocks or beaten hunting rifles with decades of grime in the wood, and it worked well.
Excellent episode. I suggest staying away from oil based stains. They work, but they do leave a drying oil finish, so really need to over coated with more oil, like TrueOil. If going Polyurethane, I suggest alcohol based dies. They dry pretty quickly and can be over coated with anything, spar varnish, poly, epoxy, whatever.
You know those cool see through finishes on electric guitars, the best of those are most often alcohol based dies with lacquer top coats. So if you want ruby red see through to fancy grain below, try the alcohol based dies 😊
Love your passion. Try a homemade wipe on poly. Mix 50/50. Water Pop that wood between sanding, and rub down between finish coats with a brown paper bag to get the nibs out, and get that piano smooth finish.
I just completed a refinish of a 1969 Bear Kodiak Super Magnum. Used gloss wipe on poly, and was sanding with 1500 grit between the last couple coats. I've done furniture before as well as a few rifle stocks, but this was my first time ever going for high gloss. It's not perfect, but I'm happy with it.
Thanks Kramer!
You're kind of like my bowyer mentor.. I'm building my 16th to 21st bows currently. I've tried Poplar, Maple, Red Oak and old wooden hockey sticks so far, with varying degrees of success..
I'm currently looking for an affordable source of custom length bow strings for some of my shorter bows.. any suggestions?
Thanks for all you do!
:)
The budding Bowyer on yt 🇨🇦
Supposedly old muzzleloader rifle makers had a big tub of boiled linseed oil they’d soak the stocks in for a period of time (don’t know if it was a day or month) never tried it because it would take so much in a tub for the furniture I make but it wouldn’t take much to fill a custom box that fit a longbow in.
Until recently most military rifle stocks around the world were dipped in BLO as a finish. The Russians would use Cosmoline to preserve stored guns/rifles.
Very informative vid thanks!
Would be super cool if you could follow up with like a bunch of planks from different woods glued together and then finish them all in different streaks of finishes across the planks. So like, that you can see how the different finishes look on each type of wood.
Good video as always, I’m working on my next bow made from Purple Heart and bamboo. We will see how it turns out.
Tung Oil works real well and so does Teak...both stains really bring out the grain and waterproofs and seals the wood also...
I believe tru oil is actually boiled linseed oil with drying agents. Thats why you need fewer coats before it "polymerizes" and gets shiny. I personally like patience and BLO. Ido like the idea of adding bees wax after years of BLO applications to waterproof better. To me there's no better finish than natural Osage.
Trick I learned from a bowyer a while back- matte poly has modifiers added to give it the matte look. For a matte finish without losing durability he recommended using high gloss poly and burnishing it with steel wool or fine sand paper to get the desired finish
Dear Sir, I am getting deep into these vids. And loving every inch of this draw. Thanks.
I actually use a boiled linseed oil and polyurethane mix for most my finishes. Just keep a Mason jar of it mixed up at 2 parts oil to 1 part polly. Shake well before use and apply.
I usually use a mix of BLO and poly (50/50) to wipe on after sanding. Works great for me.
Pro tip for sanding. Brown paper bags are roughly equivalent to 1000 grit. I prefer it to the alternative, cause higher grit paper like auto paper gets clogged up really quick on wood, then at that point youre just burnishing the wood with fine dust lol
Best bow finishing explanation ever. Love it🥰🥰🥰
I rehung an axe head I had and I sanded the handle smooth and used boiled linseed oil.. Just keep coating it til its absorbed. The wood will soak a good amount.. After that it is soo silky smooth and feels amazing.. Havent done it on a bow but worked great on an axe handle.
I heard something along the lines with oils of coat it once a day for a week.. Then once a week for a month and then once a month for a year. It'll keep from drying the wood out.. After that you can coat it as needed (maybe twice a year)
I just finished my first bow, I made it for red oak and it turned out really well
Thank you for your videos!
What state do you live in? I’ve got literally tons of hickory on my land in Tennessee I need some cleared.
I actually live in Canada, sorry.
Great video man
Will a belt work as a bow backing? Will it bow?
Thanks! I’ve been wondering about this.
Your the man Kramer. Thanks for the tips!!
Dude, I really appriciate your Vids and the ideas I get from them.
Also I try myselft as a bowmaker, and today trashed my second bow (out of two...). I guess I wanted to much to fast... But anyhow, your videos keep me going and ordering the next pieces of wood to gvt the bowmaking thing another chance....
Keep up the good work Kramer, I really love your style of making Videos, I see the affort you into them.
Much love from Germany,
Truely yours
Sascha
I have a Bear Grizzly that have small cracks. Would you make repairs?
What finish do you spray on your new bows you build and sell? Great vid
great tips I'm learning a lot from you. appreciate the help.
Thank you very much! I love to this video so much ! ❤️
Can you use the True oil on the glass backing of a Ben Pearson Ambusher recurve?
Hey man! I absolutely love how you experiment with different styles and material. Could you please make a bamboo belly sinew backed bow and test how it compares to a horn belly sinew backed bow?! I'd love to see how boo compares to horn! Thank you in advance.
Much love from a land without horn or a straight piece of wood 😅
Im just finishing my first bow build, hickory that i cut down in my back yard and dried for 2-3 hrs a day over woodfire for a week i picked up danish oil for finish, would this be fine if i put on enough coats or should i bees wax over it ?
have you ever used RIT dye to color your bows?
@@kramerammonsarchery only tried it once so far a green color worked really well
Bro, thanks for so much education and fun. What about teek oil on a bow? It soaks in like linseed, but is designed more for water protection I believe. Causes wood grain to strengthen I heard. Thanks and Jesus bless you! 🙏
Which one provides the best protection?
I shoot a fiberglass backed, Bamboo Longbow, and I feel the tips getting a bit scratchy. A endlessloopstring ripped at the tip, so I would like to smooth it out, so that doesn't happen again, what can I do? This vid was all I wanted! Great.
Thank You for trying this again! How about trying a take down version with the lambs being beef up with fiberglass? Bet it would be fast and pack a punch. Maybe laminate the handle with a hockey puck-shaped into a arrow rest ?
Tip for Fiberglass recurve, a base paint like a flex seal or Rust-Oleum older version is used first then then the color you want, i went with the light Army green color to make an old Actionbow 3200 36# new using the Rust-Oleum from the camo paints in Army green they sell but an older version not the newest versions that are less matt then what I used. I love the one camo paint since the colors are very very flat in reflecting sun and the new stuff even flatter. I did however tape up the grip and the logo of the brand/model to save that part. The base spray is needed or you will need 2-3 coats of the color you are using to work.
Actaionbow only made two models oldest mine in fiberglass dyed sage green as the flatbow from 1960-1979 and the other burnt orange moas the flex longbow/recurve from mid 1960's to 1979 more done the way the Ben Person models were but a single solid color. Compound bows came out in late 1970's and early 1980's to take over the bow market of the non wood bows as to why they stopped making bows, as well as moved factories overseas to China or Thailand. After 1979 that the Actionrod company went to making only fishing poles as Actionrod made the poles and still makes good Fiberglass ended Aluminum fishing poles and some solid Fiberglass models though everyone wants other tech either slightly older like full Aluminum pole or the newest tech of full on Carbon Fiber pole that is covered in a thick plastic shrink wrap to protect the Carbon Fiber.
Kramer have you ever considered making/shooting war bows?
I'm new to bow and I made a mulberry bow so the problem that the bow is white and I don't like his natural color . what do you recommend to finish it ?
Dude! That’s a Browning! They are great vintage recurves. At one time I owned 4 of them. Their entry level hunting bow was the Wasp. I shot my 55# Wasp through a chronograph. Then a guy with a $1k 55# Black Widow recurve shot the same arrow through the same chrono. My Wasp shot the same arrow through the chrono faster.
You can add a little rosin to a beeswax and boiled linseed oil mix to improve its durability. You just need to make sure not to go overboard with the rosin, or else the finish will offer quite a bit of friction if you rub your hand across it (this could be a desirable thing if you're putting a finish on tool handles though).
I used tung oil on my longbow.
All I had lying around.
It has worked good so far.
What about a bow backed with linen? Is there anything I can put on this backing to help protect it, or anything I should avoid?
@KramerAmmons Great videos man! I was wondering if you have any experience in crafting "Compound Bows"?
What about Watco Teak oil !!! Used in my knife making.
Have you had any issues with finishes not being flexible enough after curing and maybe a year or so later seeing cracks or checking appear?
How long can the arrow reach to say that the bow is excellen
Hi , could you please show and share the knowledge about how to refinish a laminated Bow , removal of stress marks, applying fresh coating etc.... Thank you
Have you ever used sapele for a bow? Or heard of it being used? It's like mahogany except way more tighter and more consistent grain structure.
Would you reccomend steam bending for recurving
@@kramerammonsarchery Thanks man. Great content btw
Does the finish have an affect on how a bow shoots or bow’s??
i bought an Amazon bow, unfinished..great video i have ideas mow....is it ok to leave my take down bow stung up or should i take it down...i kinda like looking at it strung up and hanging while i wait to shoot it?
The only bows that are good to leave strung are compound. Even if it has synthetic limbs, like fiber glass, its bad to leave them strung for long. All material has a "memory" and leaving it strung will cause the imprint that bend into the limbs. That causes the bow to become weaker, in draw weight, and longevity. Always unstring your bows.
How well will your mixture of bees wax and linseed oil protect and waterproof a sinew backed bow?
Do Not use steel wool unless you're really experienced with it. I've done finishing professionally and as a hobby. Boats, furniture, instruments and I have ALWAYS regretted using steel wool. You WILL leave scratches in the finish. It's great for heavily contoured areas but the finest steel wool still leaves scratches you will see after 3 or 4 brushed on coats. It is not finer than 600 grit. A fine scotch pad is much better overall. Bronze wool is okay. Steel is good for taking small amounts off but I always get cross grain scratches when I wouldn't with a poly pad.
Minwax spray is completely legit. Best 10 dollars you can spend, and it's got the best satin finish going.
Thank you, I was always doubtful of the steel wool myself. I Have a late 60's bear alaskan with no cracks that I'd like to refinish. Would using 600 grit or higher, then applying some type of poly urethane or shellac spray be the best way to get a factory looking gloss/ semi gloss finish?
@@jake4194 I think 600 is a touch too fine just because this will be in and outdoors and be used I assume. I'd get a gray scotch pad (green is too coarse for this) for the rounded surfaces and the sides of the limbs and 400 grit wet/dry for the flat surfaces. Corners are really easy to burn through so be really careful, and make sure to overlap but do it really soft. Remember you're sort of wiping scratches onto it, not really sanding it. YOu can definitely use the scotch pad for everything but if you back the 400 with some wood and then use plenty of water it'll come out insanely flat. The other advantage of using the w/d paper is you can do a light pass, dry it off, and the irregularities will really show up. I'd do the sandpaper on everything I can first then use the gray scotch pad on what I couldn't conveniently fit the paper into and on the thin limb sides. If you get lumps or streaks the 400 with water will take it out just be patient. Try to not be tempted to get rougher paper.
If you have any flaking or holes gently knock it back with 220 or 320 then smooth it in with 400.
I think the Minwax spar varnish spray is a great option. I'm new to this on bows but I believe this guy if he says urethane is flexible enough. The Minwax cans have a great nozzle and you can go really light or go fairly heavy without it running. I don't have a ton of experience with shellac but I do not like it. It's great for going over other surfaces when you don't necessarily know what's on it or if you got it completely clean. But I can't get it to look good. The varnish is a little heavy but I think you'd want to scratch/clean/level, do one thickish first coat, scuff it mostly off to get an even surface, then do a thin coat.
I tend to use high gloss usually, not sure why, then on some pieces I'll go back with 1200 or 2000 grit wet/dry to give it a sort of matte finish. Might not be what you want for an antique but it actually yields an incredibly tough surface that's both smooth and easy to grip. But the minwax flatter finishes are very good.
Anyway, one young amateur's guess.
@@jcarry5214 Thank you, this was great! 👍
@@jake4194 One thing I remembered: Varnish takes quite a while to reach full hardness. It can be handled within 10 hours or so but I'd wait a couple days at least to do anything after the last coat. Even still you might get some hand prints on the riser so I'd honestly wait a week or two before shooting it, depending on how warm you keep it.
What about danish oil? does anybody know if that works well?
I use glass shards instead of cabinet scraper
Can you try making a horn bow. I know it's kinda out of the range of bows you make but I'd like to see you try. Thankyou and I love your content btw
Very informative 👏🏼thank you
Great vid thank you
Will it bow idea:
Can you make a bow out of an old tabletop?
I really enjoy your videos young man ;)
Found a York Super Crest recurve that I'd like to restore.
But first I'd like to buy a string from your site.
This is a laminated wood and fiberglass recurve...35#@28" and 66"
I tried the string quiz on your site, but came up with a d67 that says not to use with a vintage bow.
What string would you recommend for this bow?
I'd like to string the bow and shoot an arrow before I take the time to refinish it.
If it breaks...it breaks, ya know?
Appreciate any help you could give on the string type ;)
Can you make Turkish bow
Could you make a bow from a bar stool?
Hey, what's that bow handle that I can see at 1'32?
It's very similar to one that I saw at a local archery shop, but they only had it left handed, and the guy told me it was one of a kind here cause they could not import more. Forgot to ask for a brand or name, hehehe... Oh by the way I also love the look of those ipe bamboo bows you make (though I believe you could improve a lot on the handle, but that might just be taste)
Cheers
can you... carve patterns into a bow? like, does it make it more likely to break? because i wanna carve myself an elf-bow really bad. 🥺
Hey Kramer Ammons! I’d like a little advice if you can. So I just started a new bow after my first failed attempt, this new bow is made out of solid Brazilian Walnut, and after I watched your newest Will It Bow episode I was a little annoyed😂 I am not giving up nonetheless but do you have any tips or tricks to help my bow not explode like the first one. I’m planning on making it a recurve backed with fiberglass tape, if you could help a brother out 👍
Btw you’re the person that got me into bow making and I am forever grateful👏👍👍
Larry Potterfield on MidwayUSA channel has some good videos on finishing gun stocks. I would think any of his techniques would also work if anyone is looking for more ideas. He is a professional gunsmith so I value his opinion. Some of his rub on finishes take weeks to apply so you need to be serious about it.
im making a bow from leopard wood, Libidibia ferrea you should try this wood
Blonde shellac is more clear than normal shellac,,but more expensive...cheers...
YESSS! Thanks for the vid man!
What to apply on sinew horn bow, to make it moisture resistant, like huns and mongols weren't able to invade in dense Moistureful forests of hungry.
usally when i have something i wanna protect n all, when ive done everything i like to put a layer of gorilla glue epoxy all over, so therefore gives it a smooth hard glass protective layer. ive always done this on gun wood i love, never have tried it on a bow though! and about to!
An?? How did it go? Pics ?
Meanwhile in my head: Ammons spraying fresh tendon with poly finish
Im buying the same recurve as my fiance so he can get heavier arms and i can gave a recurve. Gonna sand and use unicorn spit to make it look different. I have a pink camo compound right now. I was thinking of doing a galaxy theme lol
That backing track is really abrasive over extended stretches. Might want to tone that down a bit, especially when you are speaking.
Hey, can you make a video on how to repair limbs? I had a bow that I invested so much time, got it finished and two days of shooting it, it got a small crack mid limb. Please show me a way to save this beautiful bow!
@@kramerammonsarchery I think I found a solution for that split limb. Well, it's been working after over 50 shots from the bow. Anyway, step 1, I cut a piece of PVC (1in. diameter) that goes over 2 in. past each end of the crack. 2nd, used a heat gun to get the PVC soft and flatten. 3rd, quickly grab hot PVC and slip over the crack (wear gloves!) I did a little tiller afterwards to balance the limbs a bit. But yeah, try it and if you think it's a good way to patch a limb, feel free to through it into a video! 😁👍
My husband uses these plans from Woodprix and is very happy with them. However. I love yours!
Woodglut has very good designs and plans.
skip the music.
Oh no
Make it wooden with the help of the Woodbex instructions.
Love your videos but kill the music
Grate tutorial, the music is very loud and distracting though.
The background music is annoying and too loud. Missing a lot of what you are saying.
First (yes I had to)
(19 seconde after uploading)
Good stuff, but way too much personality - talk to much uneccessary talking! Just teach!
The music made me stop watching the video 👎