Sealing Shafts
shaft, keeps moisture out of the wood, and gives the arrow a nice look.
On this step I have settled on something called gasket lacquer for all my
arrows. Gasket lacquer is a nitro-cellulose based coating that takes a
little bit of set up in order to use it successfully. Its advantages are a
beautiful look, minimal target burn on foam 3D targets, compatibility with
common dyes, stains, and glues, and great ease-of-use.
Gasket lacquer is applied with a "Big Dipper" dip tube by using a special
cap for the tube that has a gasket in the cut-out center. The shaft is
pushed through a hole in the gasket down into the lacquer in the tube.
When the shaft is drawn out in a single smooth motion, almost all the lacquer
will be wiped off the shaft. The thin coat left behind will dry while the
remainder of the dozen shafts is dipped. After shaft 12 is done, it's back
to shaft 1 for the second coat. After about 4 to 6 coats have been done,
set the shafts aside to cure. If I'm in a hurry I give the shafts one hour
curing before gluing on nocks. One half hour after that I can begin
fletching. From the start of coating to fletching takes about 2 ½ hours.
If time is of the essence, this beats the heck out of a coat per day like
some other finishes.
Be that as it may, gasket lacquer isn't for everyone. It isn't available at
the local store and it needs a bit of special equipment to use it. It's perfect for me but there are lots of other choices.
Many people like to use a polyurethane to coat their shafts. This type of
finish is available in different sheens, brands, and types at your local
home improvement store. Some people coat their shafts by dipping into a
polyurethane filled tube of some kind while others just use a brush, rag, or
spray can to apply it.
Please follow the directions for whatever finish you choose to use. In my
mundane job I deal daily with customers who didn't bother to read the
directions and are suffering the consequences.
Don't join the masses, read the directions.
gasket lacquer. The shaft is pushed down into the tube and then drawn all
the way out in one smooth motion. The gasket wipes off almost all the
lacquer but leaves a thin coat that dries very quickly. I'll do two coats,
let dry for ½ hour, polish with my abrasive pad to remove any roughness, and
then dip two or three times more until I like the way they look and feel.
These shafts got five coats of lacquer.
