How many use melted bees wax rubbed into the bow or arrows as the wood finish? I remember doing this with wooden lamps and things we made in the wood shop.

Bee's wax might work for interior items but its not enough protection for exterior applications.

Bob

I'm with Bob on this one. Way to many really good finishes out there to use bees wax on them.

I agree there are better and easier products out there. But, Pat is right on. A beeswax finish is fine on a wood bow. Many people still use it on their wood bows. It goes back to how much you want to do on your own and how much you want to buy from somebody else. Most self bowyers are independent thinkers and do'ers.

I love oil and wax finishes but you just have to remember that it isn't a one time thing.

I don't use wax alone. But I sure am a believer in rubbing a bow down with wax periodically through out it's life.

My bows are fair-weather weapons. From what I have read, the paleo Americans would not hunt in the rain either--or even go out in it if they didn't have to.

So a submersible finish is no more valuable to me than a nice coat of wax, directly on the wood.

HOWEVER, I use lacquer, because it dries fast.

I hadn't considered the easy scratch repair aspect of beeswax, but it will tend to melt (get tacky and haze up) with continuous hand contact. My grandfather's old .32 Special was refinished this way and it can be annoying. It is easy to shine up again though. - John

If you have a chunk of beeswax lying around, go stick your fingernail in it. That's as hard as beeswax ever gets. You apply a layer that is a few thousandths of an inch thick over your bow, and that's all the protection your going to get. Fair weather sportsman or not, wax forms a negligible barrier against moisture from your hand, damp grass, wherever. I love the look of beeswax, but it's a poor choice for wood finish.

I like it on arrows. I glue everything on the shaft first, then apply the wax finish. It makes a very durable finish on a non-rain day shaft. Most of the performance impact comes from water vapour, and no finish is vapour proof. Some finishes will slow vapour equalization more than others. So it depends whether you have a consistently damp environment or not. My finish for wood arrows in wet weather is to gasket lacquer them in epoxy.

Bees Wax is amazing. I used to have a wood lathe that had a fixed center which basically means the one end is always catching on fire like a bow drill. Grease works but is messy. I tried all kinds of space age products back there the best by far was beeswax. A dab and it would run and run and never catch on fire. Just an amazing product, but that hasn't much to do with the topic.

I have used Bee's wax over shellac on a couple of bows. Only problem I had was, I could not stop sniffing it. Add a coulple drops of pine oil and you could scent- camo your Bow. Wax does not seem to like much exposure to water.

Yes because it works! I also use Truiol, poly and Danish oil!

Apply the finish warm and it can go deeper into the wood, cut it with mineral oil and it will go deeper still. If you can get your hands on it,get some bee propolis, it is a blend of plant resins bees collect to seal a hive and maintain hygiene. You need to cut it with alcohol and apply like Shellac.

I am a beekeeper so I have wax and propolis in abundance. Using it as a finish helps complete the circle for me. I still use poly a lot though.

I use True Oil. You can repair without refinishing the whole bow . It weighs less , drys fast and is priced reasonable . I have used polys , spray can finishes ,but go back to True Oil. Arvin

Johnson's Paste Wax... a very tough carnuba wax mostly used for commercial floors... other brands use carnuba for car wax...dull glow, thrives on hand polishing.

I use carnuba wax to protect all my bows, no matter the finish.

Anyone use raccoon fat? I bet Jeff has since he is a trapper. It soaks deep lnto a fleshing beam.

Rendered animal fat is a very popular sealer for the purist community. Bear grease seems most popular.

Bees wax is for strings IMO. I also use it to wax the thread I use when sewing leather. I have used any number of things for finishes (except Bear grease), and not a dyed-in-the-wool user of any of them. I use on my bows that Carnuba wax. If it's really dirty I use Howard's feed and wax. I also use it twice a year on our wood furniture. For arrows I have gone to "Pure Tung Oil" for the non painted surfaces. It is a lot of work but I have no target burn and if the finish wears I can just wipe on some more. It also replaces the moisture in the shafts, especially Doug Fir, here in the desert. In short, I have shelves with different waxes and finishes. Probably because I like to experiment to much.

I have never seen a bear pearl. :-)

everybody is right,,wax works for sure,, I use poly for harsh conditions,, some woods are more sensative,, a good osage bow can hunt with no finish,, so it just depends on personal preference,, for sure,,even when I have a poly finish, I like to wax it as well,,

I went to a craft fair(with my Wife)and bought a 1# block of beeswax. I had it 10 years before I finally finished a set of hickory arrows with it. I wore a groove in the block rubbing it in cold. It worked ok, I did have to re-apply it after a couple of months. That said, next time I will melt it and rub it in by hand while it's warm...maybe I'll scent it with POCedar oil. ^(_)^

MS, you can make your own soft finish. Just get a cheese grater (the wax will stick in there so it is best to get a garage sale or dollar store one that you can use for this purpose). Grate the wax up and mix in some turpentine. It will dissolve into a shoe polish consistency. It remains soft for a long time depending on how vapor proof your polish container is.

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