I don't crown, stain, or crest anymore. It was fun, but my arrows are projectiles, not objects of veneration, or affection. I do use a different color cock feather.

Stain the lower 2/3ds with light stain then the crown 1/3 rd with a darker stain (wipe on stain ) then dip one coat steel wool, dip second coat steel wool and crest then final dip in gloss poly

been doing that for years now

I've done most every combination I can think of. A white stain (or other color) for a crown is easier than paint if folks don't have a place to paint.

At one point I full-length dipped shafts in yellow or white gasket lacquer trying for the look I remember as a youngster. That does need a separate space because of the fumes.

Aside from looks, I like a crown dip I can see to help me find arrows that slip under grass or leaves when stumping.

Depends on my mood. Mostly just seal and go after prep. When I do some for winter I sometimes use a rattle can crest.

For the last 25 years or so I have pretty much standardized on the same arrow finish/colored using two different stains, one for the crown area. I also add a simple crest.

No more dip tubes for me. That phase didn't last long. Too much trouble.

For the last 15 years or so, I either do nothing, just stain and seal... or sometimes, for my hunting arrows, I'll splice a bit of white feather in and then paint white from the splice back to the nock with a rattle can... or just dip them right into a paint can. Makes it very visible going away and upon impact on a deer at dusk and dawn.

Crest? Not lately. That paint dried up long ago. I'd have to be really bored to crest a batch of arrows.

Crown...I like to build arrows that I can see well.

Happy hunting, Jason

I try to match 'em to my selfbow projects. Fun and challenging for me. Wyatt

I’ve finished arrows both ways but prefer the crown dip. I like white and yellow best for visibility but have used darker colors. I’ve also done arrows w/o a crest and like those too. Like it was mentioned, they’re a little faster to make because of the drying time for the crown. Here’s a couple of examples. Lance

Beautiful Kwikdraw. That's what its all about!

I build arrows as a hobby and crowning is part of the enjoyment (and better looks, I think). It is extra effort and mess but all my hobbies take effort.

And some flu-flu’s just stained and crested. Lance

There is room in the world for both. I have done and seen some very detailed arrows that are really nice. I have see ones made by others, not me, that were stunning. But one of my favorites are still with ones with just sealer and turkey feathers.

Just stain seal and fletch for me. I do like the look of arrows that are crested and you guys do some beautiful work. I’d be afraid to shoot arrows that pretty.

MP

I like to crown. Sometimes I double crown, and sometimes I do a marble crown.

I like white crowns for hunting arrows. There are obvious positives after the shot for identifying the hit location.

I just use spray paint to do the crown

I like to stain, seal and put on 3 five inch parabolics. It's fun and games and strictly a matter of personal taste but for me an arrow is a pretty small canvas to be artistic on and for that mater so are bows. Though others certainly do, I've never seen "spliced veneers" on limbs that I liked.

I’m working on some Surewoods right now . Just seal them with true oil and write down the spine on them . Good to go ????

Stain, crest, seal.

Old eyes = white crown, all white fletch and white nock under 3 coats of gasket lacquer.

Jeff Durnell, that flash of white paint and white fletch spliced in really looks good. it’s just enough, I like that.

Here are ones I made last year.

Thanks Mike. No cock feather, all three feathers are the same. I use Mercury nocks with index tab to get it on the string properly. Going away, and going into a deer, it accomplishes the same thing as arrows with a lot more white on them, with less of the white flag waiving effect than a quiver of fully cap dipped white arrows.

I like 'em simple Deno

I prefer a full length crown dip. Rustoleum is the sealer.

I am not in a hurry to make arrows so I tend to cap and crest whatever I make. I do cheat on my aluminums and carbons these days. I buy plain wraps and crest and seal them. My woods I spray a cap using my crester and Rustolem 2X paints. I crest and seal using MinWax waterbased Polycrillic. I don’t have a set cresting pattern, I do one and if it’s good I do them all that way.

as mentioned above white crowns will tell you a lot

An naturel works for me; stain then wipe on Minwax till I run out of patience.

I usually stain and then spray paint crown with arrow in pvc pipe and finish with 3 coats of wipe on poly.Very easy and not time cumsuming.Functional and looks good.Wont win any beauty contests I admit.

I am with you 100% Felipe !!!!!

I also leave the top 10” unstained and just use a sharpie for cresting >>~> here’s a tip I give each spine group it own crest design

You would laugh if you seen my crester it’s a cordless screwdriver i bet it runs about 20-25 rpm

Au natural...Vinegaroon for a light stain, a few coats of 100% tung oil to seal, self-nocks and turkey fletch tied on with artificial sinew... can be hard to find in the woods if you miss, but nothing better looking or nicer to shoot for me.

When you guys re-fletch your arrows after paint cresting, does it mess up the cresting when you take the old fletching off?

Live, my woods usually don’t last long enough to re-fletch. Actually that can be said of my carbons and aluminums. But the use of wraps makes it easy to strip and redo a shaft or a doz shafts. Now I have read on this site or another that using fletch tape makes it a lot easier to replace a fletch without screwing up the crest. That day may come for me as I did a dozen with tape recently.

"But the use of wraps makes it easy to strip and redo a shaft or a doz shafts." That would be my thought also. I had fletched some carbons without wraps and when I went to refletch a couple, it was hell. Scraped the wood grain pattern right off them. I want to make some woody's this year and want to do it right the first time. All of my re-fletching is done to my target arrows as I am either clipping off parts of the fletch with arrows, or I blow into or through my older targets.

Ive done it many different ways. Last ones I did had 2 coats polyurethane on then Krylon faded out spray with Krylon Crystal clear over that. It was nice. I don't bother with it any more.

I am a au-natural kinda guy, but it sucks when a stray shot matches the forest floor. Mother nature is king/queen when it comes to turkey feathers and wood grain. Whether 3D or hunt scenarios.

My mentor in archery was a firm believer in crown white, two white fletch & one red cock feather. John

Natural/KISS

Some more full crowns

reverse crest

all yella

I built my own crestor, so I painted everything cuz I had a new toy. I am moving towards stain and natural light wood shafts of late.

I spray crown and crest my 3-D arrows. I've had several returned because people know my crest. My hunting arrows have no crown or crest.

Hunting arrows.

Nice work everyone.

Bare minimum for me. I stain, fletch, then rub string wax from the fletching forward. I buff it in with a cloth. Done.

I started doing it that way 20 years ago after my dip tube poly turned into a solid.

I think if I thought I had the skills to do something really fancy, I probably would…

I don’t think it’s a bad decision to spend time doing it if you enjoy the process. I think this is the year I’m going to start doing something along those lines, but it will be 90% functional. Just things to make it easier to locate my arrow when I’ve missed the mark; so far, I have a can of white and a can of bright orange spray paint to work with.

But really, anything that allows me to spend more time engaged in the whole process and enjoying myself is a plus. Where else can you buy yourself hours of entertainment for the cost of a couple of cans of spray paint and a little Testor’s??

Some are too nice to shoot, A lot of nice arrows guys, Nice Looking

Some of the best looking arrows I ever made didn't have a crown or stain. The chundoo was really pale and contrasted great with any dark feather combo. Green was the best.

I do what little Delta does (2 different color stains)

Stain and then spray paint.

I spray painted half doz with white. Love em. Great for stumping. For snow days I either shot with something solid to grab em or switch to unpainted/chartuse fletch.

Rigs; My plan this year is a scheme much like yours but white and orange cresting. Orange nock with white stain under orange fletch then orange white alternating bans like yours.

I usually crest my hand planed white pine arrows. What pine arrows are shown. I do not crest my shoot shafts or wild rose arrows. Jawge

A few I crowned and did a little feather splicing. Sometimes I make my arrows plain and sometimes I make them fancy.

I've only stained and sealed them.I did buy a couple dozen of Kustom King' Tracker arrows that were crown dipped with a single crest at the end of the dip.Loved the look however when I had to refletch them by the time I got all of the quill off there was kind of a slight "trough" remaining.I was able to refletch them but they weren't so nice looking anymore.

Gosh and I thought I was the only one with an arrow fetish on here. I’ve built so many arrows in my life about every configuration in regards to dipping, cresting etc. I can’t help myself! It all started when I watched that scene in Jeremiah Johnson when the arrow whizzed by Bear Claw Chris Lapp’s face and stuck in the tree, he looked at it and said “ Yep, Crow, Fellow by the name of Paints-His- Shirt-Red”! I knew right then I wanted everyone to know who my arrows belonged to lol.

I could go plain Jane or do fancy arrows when I built my own wood arrows.I gravitated to more plain in recent years.Unless I want to build a special dozen Artsy Fartsy and take the time to do it.

One thing about the Crown dip paint is that if you glue on fletchings.When removing the fletchings the crown can get messed up getting the fletch and glue off.Fletch tape is much easier to remove though and keep a clean crown if you want to use that alternative on crown dip.

Stain and crest.

I usually crown dip,spray or in this case I used rit dye.

I like both but really like the marbling. To many to show and if I get some x time this week can show maybe some of mine.

I have also tried felt tips and don't like them so much and prefer paint.

I really like the look of dye or a clear stain on woodies - PLUS, it seems like it would be a lot less intensive effort than a spray paint or cap dip approach.... Only thing lacking there is the option of a blaze orange cap for hunting arrows....

But now I’m thinkin’ fletch tape might be The Call for carbons and aluminums over paint, since I find myself re-fletching those pretty often. Woodies don’t necessarily live that long for me! LOL..

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