I know this may be asking a lot. Several years ago (probably 15+) there was an article in TBM addressing a process of using a pvc tube with watco oil. The shafts would be allowed to soak for a while then drip dried weighed repeated on certain shafts for a desired results. I lost all my TBM collection as Hurricane Harvey put 5’ 3” rushing water through my house. If anyone would be willing to research their TBM collection copy that article and email it to me. I’d like to give the process a try.

Thanks Brad

Ill take a look Brad. Not sure how far back mine go.

Deno

This may help you answer some questions in the mean time.

https://www.archeryinterchange.com/threads/what-oil-to-use-on- arrows.111955/

Deno

There is a problem with this kind of approach in that for the most part oils and other finishes do not deeply penetrate wood. I don't know exactly what is in Watco but I have used a lot of it, and it plays like linseed oil thinned and with a dryer added. The thing you might want to examine is whether what is sinking into the wood is the thinner, or the oil. Oil is pretty molecularly complex, and therefore hard for it to penetrate. One of the cool things about an oil finish is how easily it can be repaired, but part of that is the fact that despite all the hype about deep penetration when the finish gets scratched you notice that it was all on the surface all along.

Cycling a lot of thinner through arrow shafts is very similar to just dunking them in water and letting them dry out. Typically arrows are such great wood, little harm will occur, but it isn't taking anything to the next level.

What is the next level? Most important thing is sealing the end grain against the weather. Nothing easily available works as well as epoxy. Make sure that the tapers are well sealed. You don't have to do it, and it might be useless in some local conditions, but if you need next level prottection, epoxy saturated end grain is it.

And the next above that? Epoxy coat the whole arrow. That was how I use to make my "Alaska" arrows. I would dye them either dark gray, or bright red, depending on use, then paint them with boat epoxy, and squeegee it off. Boat epoxy like the WEST I was using when I used to do this, is not vapor proof over a long period of exposure, like weeks or months. But if you store your gear in a dry environment you probably can't harm them just taking them out hunting.

It also pays to have a dead cheap level, for low grade arrows. I would just make them up on unfinished wood and once all the fletches and points and nocks had been glued in place, paste wax the shafts with beeswax. I make my own paste by grating bees wax, then disolving it into thinner. If you want to add a step to that, a quick application of shellac before the wax makes a very traditional finish. I use orange flake disolved in alcohol for the finish.

Thanks guys appreciate your input

I remember that article. I did about 2 dozen cedars that way. It worked. I can't remember how much weight they gained, maybe 50 grns. They looked beautiful. The one down side I found was the hot melt glue would not adhere very well. I lost 3 of my 4 judo points on my hike to base camp once. I had my arrows tied to my pack frame on a hot day. By the time I made it to camp several were missing.

Article was by Dennis Kamstra. I wasn't impressed with the process.

Brad, do you know about when the article was written. I have most all the magazines and if I get some kind of an idea I will look and see if I have that issue and article.

John, oh boy I'd guess 2010 give or take a few years. I know that doesn't narrow it down much.

Looked through my binders....no luck

Deno

From talks on here years ago, it appears it was hit or miss as each individual shaft may take on different amounts of oil and weights could vary widely.

might not be any help, but digital back issues are available, though I didn't find any way to search content...

https://tradbow.com/product-category/back-issues/

I don't know about the article, but I talked about it on here and another trad site quite a few years ago.

It works, but I'm not sure it's worth the effort. Soaking 11/32 POC shafts in Watco oil under pressure (about 60#) for several days, I was able to get an initial weight increase of about 100 grains per shaft, plus or minus.

However, I then had to let the shafts dry (which took a couple of weeks), and as they did so, they bled out about half that weight. So the weight gain was in the neighborhood of 50 grains per shaft, and it wasn't consistent across shafts. Some gained quite a bit more than others.

I suppose one could re-soak a time or two more to increase the weight of those that came out light, but I never tried that.

Once thoroughly dry, they took fletching glue nicely and I never had trouble with feathers coming off. Experienced virtually no target burn, and they held up well to the weather.

There weren't as many field point or broadhead weight choices available when I did this. There are a lot more heavier heads available now, and I prefer to add the weight up front rather than along the entire shaft.

George you are correct. I had to let some shafts in the oil longer than others but I was able to get them to a consistent weight.

It was at least 10 years ago maybe closer to 20. Thanks for all the information guys. May not be worth all the trouble.

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