Painting Arrows

mongolianarcher · Post by **mongolianarcher** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:40 pm

Question:

I sanded a practice bamboo shaft and then used some testor enamel paint on it; the paint didn't seem to stay steady. If it matters, it was called "glossy gold". These are usually used for models, etc.

I mean, I tried to do little details on the shaft, but big droplets ended up forming and I wasn't able to.

How do you guys paint your shafts, and do you all have any examples that you can show on here? I would really appreciate it.

Bj?rn Sofeit · Post by **Bj?rn Sofeit** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 5:58 am

https://www.boesner.at/farben/acrylfarb ... heavy-body

You can dilute it with water. Just regular acryl color for paintings.

mongolianarcher · Post by **mongolianarcher** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 7:49 pm

There is a dilutant which smells like paint stripper that comes with the lacquer paints...but it seems like it doesn't "stay" on the bamboo, would water really work with such paints?

Bj?rn Sofeit · Post by **Bj?rn Sofeit** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 5:57 am

The colors for acryl paintings aren't the same as acryl for wood. Although you can also dilute acryl laquer for wood with water.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:50 am

Is it possible that the bamboo has been treated or lacquered? If you picked it yourself, this would not be a problem, but when it is purchased already prepared sometimes there can be an incompatibility between the surface and certain types of paint. If you sand the surface where you want to paint, it may be easier to use.

There are old stories about hide glue not sticking to reed an bamboo shafts. The shafts were wrapped in sinew where the feathers and painting were to go. The sinew was set in glue, but possibly this was to hold the sinew together rather than stick it to the bamboo. All of these stories are a little confused and maybe they refer to other problems than you are having.

Bj?rn Sofeit · Post by **Bj?rn Sofeit** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:52 am

In his other thread he stated, that he sanded the shafts. I think they're from the same supplier where I get my shafts. The surface is treated with some PU laquer.

About hideglue not sticking to bamboo: I had a few breakages on my blue arrows last week. The set has nodules close to the arrowhead that I reinforced with sinew. The breakages occured exactly there in the nodule. You could pull the sinew right off the shaft, it didn't stick well at all. The shaft was sanded and all that, the glue not too hot. Weird.

mongolianarcher · Post by **mongolianarcher** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:57 pm

To both Bede and Bjorn:

I took a shaft that I made myself from a Home Depot stash that I have had for years, and I wanted to use it as practice. I sanded off the old oil paint that was on it and tried to paint on it with my new paint...didn't stick.

Then I sanded it extremely hard... practically ruining the shaft to see if the paint would work at all, and it still was a bit runny.

I wouldn't dare to paint on the Tiger shafts that I have bought, which I will fletch afterwards, unless I know exactly what I am doing.

By lacquer, I meant enamel, which is probably more accurate; this is the set I bought:

http://www.utrechtart.com/Testors-Ename ... 99.utrecht

I would rather try to figure out what I am doing wrong with my paints than get new acrylic paints, haha.

Bj?rn Sofeit · Post by **Bj?rn Sofeit** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 6:14 pm

Do like me, cut off pieces that you don't need anymore, try painting and then which glue works best on the paint / bare shaft and fletching. Sealing is also important.

Sure about the acryl colors? They're rather cheap.

Btw, if you look at the right shaft, the sinew wrapping doesn't go up to where the nock is cut. That's not good. If you hit something harder, the nock will break exactly where the sinew ends.

mongolianarcher · Post by **mongolianarcher** » Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:14 am

Okay, I was planning on wrapping it to the groove, so thanks for reminding me. I will experiment with my paints and see how it goes...Do you scrape off where you put your fletchings?

Bj?rn Sofeit · Post by **Bj?rn Sofeit** » Wed Apr 09, 2014 4:55 am

No, no need to sand or scrape the paint or varnish off. The main problem is to find a type of glue that doesn't dissolve your colors. Look to the latest page of my thread, there's a few answers.

You could also paint the arrows after fletching.