hand carved bow, to treat the wood or not?

[44man]

Bear oil was perfect for the Indians but Wally World seems to be out of it!
They had to ride too far for Tru-Oil! Really, this stuff is great.

[Bullshop]

....Resin flakes derived from the secretions of the lac beetle....


YUK!!! That sounds gross!!! I aint tuchin that stuff.
I have another idea. How about I collect some pitch and melt it down with a little BLO?
I used to melt down pitch and add bear grease to make a water proof boot dressing and that worked good.
Plain old pitch seems more a natural wood dressing since it comes from wood. A little oil mixed with it should keep it from crystallizing.
The straight oil of any kind bothers me in that from what answers I have gotten here I understand I dont want the wood to be wet. What difference if its wet from water or wet from oil? I dunno! The pitch seems like a good idea after all it worked for Noah.

[Archer]

Minwax Polyurethane makes a good finish for bows. It will water proof it, and makes a lasting finish. You can get it in a waterbase version also, and works very well on wood arrows, for a finish.

[MtGun44]

waksupi,

Why not Watco Danish Oil?

Are you serious about Bear oil? Like a furry creature, or Fred Bear bows?

Bill

[7br]

waksupi,
Are you serious about Bear oil? Like a furry creature, or Fred Bear bows?
Bill

Like the furry critter. If you don't keep them well oiled, they develop surface rust and their joints tend to seize up. If you keep them well lubricated, they tend to run a little faster. By the way, if you ever decide to oil a bear, it is considered in good form to be pretty well lubricated yourself.

Ain't that right Ellie Mae...

[waksupi]

waksupi,

Why not Watco Danish Oil?

Are you serious about Bear oil? Like a furry creature, or Fred Bear bows?

Bill

Furry critter. Bow wood needs oils to remain supple. I like a full penetration if I can get it. I have seen osage orange bows so permeated as to be translucent. It is all I use on my sinew backed bow.
If you want to put on Watco or Trueoil, thats fine, after you have something "IN" the wood. The surface treatments only somewhat block the transfer of moisture, but are not water proof. If I didn't have bear oil around, I could be perfectly happy with any vegetable oil.

[Swede44mag]

I had a Lemon wood longbow when I was a kid a friend restrung it for me backwards.
When HE drew it back it split.
I glued it back together with Elmer’s Wood glue after it dried I restrung it drew it back and the bow snapped in half jabbing long pieces of wood in my left hand.
I spent years picking out all of the pieces.

Whatever you do PLEASE be careful.

[Bullshop]

Between answers posted here and some received through PM I have about an even split of exact opposite answers.
Some are saying oil will ruin a wood bow and some are saying oil will preserve it.
Maybe if we keep going and we can get a 60/40 split I will be able to choose but right now I am more confused than ever.

[stubshaft]

Dan, if you've ever examined an old military oil soaked stock it would be self explanatory.

[Wayne Smith]

Dan, if you've ever examined an old military oil soaked stock it would be self explanatory.

Remember that is after 90+ years of soaking. I'll go with Waksupi on this one. It is more important to keep the bow waterproof and supple now than to worry about what it will look like and function in 100 years.

Yes, soaking and full penetration of oil will have a minor impact on the bow's performance now, but this should be minor if it is of good wood with the proper grain structure.