Is there a finishish durable enough to withstand minor movement between laminations.

[Matt Carpenter]

I just finishished building a three piece recurve bow. The riser/handle section has a few pieces of ebony laminated together that are moving just enough to crack the finish when the bow is drawn back. I am looking for a finish that would be strong enough to hold the laminations from moving, or flexible enough not to crack if they do. I am not worried about them delaminating all of the way because I was able to bury eight screws in it without anyone being able to see them, I just need it to stop cracking the finish. Marine epoxy crossed my mind, but that was just a wild guess. Any ideas?

[Andrew Arndts]

Thunderbird finish (http://www.3riversarchery.com/Bow+Building+Finishes_c49_s37_p0_thumb.html), it is pricey but it is what you want.

[Matt Carpenter]

That is what i used. I've used it several times and it works great, just need something a little different this time.

[Howard Acheson]

Shellac, lacquer and some waterborne acrylics are very brittle, non-flexible finishes. That's the reason they should be applied as a thin film.

Oil based finishes, particularly exterior rated oil based finishes, are much more flexible. A good oil based varnish would be a good choice. But, it takes 3-4 weeks to fully cure and develop fully adhesion and protective qualities.

What adhesive did you use for your laminations?

[Matt Carpenter]

I used smooth on two part epoxy. The wood was sealed with a waxy substance when i got it, so I sanded it off and cleaned it with acetone before laminating it. I think it had a high moisture content too because it started de-laminating more and more as i cured the glue in my bow oven after each time I glued something on to the bow.

[Russell Neyman]

My segmented bowl turner buddy, who has to deal with a trillion joints every project he does, uses a mixture of
one third shellac
one third boiled linseed oil
one third poly

[Chris Fournier]

My segmented bowl turner buddy, who has to deal with a trillion joints every project he does, uses a mixture of
one third shellac
one third boiled linseed oil
one third poly

The solvent for shellac is alcohol. How is the shellac integrated with the oil and poly? Or are you saying that the shellac is a sealer and the oil/poly is applied a s a top coat?

[Scott Holmes]

My question exactly... Chris, we agree again... what's up? :)