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Main Boards => Trad History/Collecting => Topic started by: RobinHood1389 on November 30, 2013, 05:47:00 PM

Title: restoration help
Post by: RobinHood1389 on November 30, 2013, 05:47:00 PM
I just picked up a Ben Pearson collegian. it needs a little bit of work. the fiberglass has a few vertical crack stat I know can be filled and repaired with superglue. all the wood will be sanded and restain.
but how do I finish the fiberglass? do I lightly Buff it with some fine sandpaper? and do I cover it with a polyurethane?
basically I need a little advice on refinishing the fiberglass after the cracks have been filled.
The white glass is no longer white. its kind of a yellow now.
So....how di refinish the fiberglass of a bow beyond crack repairs?
Title: Re: restoration help
Post by: Phil Magistro on November 30, 2013, 08:39:00 PM
If you do a Google search you'll find lots of information about refinishing/restoring bows.  Here is my suggestion on what to do.  I use Loctite 420 in the vertical cracks. It's the only glue I know of that wicks into fine cracks. On white glass the crack may be black with dirt.  Clean that the best you can.  Then you can fill the crack with Loctite using a syringe.  After it dries scrape off the excess and sand the limbs down to the glass.  The old yellow finish will be gone and the limbs will be white. At that point you have to determine if you want to just refinish the limbs or repaint them white to hide the filled cracks.  

I use auto clearcoat in spray cans - put on a few light coats, wait a day or two, wet sand with 600 grit wet or dry paper and repeat two more times.  After the final coat I wet sand with 1500 and 2000 grit paper then use a clearcoat swirl remover as polish.  If you want a satin finish you could use rubbing compound instead of the 1500 grit.
Title: Re: restoration help
Post by: TonyW on November 30, 2013, 10:08:00 PM
Google? Google? Why use Google to find Tradgang's Restoration 101?
Holy Smokes!
As Phil says on another archery website:
"If you do a search here you will find all that you want to know plus a lot more."
 Check this out:

   http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=14;t=006473
Title: Re: restoration help
Post by: Phil Magistro on December 04, 2013, 12:10:00 PM
Didn't realize you put that back up Tony.  Good for you.