I gave up my carbon arrows and plan on using surewood shafts now. What type of hardware store sealer would be alright to use.
you can use poly - so I have read (some rub it on with a rag) I use gasket lacquer and it works well (with a dip tube)
I would recommend a wipe on poly or Spar Ureathane.
For the final finish I like multiple coats of wipe on polyurathane. I usually use oil based stains and Watco Danish oil underneath that. All of it I get at the local True Value. Duco bonds really well to poly.
I use a Minwax oil base wood finish (dark walnut), then 3 or 4 coats of wipe-on polyurethane on my Surewood Doug Fir shafts. It works well.
RonP
Dip in Minwax Hellmsman spar urethane. I thin mine a little with mineral spirits, about %25.
Eric
wipe-on poly or Tru-oil is what I use...
I have found that ProFin works great on wood arrows.
I'd been using gasket lacquer, dipped. Last half dozen I made up I used tru-oil, Both work well.
I prefer poly.
Gasket laquer looks great, at first. But flakes off too easy IMO.
I have been useing the minwax poly and stain. I just wipe on and let dry. Its very durable. Just make sure your shafts are very clean before each coat of poly. I also use 000 steel wool between coats, which I think makes a better bond.
I do at least two coats of poly, sometimes 3.
BTW, I have notice that if I let the oil base stain dry for a week the poly dries in a matter of hours and can get two coats of poly on in one day.
If you want weight gain dip in a water based acrylic-3 coats 50 gn.
No weight gain, wipe with Tru Oil.
3 Rivers sells gasket lacquer and dip tubes that do an amazing job. 3 coats in half an hour. The finish looks like glass and seems like you can look down in the wood grain.
I am having pretty good success with a 2 hour soak in Danish oil, then after a few days to dry good, 3 or 4 coats of Minwax Wipe-on polyurethane.
A little time consuming, but the danish oil stains and seals from within and the poly seals from the outside (cresting between the coats of poly) ... kinda a 'double play' of protection.
This regimine is courtesey of Stu Miller from MI... and so far so good.
I use the regular Minwax polyurethane or Spar urethane. I brush it on with a disposable sponge brush. Mop on the first coat then slowly wipe down the shaft in one direction to remove excess and air bubbles. Only cleanup is the brush and news papers used to caver the bench. Just throw the whole bundle away.