By Howling Moon

There are quite a few ways in which you can seal a wooden bow and arrows. Varnish, wax, fat and various blends of linseed, tung, cedar and other oils, and French polish, which incidentally, is a mixture of shellac and linseed oil.

However, I noticed a pretty interesting natural varnish the other day, which I named “Moonshine”, since one of the ingredients thereof is alcohol! Here’s how one goes about making good old fashioned and natural bow varnish:

• Gather the pitch from a conifer tree such as pine or cedar. This is easily collected from areas where resin of the tree has oozed out, sometimes appearing as clusters, or lumps of crystallized “glue”.
• Collect enough glue to fill a medium sized coffee tin, and
• Grind the crystallized glue until into a consistency of fine powder.
• Put the powder in a holder and add enough merry spirits to cover the powder.
• Mix it and continue to mix it over a period of 24 hours, of course, without sampling any of the stuff!
• Filter or sift the liquid through a clean cotton cloth.
• The liquid you have now separated from any solids remaining in the cloth should be a transparent amber colour – Presto! Your own homemade varnish!

To apply, dip the corner of a piece of cotton in the liquid and rub it evenly into the wood, covering the entire surface of the bow.

The first layer will dry quickly. When completely dry, apply the following layer. After three to four layers the varnish will form a fairly thick covering over the bow.

When it is dry, use #0000-grade steel wool, and carefully buff the varnish lightly and evenly before applying altogether six to eight layers, continuing to buff with steel wool between each application. Your bow will now be well sealed against the elements, as shiny as the moon and a pleasant sight worthy of a good strong toast!

Remember, hunters should apply an extra layer before each hunting season, one can never go overboard with this special “muti”…

And comes the time when the cabin fever you suffered from, affects you on the hunt with a bout of buck fever, as that great old kudu bull stands quartering away at 15 yards – its horns seemingly as big as the full dawn itself, well, simply take a good few tots from the spirits bottle set aside so to settle your nerves, then gather courage: nock a “spirited” arrow on a “moonshined” bow’s string, and let it fly true to its mark.

Authors note: A hangover is only Mother Nature’s way of letting you know that you’re still alive. Use moonshine at your own risk!

Updated: Monday, May 22, 2006 3:49 PM