# How do you paint recurve limbs?



## NavyDMO (Mar 4, 2003)

I have a set of limbs that I sanded down to paint. They had been painted before by the guy who gave them to me. They are vectors and the belly face is carbon black. I would like to apply a clear coat only. I know the clear needs an additive to make it flexible. Where do I get this? Is there special limb pain? Does it absolutely need a primer? Thanks.

Luis


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## MerlinApexDylan (Oct 14, 2002)

Hmm, most clears need a base. Which means some sort of primer then paint. If you try to clear over the carbon base you will see alot of sand scratches. Especially depending on the grit you used to finish. The only way I could see to do it would be to make a base of clear so that it acts as a primer.. let is dry and then re sand it with about a 1200 wet sand and then clear over it again with 2-3 more coats.


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## Jim C (Oct 15, 2002)

NavyDMO said:


> I have a set of limbs that I sanded down to paint. They had been painted before by the guy who gave them to me. They are vectors and the belly face is carbon black. I would like to apply a clear coat only. I know the clear needs an additive to make it flexible. Where do I get this? Is there special limb pain? Does it absolutely need a primer? Thanks.
> 
> Luis


what kind of a moron painted those limbs in the first place? was this the set some guy sold on EBay that had been painted camo?


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## toxoph (Mar 24, 2005)

Although I havent done it, I heard boat spar varnish works well for refinishing bows. Again, I cant confirm this


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## NavyDMO (Mar 4, 2003)

No they were not camo Jim. They were silver but it was starting to crack at the edges so I thought I would refinish them. They were painted by an accomplished archer (national level) that was not interested in promoting Hoyt products.


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## Jim C (Oct 15, 2002)

NavyDMO said:


> No they were not camo Jim. They were silver but it was starting to crack at the edges so I thought I would refinish them. They were painted by an accomplished archer (national level) that was not interested in promoting Hoyt products.



ah I think I know whose limbs those were


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## Welshman (Oct 5, 2002)

Jim C said:


> ah I think I know whose limbs those were


So is he still a moron?


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## Jim C (Oct 15, 2002)

Welshman said:


> So is he still a moron?


if you note I was assuming it was the camo jobs on ebay.


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## Welshman (Oct 5, 2002)

Jim C said:


> what kind of a moron painted those limbs in the first place? was this the set some guy sold on EBay that had been painted camo?


Sorry, I should have used this quote.

I can't believe someone would hunt with an Olympic bow either.


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## baldmountain (Apr 21, 2003)

Welshman said:


> I can't believe someone would hunt with an Olympic bow either.


IIRC limbwalker does. Or at least a slightly mutated Olympic recurve...


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## Jim C (Oct 15, 2002)

Welshman said:


> Sorry, I should have used this quote.
> 
> I can't believe someone would hunt with an Olympic bow either.



Earl Hoyt sold some Sky Conquests-jet black risers with jet black limbs-I have one in 48 pounds that I might hunt with. PSE took its Sierra 23" target riser and made it in camo and camo painted some of the basic WW glass beginner's olympic limbs and called it the jackal. Great hunting and bowfishing rig


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## NukeArcher (Mar 23, 2003)

I have had no problem hunting with one of my recurves. Add some hunting sights, shorter stab., and camo tape and it seems to kill deer just fine. Plus you don't have to go and buy a compound just to hunt with, or a release, peep sight, arrow rest, etc.


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## G33k (Jul 16, 2003)

Welshman said:


> So is he still a moron?


giggle giggle


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## baldmountain (Apr 21, 2003)

G33k said:


> giggle giggle


Doh! I hate not be "in" on an inside joke.


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## MerlinApexDylan (Oct 14, 2002)

Taking a wild guess. I might think it was Vic Wunderle. :wink:


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## NukeArcher (Mar 23, 2003)

Probably not Vic, not to mention I doubt Vic has time to post or look at postings. If I were a betting man, he probably doesn't know much about this forum and doesn't have an account. They are probably not Vic's limbs either.

NavyDMO- There are some websites with special paint for RC planes and such. This paint is very flexible and fairly durable with many color choices, not sure about clear coating though as others have already written about. I will find a site and PM you.


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## MerlinApexDylan (Oct 14, 2002)

i was talking about the limbs. I know he taped over the Hoyt logo one year. I saw it taped over at the Olympics when I watched the video for 2000.


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## Jim C (Oct 15, 2002)

MerlinApexDylan said:


> i was talking about the limbs. I know he taped over the Hoyt logo one year. I saw it taped over at the Olympics when I watched the video for 2000.


Rick McKinney has "custom" Carbon Tech Limbs. No, I won't tell you what limbs these are  . I suppose I should have examined the paint job first  Vic has Conquest limbs on his Mathews riser now. funny how two of the Olympic team chose limbs that weren't even being made anymore. a testament to how truly skilled Earl and Albert were


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## baldmountain (Apr 21, 2003)

Jim C said:


> funny how two of the Olympic team chose limbs that weren't even being made anymore.


Not to me. They chose them because they were the limbs they were most comfortable shooting with. A large part of shooting REALLY well is getting very comfortable with your equipment. I'm just starting to get comfortable with the Sky limbs I've been shooting. (And shooting better scores. Not a lot better, but better.)



Jim C said:


> a testament to how truly skilled Earl and Albert were


Which is why I have some Sky limbs. 

It always makes me wince when I hear about people sanding limbs so they can be repainted. Even the coating material is taken into acount in the design of a limb. When you sand it you are changing the basic proprties of the limb and it is no longer the same limb. Repainting it and resealing it changes the limb even more. I can see painting some inexpensive limbs camo so you can use them to hunt with seems OK, but to sand and refinish good target limbs is just a crime.


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## NukeArcher (Mar 23, 2003)

Navy DMO never said they were a good set of target limbs, but a set of Hoyt Vectors. I had a set of limbs that I painted once to put stickers on them and they shot 1280's before and a couple of 1290's after painting without changing my tune. If they do change the physical characteristics of the limbs I would doubt many could actually tell, unless you damaged the limb my sanding it down too far or using chemicals on it. Other than a weight difference I can't see how it could possibly adversely affect the limbs performance.


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## toxoph (Mar 24, 2005)

Jim C said:


> Rick McKinney has "custom" Carbon Tech Limbs. No, I won't tell you what limbs these are  . I suppose I should have examined the paint job first  Vic has Conquest limbs on his Mathews riser now. funny how two of the Olympic team chose limbs that weren't even being made anymore. a testament to how truly skilled Earl and Albert were


When I was at the 1996 Olympic trials semi-finals I knew of 2 past Olympians who were shooting refinished/disguised Sky limbs. Needless to say, they werent sponsered by Sky.


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## NHSarcher (Oct 15, 2004)

*State Target*

Luis,

Talk w/ Dan Croft at the State Target, He might know how to do it since he is making bows now. PM me if you need his number.


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## Eolla (Jan 19, 2005)

*Painting limbs*

The additive you need is called "Flex Aid" every auto panel/spray paint shop will have it. This is what goes on the plastic parts of cars like spoilers and bumpers. Only thing is you will need good sanding to keep it on, mine peeled off in sheet form (I bought a set of carbon plus Hoyt limbs once some had "Camoed" because they were so much cheaper than new ones).


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## AgyCarbonClickr (Jan 23, 2005)

*Don't sand carbon limbs*

I have talked to many of my professors in my manufacturing and materials classes about sanding and painting carbon limbs. They told me that sanding such thin sheets of carbon fiber that are under so much stress would not be good. See at the microscopic level, when you sand carbon fiber composite material (even with high grit) you are making little cuts in the material and the fibers at the surface are no longer working parts of the limb.


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