Rust prevention on bow

[texasguy83]

Dumb newbie question, but having come from rifle and shotgun hunting, rust sets in very quickly. I was always taught to keep my guns dry and well oiled. And a single drop of water or a fingerprint could rust if not removed and oiled well.

With Bows I see pictures of people hunting in the rain, pros crossing rivers with a bow half submerged, and bows covered in snow while waiting in the stand. And yet as part of bow care I hear nothing of oiling the cams, sights, rests, or other metal parts. And I would assume that oil on cables and bow strings would be harmful.

So my question is, is rust an issue, how do you prevent rust on a compound?

[brandonsbird02]

in for this.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[treestand]

Today's compound bows are made of aluminum so no rust. The exception being the Allen boots - never understood why they don't use stainless steel allens.

[Katch66]

As stated above, rests and sights are aluminum and will not rust. I just put a small amount of gun oil on bolts with a q-tip and have zero rust issues. Some people use wax.

[stickbowcoop]

The only parts that will rust are the cheap bolts they use for the rest and sight, and sometimes the axle e-clips if the phosphate coating is scratched. Cam axles are chromed and also should have been greased when installed so that protects them. The riser, sight, rest, cams, are all alloy. Use string wax, not oil, on the string and cables. Especially after hunting in the rain or snow. The wax protects the string and extends longevity.

[texasguy83]

That’s good to know, wasn’t aware of the fact that aluminum doesn’t rust.

Found this on Google: “Aluminum corrodes but it does not rust. Rust refers only to iron and steel corrosion. Aluminum is actually very prone to corrosion. However, aluminum corrosion is aluminum oxide, a very hard material that actually protects the aluminum from further corrosion.“ Learn something new every day.

Guess that’s why when I bought the bow the sales guy suggested I put clear nail polish on all of the bolts and screws. Wax or gun oil seem like a better option though.

And I didn’t mean to oil the cables and string with gun oil, just that it’d be hard to oil the cams without getting a little oil on the strings and cables. I have string wax already.

Thanks for the input everyone, still learning all of this stuff.

[Pedernal]

That’s good to know, wasn’t aware of the fact that aluminum doesn’t rust.

Found this on Google: “Aluminum corrodes but it does not rust. Rust refers only to iron and steel corrosion. Aluminum is actually very prone to corrosion. However, aluminum corrosion is aluminum oxide, a very hard material that actually protects the aluminum from further corrosion.“ Learn something new every day.

Guess that’s why when I bought the bow the sales guy suggested I put clear nail polish on all of the bolts and screws. Wax or gun oil seem like a better option though.

And I didn’t mean to oil the cables and string with gun oil, just that it’d be hard to oil the cams without getting a little oil on the strings and cables. I have string wax already.

Thanks for the input everyone, still learning all of this stuff.

Hunted about a month back in the rain... As has been mentioned the weak links are the bolts/screws use mainly on the accessories... I had a thread similar to yours inquiring about ways to protect the bow... I got a lot of the same responses. There was someone that suggested sending the bow off to get titanium replacement screws... All I have done is use gun oil and it seems to have done the trick. Had I know prior to going out in the rain I would have waxed the screws...


Here is the link to my thread... I believe the post about replacing the screws is post # 2

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664339

[texasguy83]

Hunted about a month back in the rain... As has been mentioned the weak links are the bolts/screws use mainly on the accessories... I had a thread similar to yours inquiring about ways to protect the bow... I got a lot of the same responses. There was someone that suggested sending the bow off to get titanium replacement screws... All I have done is use gun oil and it seems to have done the trick. Had I know prior to going out in the rain I would have waxed the screws...


Here is the link to my thread... I believe the post about replacing the screws is post # 2

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.co...d.php?t=664339

Thanks for the information

[Outlaw_6]

I put string wax in the heads of my screws. Helps to keep out the moisture while not adding any additional foreign odors.

Before I put the bow in the case I'll dry the bow with a towel.

[popup_menace]

I've never had an issue, I just make sure I let it dry out very well before I put it in the case. If you're like me and baby your equipment, you could always do the above mentioned titanium replacement screws.

Also, you can use a hair dryer with cold air and blow dry after you get back. Or an air compressor