Loose serving - why?

MATTeL

New member
With my current string the serving at the draw point/where the nock is has come loose and started to unwind from the bottom.

What could have caused this and is there any way I can fix or stop it happening with a future string?
 

N.Vodden

New member
Ironman
did you make the string yourself, and if you did is the serving wound the right way?

Im just asking as when i made my first string i had a similar problem, and it was because the direction i wound the serving, the movement of my fingers over the string at loose was undoing the tightness of the wind if that makes any sense. I re-served the string with it going the other way, so when the string rolls off your fingers it in effect tightens it. stopped the problem straight away!
 

MATTeL

New member
It was a purchased string, I haven't quite got to the stage of making my own strings.

I am shooting left handed if that makes any difference.
 

teknohippy

New member
From what V describes being left handed would make a difference I think.

Hmm.

Any of our expert string makers care to comment?
 

jules

New member
I'm not sure it would make a difference. A string is twisted from one end when its made but when you draw up you are twisting it from the middle so wouldn't it tighten one end and loosen the other? I don't know perhaps I'm just confused :confused:
 

TJ Mason

Soaring
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American Shoot
The important thing is that the direction in which the centre serving is wound is the same as the direction of the twists in the string. The actual direction doesn't matter (though anti-clockwise is the sort-of standard), as long as it's the same for both.

When I put on a centre serving, I do so with only half the required twists in the string. So when the full number of twists is put in the string, the serving is tightened further.
 

MATTeL

New member
So if the string is tiwsted in a different direction to the centre serving then it would allow the serving to come loose.

If this is the case for my string then would twisting the string in the other direction allow the serving to become lock back into the string and avoid be wreaking it further?
 

ironmonkey

New member
I'm not sure it would make a difference. A string is twisted from one end when its made but when you draw up you are twisting it from the middle so wouldn't it tighten one end and loosen the other? I don't know perhaps I'm just confused :confused:
you dont quite pull the serving from the middle. usually there is more serving below your tab than there is above (its the serving that protects the string from your armguard). the effect of twisting is predominant on the top end of your serving (closer), so the string should be served such that the release action tightens the top end. ie. anticlockwise from the top for RH
 

ironmonkey

New member
The important thing is that the direction in which the centre serving is wound is the same as the direction of the twists in the string.
yep, this is important. also to prevent string creep, the string should be twisted the same-wise as the twist of each individual strand of the string, so ultimately, the direction of your twist and therefore of your serving may be decided by the string material you are using
 

TJ Mason

Soaring
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American Shoot
would twisting the string in the other direction allow the serving to become lock back into the string and avoid be wreaking it further?
That should help, but first check that this is in fact the problem! There's still a risk that the serving may have become frayed or worn while it was loose, especially if it's braided nylon serving, so you should get someone to re-do the centre serving as soon as poss.
 

Ceri Jones

Member
Ironman
Sounds like you need a left handed string then. Sounds mad but i had the same problem on my recurve and found out that it had been served for a right handed bow. (sounds mad i know and some bow shops will laugh at you).

Ive been told this:
It all do to with how youre fingers "roll" off the string on release if youre serving is wound for right handed then it will slowly undo itself, the same would happen if you but a lefty string on a RH bow.
 

MATTeL

New member
Apparently it is down to my bad form, skimming the arm guard as I release. :ashamed:

So another string replaced that is the third one in two months, though the first one wasn't my fault.

Something else to work on; grouping, sighting more to the left, stance and grip. Back to square one.
 

teknohippy

New member
On a positive note, grouping, sighting to the left, and hitting the arm-guard could all be the result of one thing Mark, your bow hand/arm positioning.
 

BowSurfer

New member
Ironman
The important thing is that the direction in which the centre serving is wound is the same as the direction of the twists in the string. The actual direction doesn't matter (though anti-clockwise is the sort-of standard), as long as it's the same for both.

When I put on a centre serving, I do so with only half the required twists in the string. So when the full number of twists is put in the string, the serving is tightened further.
The conventional wisdom in rope working is to serve against the lay of the rope
'worm and parcel with the lay
turn and serve the other way!'
In this way as the rope tries to un-twist it tightens the serving.
 

TJ Mason

Soaring
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American Shoot
The conventional wisdom in rope working is to serve against the lay of the rope
'worm and parcel with the lay
turn and serve the other way!'
In this way as the rope tries to un-twist it tightens the serving.
Umm...if you care to try that on a bow string, you'll find it doesn't apply.
 
C

Cimbian

Guest
Ive been told this:
It all do to with how youre fingers "roll" off the string on release if youre serving is wound for right handed then it will slowly undo itself, the same would happen if you but a lefty string on a RH bow.
So the string doesn't roll the other way in your fingers during the draw then?
 

MATTeL

New member
The reason for the serving coming apart was down to a couple of things, over wound string the bracing height was incorrectly measured and my arm bending in as I released so presenting my arm guard to the string grazing it slightly.

This bending in of the bow arm apparently shone out accross the shooting hall on Monday and also explained why i was shooting low and right (blue and glack 4:30 to 5:40).

As soon as I managed to control the arm arrows went central (4 golds and 2 8s at 6:00) :meditate: of course brimming with confidence then next three ends saw a return to previous form. :yuck:

Still I know what I am doing now and this also should explain the severe over draw I was having.
 
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