Which serving material?

[briarjumper12]

I been doing endless loop strings with some serving material that my dad had left over from his archery supplies.  Now I'm out and got several guys wanting me to build new strings for some of their bows.  
Which serving material should I get?
I been using the same thing on the loops and centerserving.  Maybe someone could enlighten me what is good in the loops and on the center.  My centers keep loosening up where the arrow nocks anyway and I need to get that problem worked out.
Thanks,
John

[walkabout]

im betting youre serving the wrong direction, when the string slips off your fingers its loosening it rather than tightening.i think if youre right handed you serve it over the string away from you and if youre left handed you serve it over toward you if that makes any sense. this forces the serving to twist toward the direction it was wrapped and essentially tighten. hope this helps. as far as serving material, thats up in the air. if i feel the need to serve a string i do it with either B50 or artificial sinew, although sometimes this makes it a tad thicker than usual. the art sinew lays flat so it works a little better.

[Mike Most]

You also may be using nylon from left over stuff, I have found the brownell diamondback which is braided lasts a lot longer, both for loops and center serving. I use the .022 diameter stuff.

Good Luck

Mike

[briarjumper12]

Mike,
After looking at the serving I have and at the 3rivers website what I have is the B&W braided stuff, probably diamond back because dad always used the good stuff at his bow shop.  It is holding up really good other than the loosening.
Richard,
I been serving over the top.  To do the loops I start on the left and work to the right.  My loops are holding up pretty good.  It's the center serving I'm having trouble with.  Here's what I been doing...with the bow strung I clamp it down with top limb to my left and start my serving on my left (the top of the center serving) and work my way to the right (toward the bottom of the center serving) spinning the tool over the top away from me.  Am I doing it correctly or should I switch the bow around and work from the bottom of the serving up to the top still going over the top away from me?
Thanks

[walkabout]

i messed around with some string, and if youre right handed youre serving it correctly from what ive checked.maybe theres just some slack in how you tie the serving in thats working its way through the whole serving. aside from that maybe just a tension issue, otherwise im stumped too,lol.i just made a new string for my longbow and need to serve it so if anything comes up after i shoot it a bit ill let you know my findings.

[briarjumper12]

Thanks Richard.  I bet your right on the slack in tie up.  I can finish it off just fine with the pull through method but the beginning is what I have a hard time with.  I bet that's where my problem lies.

[walkabout]

if the beginnings are giving you trouble maybe try putting the serving through the split string like you normally would then loop it around in a figure 8 to help hold it on tight(in between the string, then over and back in between again and around the opposite side) i sometimes have trouble serving the first bit if i use the tag method because my tag string pulls a little and the first wrap or so ends up loose. good luck

[briarjumper12]

Thanks Richard.  I'll try that figure 8 thing.  I bet that's where my problem is.

[frank bullitt]

Briar12, if you serving tight and tying off tight, #4 nylon will work just fine. If you like to spend money, braided is fine, too, but not necessary!

If you whip, reverse wind back thru the loop on the end tie-off, about 20 wraps, should be no problems!

As for what direction, Bull..... If you tie off good and tight, does not make a difference! Your are not rotating the string off your fingers, during release to matter!

If so, all the factory strings, in the '60s thru the '80s that were served in one diretion, were not right, Right? Trust me, and good shootin,

Steve