Removing excess wax from bowstrings

[traditionalman]

I want to know if any stringmakers out there try to remove some of the wax from the bowstring after making it. I,m not talking about the amount of wax you would use to maintain a string just the wax used in making a bowstring. I know you can shoot it and the excess will come off but some guys don't like that on their bows and if in winter time they try a new string the cold weather will make your string pop pop pop as the string pulls away from your bow and the wax is cold. I did have one man tell me he would strip the wax off by soaking in acotone and of couse use a small amount of wax for protection of the string. I did post this question in the wrong fourm and it was dropped. I appoigise for that mistate, hopefully this time it can be answered.

[Bud B.]

What I do, in making Flemish B50/B55 strings, if I have an excess of wax, is briskly rub the string with an absorbing cloth or dry leather around my fingers while pinching the string. This helps melt wax into the fibers, but allows the removal of excess wax. Be careful not to generate too much heat from the friction.

[Jake Fr]

Take dental floss and wrap twice and pull down the sgring and wax will come off and still have enuff to protect the string

[A.S.]

I use a piece of serving, wrap it around the string, then pull it the length of the string. You would be amazed at how much wax comes off after a string is built.

[LBR]

Yep--that's what I do when it's on the stretching jig.  I won't remove the wax from the loops--that's where it's needed most, and where most strings fail.

Chad

[traditionalman]

Thanks guys for the tip. I just shoot mine and the excess comes off but a few guys I make string for don't like that so I will try the dental floss or serving material trick.

[Brock]

a piece of leather run vigorously up and down the string under tension knocks off loose spots and melts in the rest due to the friction.  I dont make strings but this is how I do ones I buy with a lot of wax or my own as I tend to over wax first thing at deer season opener.

[JamesKerr]

I use a piece of leather to rub the string with. This melts due to friction just the right amount of wax into the string and removes the excess.

[yaderehey]

X2 on the leather and friction technique  Really works most of the wax into the string which is better than removing it IMHO.

[sticksnstones]

Here is my process once the string is done and pulled tight on the string stretcher:
1) apply heavy coat on the main string only. Burnish with leather. Wipe once with paper towel.
2) apply heavy coat to section where the loops are twisted down. Burnish with leather, wipe once with paper towel.
3) inspect entire string and lay one light coat of beeswax done and rub in with my fingers. Any spot at all dry gets extra. Careful of loops and where center serving will cover. Light burnish with clean paper towel.
4) pull string off the stringer, coat loops repeatedly with light coats an rub in with fingers. Wipe away with a paper towel.

Yeah, it takes me 1-2 hours to make a string between these and all of the other extra steps I do. But they come out really sweet and they last a very long time. Here you can see how shiny the string is, and how those plys are stuck together without wax clumped anywhere. To me this is the right mix of getting enough wax impregnated in there, but getting rid of the stuff that makes dirt and stuff stick to your string.
 

[LBR]

BCY's bowstring material is literally saturated with wax when it's new. The exception is Angel Majesty which has a coating that eliminates the need for wax.

I order my string material "low wax", and it still has excess.  The only reason I add my own is to make the strands tacky, which makes it easier to make flemish strings.  I don't add wax to my endless strings...but I still have excess to remove when I stretch them.

Waxes that are made for bowstrings, like BCY's ML-6 and X-Wax, are softer and will penetrate the fibers easily when your string needs re-waxing.  Cheap too.

Chad