Strings breaking???

[Chris Shelton]

Well my good buddy, has been into trad bowhunting for a while.  And he has this recurve that he bought from ****.  Really nice take down kinda looks like a hatfeild takedown by martin.  But it is a maingart?  anyway, the only problem with it is the clear glass on the front and back is cuttting the string.  he has gone through ALOT of strings.  The last one was one of mine, a 15 strand 3 bundle B-50 string, and it was by far the one that lasted the longest.  I am about to purchase some d97, but I dont want to put a expensive string on his bow untill we completely solve the problem.  Now I sanded down the nock edges on the limb tips with some 600 grit sandpaper.  And we thought we fixed it.  But I guess he is going to have to sand some more.  My basic question is this-  is that the solution or do you guys know of something weird that could cause that?  I just dont want to keep sanding the clear glass and then find out in the future that we were not even close to diagnosing the problem right!

Thanks in advance!

[wingnut]

Does it have overlays on the tips?  If not, it is going to be hard to get it not too eat strings.

Mike

[jess stuart]

Can you post a picture of the limb tip, we might be able to spot something you missed.

[jrchambers]

do a endless loop string

[COOCH]

I had a recurve that had a very small glass seperation in the string grove that would eat strings.It was only vesible under stress.I took the string off and put super glue under the split and sanded the string groove,end of problem.Hope this helps.Good luck.

[frank bullitt]

Chris, if you can get a old pair of panty hose and go over the limmb and find the snag. Then sand or steel wool until gone and seal with a poly spray or superglue.

You didn't say, does he unstring it everytime or leave it strung?

[Pointer]

Chris...I've built a few bows and I can tell you that unless those edges are really rounded over, they can cut like a knife. I actually cust several strands while tillering my last project.

I recommend you use something that will bite more than 600 grit paper. On the bows I've built I use 150 grit wet/dry to really round over those edges where the string makes contact. Then I go up to 220 grit paper and re-sand all of those spots I've already hit. Also take a good look at the shape of the tip...does it have that nice smooth teardrop shape or does the string bend sharply downward as it comes off the tip?..this area can be sanded a bit too in order to put less stress on the string at the point in contacts the limb tip.

Good Luck..

[heydeerman]

Might wanna get a hold of Rob on here and try an endless loop. Not sure if it will help but might be worth a try.

[Chris Shelton]

Well the first string he had on there was a endless and it actually broke the quickest.  I think it was just a crappy endless.  He then bought a flemish and it didnt do it for a while.  Untill one day it just went at it again.  I twisted him up a big 18 strand string!  And that was a bit overkill.  so that is when we sanded it down a bit and up untill I posted the thread it was good.  I sanded it in the summer and he went all season with my string?  its driving me crazy.  

To anwser some ?'s up above, he doesnt own a stringer so it is strung all the time.

There are tip overlays, and they seem to be fine.  The problem defiantly seems to be in the grove.

I think I am going to try the panty hose idea, see what the deal is.

I dont think there is a seperation anywhere, and there is definatly no noticable edge on it or anything.

i will try to get a picture, up on here!

[ALDO]

I had a Morrison, that after some time starting eating strings.  Called Bob and he said it was time to re-do the tip grooves.  Sent it back to him whatever he did cured the problem.  
ALDO

[Orion]

Is it breaking at the top limb or the bottom?  If the bottom, does he stand the bow with the lower tip in the dirt/sand a lot.  A little grit in the string really eats away at it and can lead to a quick failure.  If that's not it, there has to be some roughness in the nocks, as you suspect.

[barley40]

Leaving strung all the time? Probably not causeing the breakage, but I didn't know anyone did that!

[Don Stokes]

I have two or three in my "bow room" that have probably been strung for a year or so. If they're backed with fiberglass, it doesn't hurt them.

Self bows are a completely different animal. They should only be strung when in use, and unstrung any time they're idle.

[Guru]

Chris, Cooch's advice seems right on the $$ to me.

I had that problem with an old bow. There's got to be something there that keeps wearing on the strings. Very minor, but still enough that over time and some shooting it working thru the strings.

I did what Jeff said to that bow and the problem ended.....that was 20yrs. ago!

Still have the bow and never broke another string...

[Don Stokes]

When I had a bow that ate strings, it was a worn nock with a small crack. Since then I make sure the nocks are cut correctly and smooth, and I've never had another problem. The string must bend around the nock in a smooth curve, with no corners of any type, especially where the string enters and leaves the nock.