self nock question

[fujimo]

hope this is the right place for this.
i have found with my self nocks. with lots of shooting, the nock wears slightly, until the nock is loose on the string, could this be a problem, i dont have them moving on the string, or falling off, i shoot split, use two nock points and use a calf hair tab, tha tab really seams to grip the arrow nicely, and so it doesnt move.
its just with the plastic nocks, there always seems to be a teeny bit of resistance, to pull the arrow off-( the old finger tap test)-
its just a little tougher to get that clipping effect with the self nocks- these were my first set of self nocks- the next will be a bit better tuned.

any ideas, or other experiences???

[Jim now in Kentucky]

You could boil just the ears in water, squeeze them together a little and dip in cold water. Just be careful not to squeeze them too much. It will probably take a little learning to get it right.

Jim

[fujimo]

is that bit of resistance of the nock on the string neccessary???
if the arrow stays where it is, and it is a snug fit- , would that be a problem??
wayne

[Grey Taylor]

Self-nocks won't have the same material resistance to wear that plastic nocks do. If you're shooting a lot I can easily see them loosening up a bit.
You may be able to combat this by using a horn insert in the nocks but that's a lot of work.
So long as the nock is still safe you could put a little bit of varnish or other finish in the nock to build it back up again, or perhaps a bit of beeswax (although, that will wear faster and need to be re-done often).
You could also go to a fatter serving.

Guy

[Jack Skinner]

Unless you are using a soft wood like say cedar or poplar and not reinforcing your self nock (which can be dangerous with soft wood arrows) with a hardwood insert the self nock should not change. It maybe that your serving materal is wearing down. Even well sanded self nocks are tough on serving. Reserve your string and see if that helps, and as said above you can go to a larger serving materal or splice in some more string materal at the nock point and reserve.

[Pat B]

I make all my self nocks loose to start with so it isn't an issue for me.
  Using a spline reenforced self nock with a denser spline will help to redue the wear on the nock throat. Hardwood, horn, bone, ivory or even rawhide will make a good spline.

[SCATTERSHOT]

here's one with a spline...  

...and one without  

I prefer mine loose anyway, and don't worry if they don't grip the string.

[fujimo]

thanks guys, thats what i needed to hear.
regards
wayne

[Rob DiStefano]

always better a loose nock than a tight one!

[longbowman]

This is how my son makes his self nocks and has no problem with them ever wearing:
 

[Fletcher]

A few dips in some polyurethane can help.