Pre-stretching a flemish string before serving

[matt61]

I made a string for my recurve last night,left it strung all night and until I got home from work this afternoon.I then shot about thirty arrows with it and then reset the brace height and shot it again,I do this until the brace height stops dropping then I will serve the string.The reason I do this is because I have had a lot of strings start to fail either side of the serving and I think this is because when you serve a string before it has settled and you then twist it up more,the section under the serving cannot twist so all the pressure is on the strands where the serving starts and finishes.Has anyone had the same problem and what did you do.
Matt

[Gringa Bows]

when i do my flemish strings i usually put it on my bow for the day and just pull it to full draw every now and then,then just serve it the same way as the string is twisted........Rod

[matt61]

Rod what is the reason for serving with the string twist.
Matt

[Gringa Bows]

Matt,that's just the way i was told to do them,i've done over 30 flemish now for myself and others and only one has come loose,i think going with the twist holds the served area firm...................Rod

[rodlonq]

Hi Matt,

If you serve against the string twist and then you decide to twist up your string a bit further (say to make up for some stretch over time) then you are effectively undoing the serving. A serving put on with the twist of the the string will be getting tighter as you twist the string further.

[Gringa Bows]

yeah that's what i meant thanks Rod.......Rod

[Stickbow Hunter]

To stretch my strings I simply place the bow across my lap with the string upwards. I reach out with both hands and place them on the bow tips (with a recurve I would hold the recurve section). I then push the bow tips apart while making sure I don't put downward pressure on the limbs. This stretches the strings very quickly. I then retwist the string to the correct brace height and leave it sit for a few hours and then serve it. I don't have any problems with the servings coming loose.

Jeff

[matt61]

Thanks for the input guys,it might how I worded the question but main concern I had was my strings starting to explode/fail either side of the serving, not so much the serving coming undone.
Thanks
Matt

[Stickbow Hunter]

I've never had that problem of the strings failing either side of the serving.

Jeff

[matt_d]

Matt,
I recall a post a while ago where you said you use dacron strings on your recurve.
Could it be possible that if you're using a modern dyneema/spectra based serving material and serving the bowstring with too much tension, it may be cutting into the dacron strands and causing them to fail? Just a thought
Cheers,
Matt

[matt61]

I do use a very thin serving,its the thinest you can buy at 15 thousands of an inch to get the nock fit on a sixteen strand string,as for what the serving is made of I dont know.It is a BCY inc 2x serving,I dont think that I serve to tight but I do pull the finish fairly tight maybe that what is doing it.
Matt

[gilnockie]

I stretch my strings (I only use Fast Flight) before I serve them.

I hang one loop of the the string on a sturdy bolt about 2200mm off the ground. I then hang weights which exceed the draw weight of the bow on the other loop. I then leave the string under tension for 48 to 72 hours. I serve the string on the bow after it has fully stretched. Once I set the brace height it is only adjusted through choice. The brace height does not change because the string stretches.

I have had only one string fail, and it was made of linen. I have never had a dacron or Fast flight string fail.

[matt61]

I havn't had a string fail ,but it starts to get a bit fluffy at the bottom of the serving,wisps start to appear.And its not from the string rubbing on my wrist guard as I don't need to wear one,I only wear one when I am in my leaf suit.
Matt

[ichiban]

i havent had a string break in that maner but alot of people just hang weights on the string or wat ever over night, im way to impatiant for this so,
1.brace the bow
2. get the string of the bow parralel to the ground with the back of the bow in the air
3.give some soft pushes toward the foor at the handle (cairful not to push to hard the string is under heeeeps of strees and could break if you push to hard)
4.recheck the brace, i find that by this stage it has stretched about 1/2" for darcron

[matt61]

I did about three inches of the .15 serving where the nocking point goes on the string and shot it to set the nock point, I could not believe how badly the arrow came off the string I thought here we go another bodgy string.But once I did the heavier standard serving over the top of the .15 serving up to just below the nock point leaving a gap for the arrow nock,it shoots beautiful.That got me thinking that to thinner string comes off my fingers badly... very badly,the arrows flew as if they were way overspined. What do you guys think of that observation.....
Matt

[matt_d]

I've noticed exactly the same thing with small diameter serving Matt. I can't explain why it happens but a larger serving definitely rolls off my fingers better.

[matt61]

I might even try putting another layer of serving on Matt and see what that does.It makes me wonder what some of the guys who talk about shooting their bows with twelve strand D97 strings do to get them to shoot well.I have a Bighorn recurve that came with an eighteen strand dacron string and it shoots beautiful.
Matt

[Stickbow Hunter]

It makes me wonder what some of the guys who talk about shooting their bows with twelve strand D97 strings do to get them to shoot well.

Nothing, they shoot fine for me.

Your Bighorn with the eighteen strand Dacron string on it may shoot nice but it would shoot quite a bit slower than a similar Dacron string with less strands and a lot slower than a string with less strands of D97 or similar. However it is personal choice and it is much better to shoot the bow with a string that allows you to shoot well than with one that doesn't.

Jeff