Re-serving a thin Fast Flight String

[YosemiteSam]

I picked up a string on Amazon.  It's a fast-flight string that happens to be thinner than my other fast flight strings.  My woodies slip right off as I draw.  My carbons are barely hanging on.  I've had dry fires happen from this condition so I need to fix it.  I figure I'll just re-serve it but am curious what kind of serving I should buy.  My normal serving is perfect for covering 14 strands of B-50. But this particular string is much thinner.  It says it's 3-ply but, looking closer at its construction, it looks like about 18 strands (3 bundles of 6).  Any suggestions on a good, thicker serving material to beef this up a little so my nocks can hang on?

[Dan Landis]

I usually just add a few more strands under the serving to pad the area out where you will be nocking the arrow.  Mine usually require 3 to 5 extra strands to get a good fit.  Hope this makes sense.

[McDave]

You can get serving in several different sizes, from .014 - .030, for example.  My normal serving is .021.  If your nocks almost fit, just go up to the next larger size.  If they are quite loose, consider double serving.  Serve 2-3" in the nocking area with small size serving, then serve over it with a larger size serving, wrapped in the opposite direction.  Or, if you would like extra cushioning for your fingers, extend the double serving to cover the area where your fingers hold the string as well.

[alligatordond]

Like Dan said or remove the current serving and wrap some dental floss and re-serve over it. Be sure to test fit before you go too far. You may be surprised how much a little floss improves nock fit

[The Whittler]

Or for a temporary fix just wrap some dental floss where you nock and your good to go for a while.

[yeager]

I used to double serve, but now I use an under layer of plumber's tape and serve over that. You do have to experiment a little on how many wraps of tape to use though.

[old_goat2]

Try a layer of floss on top the serving in between the upper and lower nocking points, if it works, you can coat the floss with super glue and it should last as long as the string. I learned that on Chad from Champion Bowstrings string making video, there's lots of good tricks and tips on that video!

[old_goat2]

If you need help on how to do the floss so it stays, shoot me a PM

[LongbowArchitect]

x2 on using several strands of dental floss underneath your new serving. Be sure to serve an inch long section and then test your nock fit before proceeding.

[LBR]

Serving comes in a variety of sizes from .007 to .036.  For your string, probably .025 or .032 Power Grip.  One of the downfalls of "skinny" strings is a large serving on a small diameter string is more likely to slip.  Power Grip holds better than anything, or if you prefer a serving like Halo double-serve.  If it takes two different sizes, always put the smaller size on bottom.

Chad

[tzolk]

I second Power Grip as a serving. That stuff doesn't wear out!

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by The Whittler:
Or for a temporary fix just wrap some dental floss where you nock and your good to go for a while.

That might work well enough for my upcoming trip.  I did that years ago & had forgotten about that.  I can apply a more permanent fix after I return.

[McDave]

"A while," for me, was less than a hundred shots, so you might want to take extra dental floss with you.  I wasn't impressed with wrapping dental floss on top of the serving.  I'm sure dental floss under the serving would last a lot longer than dental floss on top of the serving.

I had replaced a bowstring for a young hunter that had issues with the arrows flipping off of a 12 strand B 50 string that had seen its better days. I agreed to make him a new string with my thicker serving. I hate making strings, it gets me in the thumb joints, I twists loops very tight.  Without thinking I made my usual 3 spline 15 strand.  It took me three attempts to fit the bow with minimum twists.  His Mercury nocks fit just about right, slightly snug on the new string.  He called back and said that his bow had less vibration and shot on average 5 fps faster than the old lighter string.  I am not a string expert, it is obvious that there are things in a string's construction that can make it better or worse.  When I made strings that were better than the prior string, it was an accident, but it quite often seemed that when a string was built tight that they worked better and lasted longer.

[LBR]

How the string is made can often make as much or more difference as what it's made from.

Yes, whatever it is that you do has worked on quite a number of bows for us.