How To Serve Your Bowstring

by eders.com staff
A how-to video on how to serve your bow string is embedded at the bottom of this article.

The center serving on a bowstring serves as a launching pad for an arrow. It secures the nocking position, snugs the nock and protects the strands of the string from harmful wear created by finger tabs or release aids. If it unravels or loosens, shooting becomes hopeless or even dangerous. For safety sake and consistent shooting, learn to replace the serving on your bowstring. Given the low cost of serving jigs offered by Bohning, Bjorn and Cavalier and serving material by BCY and Brownell, there’s no reason not to.

Although monofilament or nylon serving material will work, we prefer braided Fast Flight for the extra flexibility and strength it provides. A tight serving of Braided Fast Flight will outlast any other serving type. Although a 100-yard spool costs about three times as much as monofilament or nylon, a spool will serve enough strings to last for years.

For all the items you need to serve your bowstring and a dvd on how to serve your bowstring see: http://www.eders.com/products/bohning-all-in-one-serving-kit.html

Follow the steps shown here to learn this important task.

Step One

To start, remove the bow's cable guard and position cables so they are out of the way. Next, split the bowstring about two inches above center or two inches above old nocking point using a rounded nail and insert serving material leaving about four inches of thread along the string.

Step Two:

Using the serving jig, wrap the serving down and around bowstring 10 to 20 times.

Step Three:

After wrapping the serving about twenty times, pull the extra thread tight and cut.

Step Four:

After cutting the extra thread, continue to wrap the serving tool down and around the string until you are about 4 to 5 inches below the arrow rest. Be sure to adjust the tension on the tool so wrappings are tight together. You adjust the tension on the serving jig by tightening or loosening the wing nut.

Step Five:

After serving about four or five inches below the rest, pull out a large loop of thread, insert the tool back within the loop.

Step Six:

After pulling jig through loop, begin serving from bottom of loop up toward the serving you just wrapped. Be sure to wrap serving in opposite direction from the above serving. Go around ten to twenty times.

Step Seven:

Once there is 10 to 20 wraps inside the loop, position tool along top serving.

Step Eight:

With the serving jig now hanging over the top of the loop, use your hands to serve the thread down and around the bowstring. As you wrap the serving thread around the string the lower part of the serving thread that you just made at the bottom of the loop will unravel. When the serving on the bottom is completely unraveled there will be just a small loop of thread left.

Step Nine:

After the bottom of the loop is unraveled there will be a small loop of thread left at the bottom of the serving.

Step Ten:

Hold the loop and pull the serving tool string to pull the loop through. Pull tight and trim off.

Step Eleven:

After cutting the extra thread you are ready to install nock set. Using a T-shaped nocking square place a nocking point about 1/8 inch above the top of the rest. You

Step Twelve:

Release shooters may want to add an extra-tight layer of serving below the nock set for extra protection from caliper releases. Perform the aforementioned, except lay two or three inches of serving and fold serving against string when beginning, rather than placing it through the serving.

Editor’s Recommended Products: If you want to serve your bowstring, you absolutely need two things, A serving jig and serving thread. I suggest you check out the BCY 26 Server. It allows you to adjust tension nicely and is the tool we used to put this article together. As far as thread goes, Brownell Diamondback Braided Fast Flight is the way to go. If you need to get a T-square and nocking pliers, the Allen Compact Bow Tuning Kit is a hard price to beat. Last but not least, Saunders’ Nocking Points complete the project. Have fun and don’t be intimidated. Once you get the hang of serving the bowstring, its easy and it feels good to be able to do it.

Get all the products you need to redo your center-serving at eders.com:

For all the items you need to serve your bowstring and a dvd on how to serve your bowstring see: http://www.eders.com/products/bohning-all-in-one-serving-kit.html

For all the items you need to serve your bowstring and a dvd on how to serve your bowstring see: http://www.eders.com/products/bohning-all-in-one-serving-kit.html