Bow Maintance

[slayer73]

Hi all, I just got my new bow and am wondering about preventative maintance. I am a relatively new shooter only been shooting since last spring. My first bow was not set up by a pro and was not set up exact for my draw length. Awesome job my dealer did on my setup and helping me out with a few tips to get me shooting more consitantly. BTW the dealer is Lake Sarah Archery near Tracy MN (Kim) Awesome job!

How often do you wax your string? oil anything? I just want to make sure I get the life out of my bow. I can't wait for turkey hunting!

Thanks!

[slinger]

Depending on how much you shoot, I wax my string every couple of weeks or if it looks like its getting any frizz to it, after waxing rub the string between your fingers and that kind of melts the wax into the strands. Oiling anything is probably not a good Idea since it will attract dirt and probably do more damage. By the way you picked a awsome dealer I know Kim and would definatly trust his or chads advice. Good luck with your new bow.

[slayer73]

Thanks for the info...there is only so many times you can ask questions before the dealer will get upset...lol Not that he would.

[bfisher]

Just like slinger said---no oil. One thing often overlooked by most people is the cleaning of the cable slide and rod. Every so often just take a cloth or tissue with alcohol and clean the cable rod. If you can pull the slide off the back you can clean the inside surfaces of it, too. I haven't tried to remove mine yet. Some bows are easier than others. If ya can't get it then don't worry about it.

As for bowstring wax. Get some good stuff, like White or Black Lightning. ML6 is a recommended wax by BCY. Even 10 Point crossbow wax is pretty good. All these are a little gummy and applied like stringer said, rubbing with the fingers, it melts into the string fairly well. Please consider that sstring wax is not a topical application. By permeating the strands it reduces friction and abrading between the strands. Also does a better job of keeping water and debris out of the string.

There are now some string cinditioning agents on the market for cleaning debris from the string. I have no knowledge of their effectiveness, but they may be worth a look.

The cam and idler have rller bearings so no lube is needed there. Check all the bolts and screws once in a while to ensure their tightness. Especially the module screws. Just don't overtighten them.

Of particular importance, and again overlooked, is that once your bow is tuned and shooting well take certain measurements for future reference. Measure the ATA and brace height. Weigh it for draw weight and have it measured for the draw length. On the side of the cam, opposite the module, draw a line on the cam where it passes through the limb fork (pencil is fine)--do both the front and back side of the limb. You use this to see if the string/cable creeps and to reset your draw length in the event you replace the rigging.

Write all the measuements down and keep them somewhere where you can refer to them once in a while as you check the bow. If the bow starts shooting "not so good" then you can always check it against your measurements to see if anything has changed.

OH yeah, I think you can download a copy of Easton's Tuning Guide from www.huntersfriend.com. It's pretty much THE bible of bow tuning. Read it, try stuff, and learn. Although there isn't much to maintaining the finish and workings of a bow, there is always tuning, tuning, and supertuning.

[slayer73]

I think the wax I bought was bohning wax. I used it on my other bow but if you think I should buy something diff I will get it. Thanks for the info. Great to hear from people that know what they are doing!

[bfisher]

I think the wax I bought was bohning wax. I used it on my other bow but if you think I should buy something diff I will get it. Thanks for the info. Great to hear from people that know what they are doing!

Not sure but is the Bohning called Textite? It doesn't matter a whole lot, but these waxes that are more like candle wax won't do much permeating the string. They're more for a topical application which isn't really doing what needs done.

[Coop]

go to BCY strings website, theirs some great info. on how to treat & take care of your strings.... If I remember right, you should get wax that has some silicone in it... check out the questions & answer section.... you will learn alot! I know I did....

Coop