How to Make a Compound Bow Bowstring

Hey guys, I'm Earl Yap of Metal Archery and today we are going to show you how to make a string. So, it's not that difficult to make a string. It takes a lot of patience, practice, and probably patience. So, for me, it took me around 2 days. I remember the first time I made a string, it took me around 2 days to get it right. I would have someone do it for me before. Specifically, Mang Jun, who was also my coach when I was a young kid. Hi Mang Jun, if you're watching this, how are you? Basically, he was the one that taught me how to do or how to serve my center serving first. So, a good way or a good advice that I can give you is learn how to change your center serving first before you actually start making a string. Because if you are able to master the center serving, it will be much easier for you to understand the dynamics of serving the end loop, serving the ends of the string, and of course, center serving on the ching. So, for today, we are going to make a new string for a quite empty sport compound bow. Now, we are only changing one string out of the three available strings on the bow. Now, there's a cable. Since it's a single cam bow, normally you have the cable and the string. Now, interesting thing about this bow is that the string is divided into two parts. I believe that back in the day when this bow was introduced, it was designed to have two strings mainly because they wanted to reduce the amount of creep that the string would have if it were much longer. So, typically, a bow like this would have a string that would be around 80 to 90 inches long. With this system, they're able to reduce the string length by making one part at 54 inches and the other one around 30 inches. So, the amount of creep that you're getting would be much less. Of course, during that time, the string materials didn't have the amount of chemical technology as the newer strings that have almost zero creep to none. So, that's the beauty of new strings right now. So, when you're buying strings, of course, there are cheap and expensive ones. But, again, if you're out there for performance, you want to have the best strings such as the ones that BCY offers. Specifically, 452X, BCYX, somewhere there. BCY Trophy, which is a phased out material, is actually one of the better ones when it comes to single cam technology because it's a very rigid string. So, when your string is lengthened that long, the amount of stretch and creep is minimized with the use of BCY Trophy, which is something that I have over here. So, some of the basic tools that you want to have. So, first, you want to have a knife or a cutter. A cutter is fine. And you want to have a lighter tape measure because you need to make sure that the string that you're making is the exact length. My basic string material, which is, since I'm working on a single cam bow, we're using BCY Trophy, which is an excellent material for single cam bows. And also, we'll be using 3D Serving by BCY. So, a lot of these things are available in the store if you need it. You also need, of course, a string server. So, I have an empty one here. I'll be loading this up later. A lot of the instructions to load this would be on YouTube or online on the AAE website. So, before starting out, you got to make sure that you understand what bow you're working with. Now, we have here the Empty Sport by Hoyt. Now, this is the cam that we have on the bottom of the bow. And this is the idler wheel. Now, on some bows, this would be a cam. But since this is a single cam, you only have one cam on the bottom. A two-cam bow, you'd have one on the bottom and one on the top. Okay? So, with this one, the string travels from the cam up to the idler wheel and stops, goes around it and stops at this point. Now, on a single cam, this string will run down all the way around the idler wheel and goes down back to the cam. So, what Hoyt did was it actually terminated the first string right on the idler wheel and continued from the other side down the cam. Now, again, that is to minimize the amount of stretch or creep that you have on the system or on the strings. Which accounts to better stability and better performance. So, the problem with these bows back in the days is that when you have a single cam bow with the older type of strings, there would be a little bit of creep. So, meaning that when you would shoot the bow, it would perform well at certain days or for a certain period of time. And then, after maybe a few weeks, because of the creep, the timing or the cam position would change which would also affect your knocking point level and also the poundage that you have on your bow. It would actually be quite of a hassle and you'd always have to recheck the cable twist or the length of your strings every so often. Here's my string jig. Now, I've set it to 54 inches which is the length that is stated on the limbs. So, what you want to do is basically measure with a tape measure. I'm just going to use one hand. Hopefully, I can get it right. For example, you want to go from tip to tip. So, that should be around 54 inches. Then, I get my string material and look for the end which can be a bit difficult sometimes. I would get the end, fold it in half, twist it, and do a single knot. So, that way, you actually have a loop. I don't know if you can see it but you have a loop right here. Now that I have the loop, I would set the jig in such a way that instead of these two ends being aligned, I would run the ends of the jig perpendicular. Now, what this allows me to do is it actually allows me to be able to measure properly the start and the end of my end loops. So, I would start from this end of the jig mainly because if you start from here, you're going to be locking the string from the other end. But when you start here, you can actually lock the string from this part immediately. And I would use this one, this peg as my counting peg. So, since I want to make a 22-strand string or let's say a 20-strand string. So, on a BCY choking material, I would only go 20 or 22. So, meaning I need to make half the number of loops around the string jig. So, if I'm making 20, I need to make 10 rounds. If I'm making 22, 11 rounds. So, let's start first by making a 20. I would suggest weighing 22 on an older bowl just because you want it to be a bit safer. So, we'll do 11 rounds. So, since I started here, we're at 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. So, for me to end it, I would just do a couple of turns on this part of the peg wherein I started. Making a complete turn. Just put it aside. And you also want to make sure that all your strands are stacked on each other. So, I normally want to press this down before I do anything just to compress it a bit. And then, I would count. I would count on one end. Normally, on this side. So, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. So, we're still lucky. I probably lost count somewhere because I'm focusing. So, once you do that, once you count and you realize that there's something, that you're missing a strand, you want to unwind it with tension, a bit of tension, and do one more loop. So, I just added the two extra strands that was lacking. Okay, next, since I'm making a 5 sixteenths of an inch end loop, so, that would mean 5 eighths of an inch. I want to have double that plus an allowance. Okay, so, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. That's 5 eighths. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. That's another 5 eighths. That means I have a total of 1 and 1 fourth of effective serving. Then, I'll add maybe an additional half inch for the allowance. So, I need to have a 1 and 3 fourths of an inch long serving. So, I could probably go 7 eighths. So, what I would do is I would measure the midpoint of this serving, of this segment. So, since it's 10 inches, 5 is the midpoint. And then, I'll measure 7 eighths. So, that should be the length of my serving. So, once you do it on this side, you want to do it on the other side as well. Then, I would start serving. Now, I hope you're able to follow this because it's going to be pretty fast. So, you get a good enough length on your serving first. Start from the bottom. Go around the string where you marked it. Do another loop. So, these are your initial layovers. And then, you want to tighten the spool so that it's touching the string. Now, we did like 4. So, I want to do around maybe another 10. So, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. That's 11 actually. And then, the part that you're holding on to, pull it to the right and then wrap after it. And then, I normally want to cut this or I would normally cut this just so that it doesn't get in the way. So, cut it flush and continue till your end mark. So, now that I've reached my end mark, it's not very clear but it's supposed to be around here. Now, the nice thing about these serving jigs is that the distance between the edge and the middle is half inch. So, you could actually, with experience, you'd know that on this serving, for you to lock this with 10 passes or with a 10 pass lock, you want to do around probably 25 spins before you lock it. Now, this is a .007 material. So, you want to do 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. I have a habit of going a little bit like doing one over. And then, maintaining tension, you want to unwind this to give you enough material. Since you're coming from the bottom, hold it on this point, go on top, and then spin into this loop that you made. 1, so 10 times, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. So, I wrapped it around this loop just so that I can work with both hands. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and then squish the servings together, make sure it's all in there, all tight. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. So, since I did that extra one, I'm going for 11. I need to have 11. Okay, and then get your server, pull it through, and you've locked your end serving, your end loops. So, it's time to do the same for the other end. So, now that I'm done doing the end servings, the end loops, I already cut out the part that was attached to the spool. It was my end point, now I'm going to take out this part which is the starting point of my string. And then you want to burn the ends of the serving where you cut them off as well. So, there's a little bit of wind. Ideally, there should be no wind. So, I normally leave like an eighth to a quarter of an inch of serving material so that when I burn it, it creates a nice bulb which locks the serving and prevents it from unraveling. So, now it's time to set your jigs to the correct position for doing the end servings. And we'll show you more of that. Okay, so the next part is we're going to set the jig again for a different process which is serving the end servings. So, we've done the end loops, now we're going to do the end servings. Now, the process is almost the same. You want to, again, like my initial advice, you want to learn how to do the center serving first. Because everything that you're doing here is the same. Serving the end loops is basically the same way as doing a center serving. The end loops will also be the same. Except that, of course, there's different styles in terms of measuring the end loop, measuring it a different way. The end servings are measured a little bit of a different way than the center serving is another style of measuring. So, what we do is loosen the ends of the string jig. And then, you want to get this part correct. Because, remember, you're making a loop. So, once you set this up properly, you should, if you fold the loops evenly, both sides should be even, not unless you made a mistake somewhere. So, I normally want to hug it a little bit. So, as you can see here, my servings started here, ended here. And when you go run down the other side of the string, it's roughly the same. So, I started on this point, this part of the string, and ended here. So, it's equal. Now, I don't want to serve this in such a way that they're perfectly equal because you'd bunch up your serving here, the start of your end serving. So, I normally pull this a little bit, just a little bit, so that it's not even. So, that way, when you lock it, when you start doing your loops, you get a very nice taper on the serving, on this part of the serving, and then runs down nicely. Now, before I do that, I would want to also put a little bit of twist on the string since it'll make things a little bit easier for me. So, let's start doing that. So, the one thing I forgot to do is, I forgot to put a divider. Now, since we're making a string for a compound loop, you want to have a divider right at the middle, or above the middle. Mainly because you need to take into consideration the part wherein your peep side will have to be about the middle. So, I cut a small strand of string material, run it down the middle. Now, this would have been easier if I did it in the start, but for me, it doesn't matter so much. I can do it also midway as long as I haven't put the center serving in the end servings. So, this way, just estimate, or guesstimate, the middle of your string, a few inches, maybe 10 inches above. So, roughly there. So, this strand here is your marker for your peep side. You want to twist it a little bit so that it doesn't come undone. So, now we're ready to serve. Okay, so what I've done here is, I've actually marked the length of my end loop. So, for this particular bow, since it's a Hoyt, Hoyt really likes to have those really short, or really small end loops. So, this is a 5-8th of an inch end loop. So, I marked it here, and then I would start my serving on that spot. You would also want to get your old string, or the old string, lay it on top, and mark where you want to end. So, since this owner, the owner of the bow, got this bow second hand, the string wasn't original anymore. So, whoever owned the bow prior to him, made a really short end serving, which had excessive wear on the tips, on the ends, towards the idler wheel and the camp. So, I extended it by a good 2 inches. So, this is where I want to end. This is where I want to start. So, I just want to measure that, just for data's sake. So, that's a good 13 inches. So, next we're going to swap out the spools. I'm going to use a .018 3D serving for the end loops, for the end serving. I keep seeing end loops. This is the effect of lockdown. Because lately, maybe during the lockdown, I feel like I'm forgetting my technical skills in archery. So, it's kind of bothering to live in a wooden box. You want to get this part really tight. So, maybe a bonus tool is a pencil. Just wrap around it. This is only mainly for the compound bows. It's weaker because this thing is much longer. You don't need that much assistance by using a pencil. You don't need a pencil as an aid. So, what I'm doing here, a lot of people know that I also serve using a machine. But, for this video purpose, I don't want you guys to be seeing a lot of technology into it. Because, this is the basic. It's like in a car, it's manual. If you're good at manual, it's automatic. Making the whole process automated makes life more consistent. Or makes driving more consistent, easier, faster. But with this, my advice is to learn the basics. Don't buy the motorized jigs or whatnot. Learn first how to do things manually. And then, that's the time you invest in those other things. Now, this might be a long process. So, I want to run this serving, maybe a good three-fourths of an inch. And then, cut this part which I use as leverage to tie my serving properly. So, you can just throw it away. Keep the pencil, you'll need this later on. So, this is the marker, 13 inches. Now, I haven't really made strings since I set up my TRX-36. With that bow, I've had to do some different techniques or different approaches. Like, using different materials to get a better feel towards what I want the bow to be. Or to perform like. You can also play around with different string materials, of course. Now, some materials work better than the others. Some don't, of course. But, a lot of the information can be found online. Like, go to forums, go to the manufacturer's website and check it out. You'll actually learn quite a lot by just reading some technical data. And of course, sometimes you have friends who use different materials. You can also ask them for their advice. Like, normally I would ask other pro shooters or archers from other teams to shoot a similar bow. Like, how is this material working for you? Is it doing this? Is it doing that? Like, for example, if I get a new bow and I feel like it's not as soft. I would ask another archer, shooting a similar bow, Do you feel that you're getting the same type of response from the bow, the same type of feel? And then, if they say, yeah, I do. Then I ask them, what string are you using? And, the moment they tell me, like, okay, I'm using, let's say, 452X. Okay, I've tried that before, I know how that feels. Maybe I need something with lesser Vectran. So, Vectran, as you all know, when you guys buy strings, you remember my Fast Flight, my Dyneema. Dyneema is the lightest and, I would say, the most popular string material out there. For recurve, it's Fast Flight or Dyneema. For compound, it's normally a Dyneema blend. Like, a 90% and above Dyneema blend. The remainder, 10%, 5% Vectran or before. That's for BCY. So, I normally go for, like, the 452X, 8190s, BCYX string materials. Sometimes, 8125. 8125 can be a little bit soft, but it's still pretty good for compound bows, especially for two-cam bows. But for me, single-cam bows, I would go for 452X or 2. So, let's check this out. So, now that I've reached the marker, similar way of locking the end loops. I pull up from the bottom, loop around my fingers, go on top, and loop into that loop that you created here. So, I've done 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. See, I did 11 again. And once I lock this, I should roughly be at my marker. So, you want to make sure that it's compressed, okay, guys? Because once you tighten this and you put tension into the lock, it's a bit hard to keep it locked or keep a tight, compressed lock. And then, you want to cut, again, quarter to an eighth of an inch. So, again, you want to do the same for the other end. Now, I'm not going to go through the whole process again. It's a bit long. So, what you want to do next is get your old string. Go to the end. Measure it in relation to the new string. So, the new string is a little bit short, although I followed the exact string length. I already measured the string. It's 54 inches exactly. It's longer. It could mean that this older string, since it's much older, I think it's over 10 years old already. It could be that it's stretched from storage or from just normal use. And what we have to do is check the composition marks on the bow and see what it tells us. I have to put on the center serving or wrap a center serving on the string and we're good to go. So, when it comes to center serving, I use a different material. I normally use BCY-62XS, but lately I've been using the BCY Polygrip. This is a 0.20 serving diameter. I like it because it's very grippy. Again, polygrip. So, it sticks to the string. On a compound bow, a lot of the times on the D-loop area where you tie the D-loop on, it tends to unravel. Just over time. No matter what they say, like it won't unravel, it does unravel. No matter how tight you even make it, it's going to unravel over time. So, polygrip offers me a more durable serving that doesn't unravel as fast as other string materials. Mainly because it's a bit more abrasive, it has more grip, and that's why I like it. So, we're going to show you how it works. Center serving again. Similar to what we were doing with the end loops and the end serving. Again, this is just a repeat. That's why I cannot emphasize enough on the part wherein learn how to do your center serving and everything else will fall into place. Now, this one I pre-measured it based on the existing string. So, all you have to do is measure your old string. Measure where the center serving was. And you'll actually be able to locate where the center serving should be. So, we're doing a 4-inch center serving. The thing about serving and strings is you can't go too tight. Because once you go too tight, you run the risk of cutting some fibers. So, as you can see, it's the same process all over again. It's really easy. This is just practice. And also a lot of patience. So, if you have time, you can actually do it on a shoestring or practice first on a shoestring. Tie it on an arrow and you'll more or less get the whole technique right. See? Boom. Kapos. Now, you want this to be a little bit tight. But the problem with this material is it snaps easily. And then you want to burn the ends. And make sure you don't burn the string material or the serving. Because you don't want to repeat everything over again for that whole part. So, now that the string is done, it's time for us to put it back on the bowl. See how it looks. How the cam or the system reacts to the new string. And we should be finished. So, now that we got our bowl right here on the string. You don't want to... Since on the string jig, I already twisted it 54 inches. I also marked this part where the smallest string is as my top part of the string. So, I'm going to attach it on the bowl. Now, this part, I would highly suggest that you guys take a photo first. Of where the string should pass. Before you do anything crazy. So, as you can see here. The owner put a timing mark here. This was the old timing mark I put. So, I put a pencil timing mark here. Now, it's kind of way past that. But there's an existing timing mark here. That the previous owner put. I don't know if you can see it. It's a white line. After resetting the string back to 54 inches, it's back to normal. Which is a good thing. Basically, that's how you make a string for a compound bowl. And that's how you attach it back on a compound bowl. I hope you guys liked it. Maybe it's something you guys can do. If you have a string jig or some tools. Some wood. You can actually make your own string jig at home. And work on making your own string. So, I hope you guys enjoyed this video. Stay safe and see you on our next one.