# String Jig/Winder



## dmh13433 (Jan 7, 2007)

I wanted to share a project I've been working on for awhile. I started making my own strings in January. It takes so long to do the serving. So a little research and I discovered a couple machines using stepper motors. Not knowing anything about them, I started doing research. Bought a 2 axis CNC kit on Ebay, downloaded Mach3 software (free online). and got the motors running, so I started to build.
Showing the first picture is the jig I made that worked really good, but it took a long time to serve. So I made the second jig with steppers and an air cylinder.
I have to plumb air in my basement, then I can make a set of strings. 
Stepper motors $200, Drivers $120, Air Cylinder $25, Uni-Struts $30, Steel for my table $25. All else I had laying around.
Around $400 I have a jig that turns the string almost 1,400 RPM's (can't go any faster, it will stall out)


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

Beautiful work. Well done.


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## dmh13433 (Jan 7, 2007)

I was hoping the picture would be in the message and not have to click on it. I will have to figure that out later.
is there a way to post videos in the thread??


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## Irish Sitka (Jul 2, 2009)

That should speed things up!


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## Kaizoku (Dec 23, 2011)

dmh13433 said:


> I was hoping the picture would be in the message and not have to click on it. I will have to figure that out later.
> is there a way to post videos in the thread??


Upload the video to YouTube and the post the link of the video in this thread. 

Interested in this for sure


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## dmh13433 (Jan 7, 2007)

Edit: I'm not sure what happened to old link. I updated the link (12-16-20)

OK, I got a youtube account and lets see if this works. its a really short clip that I simulated 2" of serving.
There will be more to come after I get an air compressor in my basement, and a box to put all the hardware.
Thanks for watching.








Kaizoku said:


> Upload the video to YouTube and the post the link of the video in this thread.
> 
> Interested in this for sure


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## j.conner (Nov 12, 2009)

Very impressive!


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

dmh13433 said:


> OK, I got a youtube account and lets see if this works. its a really short clip that I simulated 2" of serving.
> There will be more to come after I get an air compressor in my basement, and a box to put all the hardware.
> Thanks for watching.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gaDqluuhhY


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## disco stu (Nov 16, 2012)

Looks awesome! There is something quite impressive about a good string jig. You think 1400rpm is fast enough? (yes, joke)


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## Outsider (Aug 16, 2011)

What size of motors did you use?


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## dmh13433 (Jan 7, 2007)

I used NEMA 34. They don't have to be this big. When I started this project, I thought the bigger the better. I was told the higher speed of a stepper motor, the less torque. So I just assumed getting a bigger motor would be better for more torque. That is not true. I could have went with much smaller motors and it would have worked just fine.
I bought the kit on ebay just to start playing around with the Mach3 software, and seeing if I could get them to work/spin. If I had to make another one, I would by a smaller, cheaper motor. The driver, I would buy separate also. The original driver I bought with the kit would only turn the motors around 300 RPM's.




Outsider said:


> What size of motors did you use?


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## disco stu (Nov 16, 2012)

Have you planned out what you are doing for serving tension etc? Keen to see what you do there also


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## brettbrett (Mar 25, 2017)

thats badass i may have some tech questions for you later might have to build one of these


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## swbuckmaster (Dec 20, 2005)

Wo that's cool

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## dmh13433 (Jan 7, 2007)

Edit: link has been updated (12-16-20)

Here's an update. I got everything mounted and tried the jig this weekend. I had some trouble going 1,300RPMs, there is more torque than I thought. I have to settle for around 1,000 RPM. Mach3 is somewhat a pain in the arse, but working on an Arduino program to simplify it. Pretty successful first run. I added tapered roller bearings in the motors. So I can pull on the shafts.


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## Huntinsker (Feb 9, 2012)

Very cool. Some day when I have the space to make a dedicated string station, I'll have all these fancy toys.


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## dmh13433 (Jan 7, 2007)

dmh13433 said:


> Here's an update. I got everything mounted and tried the jig this weekend. I had some trouble going 1,300RPMs, there is more torque than I thought. I have to settle for around 1,000 RPM. Mach3 is somewhat a pain in the arse, but working on an Arduino program to simplify it. Pretty successful first run. I added tapered roller bearings in the motors. So I can pull on the shafts.
> 
> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq9W2ZYjNPc


old youtube account got deleted.
here is a video of my serving jig. thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1nu87sjKvQ


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

Excellent! Thanks for posting.

Allen


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1nu87sjKvQ


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## bear bows (Oct 26, 2012)

very cool 


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## Darton'em (May 15, 2014)

This is awesome 


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## JMASavage (Feb 4, 2008)

I know nothing about stepper motors or how they work, but couldn't you buy a controller 
to run them and not use the mach3 or arduino program?


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## Rpri5684 (Jun 1, 2018)

Nice!

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## Gerd (Mar 1, 2017)

Great work! I have question about torque. How much will be sufficient? 2Nm motors will handle it?


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## flopearedmule (Nov 6, 2014)

Gerd said:


> Great work! I have question about torque. How much will be sufficient? 2Nm motors will handle it?


Gerd,
I don't know much about torque ratings. I do know the faster you go with a stepper motor, the less torque you have. If I were to do this again, I would still use the Nema 34, but I would not get the giant ones you see in my video.


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## Waynemay (Apr 13, 2014)

Excellent work and design. Where did you get the threaded knobs (handles} used to tighten the string support arms? Also are they 1/2 inch dua.


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## Gene1 (Jun 24, 2009)

Great job you did. Please clarify the pressure required for the air cylinder and its function. Is it to tension the string as your winding or to stretch the strings?

I’m in the process of getting all the materials for the string jig.


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## Huntinsker (Feb 9, 2012)

Gene1 said:


> Great job you did. Please clarify the pressure required for the air cylinder and its function. Is it to tension the string as your winding or to stretch the strings?
> 
> I’m in the process of getting all the materials for the string jig.


A lot of people use air cylinders to tension and stretch the string. They're superior to springs because they keep a consistent tension while twisting and while stretching while the piece elongates.


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## Gene1 (Jun 24, 2009)

Can you post any link or specs on the air cylinder?
Thanks


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## Huntinsker (Feb 9, 2012)

Gene1 said:


> Can you post any link or specs on the air cylinder?
> Thanks


Most guys I know that have air stretchers use 2-2.5" bore with 6" travel cylinders. They get them from Amazon, Zoro or Parker. The larger the diameter of the cylinder, the less PSI it takes to make the same tension. Just have to match the compressor to the size and quantity of cylinders so you're not constantly having them kick in or so they don't have to work at max pressure all the time.


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## Gene1 (Jun 24, 2009)

Thanks for confirming what I figure when I was researching this information.


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## Bigwilly1210 (May 26, 2016)

me likey


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## gdubbmx (Dec 28, 2018)

I am THOROUGHLY impressed. Very nice.


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## Gene1 (Jun 24, 2009)

Final had some time today to test the air cylinder.

It only requires 85psi for 355lbs tension.

Still need to complete the jig.

Thanks


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## Daver36 (Feb 2, 2018)

Very cool. You have any information on how you built your manual stretcher jig. I'd love to do something like that, though it looks like skill and tool wise, I'm not there yet.


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## Gene1 (Jun 24, 2009)

Here’s the thread on how to get started.

https://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2062893

They did post that they modified the jig some where. I think they rounded the coupling to allow easier turning thru the eye bolt.

Jig is pretty easy to build. Mostly a metal saw and wrenches to put this together. The only hard part I see for you is to drill and tap the post. I’ve read that some guys just buy the bolts and bring it to a metal shop and paid them to drill and tap it.

I believe Automan26 may have a jig to sell. Pm him.


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## TreyDay1991 (Oct 6, 2020)

I know this is a old thread but this thing is so awesome I had to say something. I wish I had the smarts to build one. Amazing work my friend!


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## Gene1 (Jun 24, 2009)

It’s not that hard to build. If you have any questions, just post it asking and you will get all the answers you need. Not to take away from the OP. I really like the stepping motors but I can’t justified it for just building a few strings for myself. 
I built my 3rd set of strings the other week. Love being able just to whip a set out anytime I want. Just needed to wait to get delivery of the fluorescent yellow strings. I built a NW spinner to help with the serving.


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## TreyDay1991 (Oct 6, 2020)

I never thought of making my own nwspinner I might have to do that. I bet it saves a lot of time when serving a string.


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## Gene1 (Jun 24, 2009)

Yes it does. I used it with a drill attach with a rubber wheel.


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## TreyDay1991 (Oct 6, 2020)

I finally made my own. It’s not pretty and it has some wobble wen I use it, but it works great!!


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## Gene1 (Jun 24, 2009)

If it works that’s all you need. 

You can steady the wobbly with your finger in the side of the disk. Make sure you don’t have splinter edges.


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## TreyDay1991 (Oct 6, 2020)

I didn’t even think of that. Ill have to try that next time I serve a string!


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## BowhunterJT (Jun 4, 2009)

dmh13433 said:


> I wanted to share a project I've been working on for awhile. I started making my own strings in January. It takes so long to do the serving. So a little research and I discovered a couple machines using stepper motors. Not knowing anything about them, I started doing research. Bought a 2 axis CNC kit on Ebay, downloaded Mach3 software (free online). and got the motors running, so I started to build.
> Showing the first picture is the jig I made that worked really good, but it took a long time to serve. So I made the second jig with steppers and an air cylinder.
> I have to plumb air in my basement, then I can make a set of strings.
> Stepper motors $200, Drivers $120, Air Cylinder $25, Uni-Struts $30, Steel for my table $25. All else I had laying around.
> ...


Makes you wonder why the brand name string server like this costs $2,500.00. Nice work!


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## MikeB1980 (Jan 18, 2020)

Do you have any pics of the string jig where the threaded rod goes through. What keeps the threaded rod from screwing in and out when you start twisting the strings? I am planning on changing my current string jig to something like this but haven't figured it all out yet. I work in an injection mold making shop so I have access to machines and all of that so it shouldn't be to difficult make.


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