# Split yoke how to with pics



## ex-wolverine

Your just like the weather man! Build us up for tomorrows weather and break for a comercial



NP Archery said:


> I'll try to keep this as simple as possible and hope it helps those wanting to make a few strings and cables for their own use. For this build along, I'm using a DIY jig, posts, stretcher and twister. I'm not selling jigs, serving machines or strings for that matter. Just home-made, garage and basement stuff here that most any DIYselfer can put together and make perfectly usable strings with.
> 
> Split buss cables........ Sometimes called yokes (not yolks, those are in eggs), buss cables or split yokes. You find at least 1 of them on nearly all modern single, hybrid and duel-cam systems. Usually they attach to a cam post on one end of the bow and at the axle on the other end. There are endless ways to build these but for the sake of being simple, we will try about 3 ways with a few variations thrown in.
> 
> Stay tuned and I'll get rolling with the pics as time permits.............


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## Moparmatty

Tuning in.


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## Razorbak

cant wait...


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## 60X

Yup that's how I build mine. I get everything ready and say the heck with it. I'll build it later haha.


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## NP Archery

We will look at a few different ways to build a split yoke and start with my least favorite method. Simple enough to make and if you have made a 2 color shooting string before, this will be easy. I serve most all of my strings with the tag ends and we will use that throughout. I don't have a name for it but for the sake of things, we can call it the "doubled" method. We will end up with a 2 color , split buss with each leg of the split having both colors. Should end up with something like this...



















You will notice that the cam, or bottom loop is NOT served and this is an option that we will look at later. I would normally serve this for good measure but of the ones I have left not served, they all functioned and performed well with no issues. If you are familiar with Mathews bows and their past factory strings, no doubt you have seen this before. 

I hope the colors will stand out enough to show detail. I picked these 2 with that in mind.










Layout goes like this...
2 post is all you need for this method. Because we are gonna start the layout as a shooting string and then fold it in half to make a buss, the post will be set at twice the length of the finished buss cable plus the add on for twisting. I usually add an additional 1/4" to my UNTWISTWED target length for the turn that makes the cam loop. I want this finished buss to measure 30". I add whatever I normally would for a shooting string this length,in this case a shade over .25, PLUS 1/4" for the cam loop. This makes my post set at 60.5 or there abouts. 

I'll get the pics sorted out and get that started next.....


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## Razorbak

looks good ..on pins and needles...just what i needed:smile:


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## NP Archery

With the post set, start wrapping your strands. We want our buss to have a total of 24 strands when finished so we will wrap 6 strands of the first color and then 6 of the next color giving us a total of 12 strands. When we fold that over to make the buss we will will end up with a 24 strand buss. 

6 strand of the red leaving the red tags at this post.










And 6 strands of the yellow leaving the yellow tags at the opposite end.










Using the tag ends, serve the 2 ends and tie off like this.










The string goes from the post to the stretcher where we fold in in half with both of the end loops on 1 peg and the loop formed by the fold over the opposite peg. Put in whatever you will use to seperate the 2 colors for twisting making sure each color is seperated. Put a little tension on it and let it sit for a few minutes to stabilize.



















More to come.....


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## NP Archery

You should be ready to twist now, Crank up the poundage.......










and twist away.....










until it looks sometime like this....










The hard part is over. Nothing left but a little serving and that part is easy. Leave the string just as it is when you finished the twist. I start with the area just below where the split will be and usually make this serving about 2" long. Need a pic here but it seems to be MIA. Anyway, relax the stretch and remove one of the loop from the post, crank the tension back up and serve one of the loops. I like to make this serving around 1 1/2" as it is on a area of the bow thats gets banged around alot.










Melt the tags, swap the loops on the post and serve the other loop. When you finish there, you can then work on the cam end of the cable.

Remember above where we mentioned that the cam loop could be served if you like. This is the way I add a piece of scrap strand and serve the loop that you have no tag end on. Simple and easy to do.



















All that is left of the cam end is adding the necessary serving. 










This cable is just a prop and doesn't fit anything so I just picked a spot and started serving. Should look something like this when you finish.










Next, we will try another method that i like much better.


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## NP Archery

Some random thoughts so far......

#1 Always take more pics than you think you need!

#2 Dark serving covers better over the lighter colors and looks much neater to me. Trying to cover up a dark color when using the tag ends is almost impossible and the fluorescent colors make it even harder. With the 452x I'm using here, it's plain to see how the colors can show through some. White or clear serving may be the exception but you better make sure whatever is underneath is crisp and neat or you will really end up with ugly. Try and remember that as you plan a build.


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## Razorbak

that is awesome so far..cant wait until the next installment


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## NP Archery

On to another method and the one I use most often. I'll try and do better with the pics this time. A point and shoot camera is all I got to work with.....

Anyway, this split yoke will have a soild color for each split and each loop will have it's own tag end for serving. I have no data to back up my claim but I feel this is the most stable split buss that I can build. Same colors as the first one and it should end up looking like this.










For the layout, you will need 3 post. Again, we will have a 24 strand buss so we will place 12 strands at each leg of the split. Tag ends are needed at all three post for the loops. With 2 colors and 3 post that need tags, you will have to start and stop one of the colors 2 times. Lost yet? Not to worry.

Start the wraps by putting 6 strands on one of the legs of the split and leave the tags at one post.


























Next, start at the opposite end and place 6 more strands of the same color leaving the tags at the other end. You now have 12 strands for one leg with tags left at each post.With me so far?



























We will add the red strands next....


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## NP Archery

The red will go on next and again 12 strands. Because we already have the tags at the loop AND the cam end of the buss, all we need is tags for the red split so just leave the tags at the loop end.


































We will serve the loops next.


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## NP Archery

I usually serve the cam loop first and then move over to the split loops. Should happen like this...


































And the split loops......


































We will move over to the stretcher next time.......


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## Razorbak

ok..Im lost somewhere..12 in the split loops each and 24 in the far loop and equals out to 48 in the main body of the string..Im confused at this point and thats not hard to do


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## NP Archery

Razorbak said:


> ok..Im lost somewhere..12 in the split loops each and 24 in the far loop and equals out to 48 in the main body of the string..Im confused at this point and thats not hard to do



Maybe this will help......The ENTIRE cable is made up of 2 bundles of strands, 1 yellow, 1 red with each bundle consisting of 12 strands. It may be a little more clear when we start the twist. These pics showing the layout with the post moved closer together will make it a little more easy to see....





































When this gets moved to the stretcher for the twist, the lower portion of the cable will consist of the 2 bundles of red and yellow (each with 12 strands) spiraled together and the top portion spliting apart to form each loop. Hope that helped.


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## Razorbak

ok that makes more sense..cant wait for more


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## Koorsboom

Thanks for some great info.

I pressume that the section on serving the cable wherethe two sections split off will be covered later ...

Will you also be doing a section on serving the two yoke ends with serving all the way around?


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## NP Archery

Now we will stretch and twist the cable and apply the cam servings as required.The 2 split loops will go on 1 post together and the cam loop on the other. I usually crank the cable up to about #300 and let it sit a few mins for the strands to equalize. I then insert separators to isolate each color, burnish each bundle and apply the twist.














































Continue with the twist until you reach half of the required number. I remove the separator on the cam end at this point and then finish the twist and leave the separator in the split loop end.



















Next, we can begin the serving and our cable will begin to look more like a finished product.


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## dwagoner

so you never close your end loops before putting up to 300lbs??? i close mine then twist/stretch. would think without them closed up may be some unwanted movement?


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## 60X

When I build mine I layout 12 strands of one color and close the loop. Layout the 12 strands of the 2nd color on the same posts and close that loop. Go to the other end and close that loop. Twist and stretch. Just seems like alot of popping off and swapping with the way showed above.


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## dwagoner

and i do the same 60 but ive layed out both colors then closed ends, not sure why i never thought to do each color seperately and close one before laying out the other?? good idea. i dont think its hard to do both loops on the same post, i tried the one length with 6strands each then fold in half and didnt like how it turned out, luckily the cable is solid and i dont have to worry about twistin like a string. i found when i folded in half the strands kinda got twisted a little bit.

i may swing the post sideways and try the 2 post like he showed above, that way i try all methods and see what i like best.

THX for all the pics and posts NP!!!


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## Razorbak

awesome thread


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## hollywood88

im still waiting for someone to figure out how to do a splitter setup for the pearson advantage


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## ex-wolverine

If you burnish color bundles before you fold in half the strands lay up nice and pretty:shade:



dwagoner said:


> i found when i folded in half the strands kinda got twisted a little bit.
> 
> i may swing the post sideways and try the 2 post like he showed above, that way i try all methods and see what i like best.
> 
> THX for all the pics and posts NP!!!


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## Koorsboom

Ah, I should just have been patient ... Brilliant post, thanks.

A few more detailed questions though:

Do you calculate the twist rate for the total length of the cable or only from split to loop?

How do you calculate the twist rate for the two sections of the yoke?


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## Razorbak

anxiously waiting for the next installment


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## Razorbak

more?


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## NP Archery

Koorsboom said:


> Ah, I should just have been patient ... Brilliant post, thanks.
> 
> A few more detailed questions though:
> 
> Do you calculate the twist rate for the total length of the cable or only from split to loop?
> 
> How do you calculate the twist rate for the two sections of the yoke?


I use the ENTIRE cable length in my formula to calculate the twist rate of the cable. The splits will receive an uneven amount of twist ( by design, the cable guide will cause the angle of the buss to be offset from the bow's centerline ) and will total whatever it takes on each side to maintain a straight idler/cam oreintation. I strive to keep the twist in the splits somewhat balanced. For 6" splits, I start with 4 on the long side and 7 on the short side and work from there. 

Sorry for the long pause in this thread. I had deer and hogs to tend to over the holiday.  

I'll get started on the serving pics in a bit.


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## Razorbak

you the man :smile: hope you got a good amount of deer and hogs down


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## Koorsboom

> Sorry for the long pause in this thread. I had deer and hogs to tend to over the holiday.


No pressure ... :angel:


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## NP Archery

To start the serving, I leave the string in the jig just as it was for the stretch along with the divider/splitter still in between the 2 splits and the poundage cranked up to whatever you want to serve at. I like to be at near #300 while both split loops are on a peg and around #150 if only 1 loop is anchored. More on that later.

The first serving I apply is the area just below the splits. Depending on the bow, this serving may be long, short or somewhere in between. Some strings will have no serving in this area although I think this could lead to other issues so I serve all of mine here. Using whatever measurements I have to let me know where to start and stop this serving, I layout that on the string and take off.




























Next, I go ahead and get the 2 loops while I'm on this end of the cable. For the loops, you could tie off the loops and finish them with just the tag ends and that is certainly an option. Lots of cables on bows that are done that way and they hold up well. I prefer to tie them off and serve them just like the cam loops. 
For this, I work with 1 loop at a time. Because we are now dealing with half the strands of the cable, I reduce the poundage I stretch to by about #150 to make sure that I don't put too much of a load on the splits. 

I like to put about 1.5" of serving at each loop to hide the tags and make sure the do not slip. There is a ton of wear and tear on a bow in this area so make sure you get this installed well. Don't be afraid of a dab of superglue to keep the tags tight prior to the serving.








































More in a bit.....


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## Razorbak

cant wait


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## NP Archery

You may notice that I do not wrap or back-serve the tag ends. I found that with my method of serving, the bulk of the tag ends made it tuff to cover with the serving. Instead, I pull the tag through the middle of the strands, tug on the tags to tighten the loop serving up well, and snip the tags off flush with the strands. It leaves a neat transition with no bulky knots. I always put a dab of super glue at this area to insure no slipping while the serving is installed. I have been doing the loop areas this way for years and have had ZERO issues. 
















































Now is probably a good time to look at how to end your servings so that you NEVER have issues with them coming loose. Resist the urge to snip off the serving tags close to the serving and instead, leave about a 1/4" tag and melt it down to the serving wraps. It leaves a tiny little ball that is almost impossible to slip back into the wraps and cause loose serving.


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## NP Archery

dwagoner said:


> so you never close your end loops before putting up to 300lbs??? i close mine then twist/stretch. would think without them closed up may be some unwanted movement?


So far, so good. I did the loops the way you explained for a while. I tried it without closing the loops first and liked that better. No issues as of yet.


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## NP Archery

60X said:


> When I build mine I layout 12 strands of one color and close the loop. Layout the 12 strands of the 2nd color on the same posts and close that loop. Go to the other end and close that loop. Twist and stretch. Just seems like alot of popping off and swapping with the way showed above.


Funny but I never thought to try that method. It sure seems like it would work with my layout methods and equipment. I'll do my next cable that way and see. Thanks!


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## Gunner7800

So I have a remedial question at this point, or maybe request. How do you start your servings? That seems to be my biggest problem.


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## dwagoner

i prefer to start and the end and move towards center of string, this way end loop is closed and i run serving thru end loop and start to serve, end of serving goes about 12 or so wraps down then out and keep serving, i do melt my ends like NP said he does, i like this way.


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## DannyRO

Awesome thread!!! :77: NP archery

just 2 questions: How do you choose the orientation (or direction) of twisting?
What is the relation betwen serving and twisting orientation?


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## petrey10

i too had the problem of the bulky bumps when back serving the loops... great idea!! I am going to use that one for sure! 

I am a little confused on when you are putting the twists in... mainly on the 2 loop side... do you twist the whole string and leave a certain amount and twist each loop separately?


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## NP Archery

Gunner7800 said:


> So I have a remedial question at this point, or maybe request. How do you start your servings? That seems to be my biggest problem.


Several ways to do this but this is how I do it...Standing looking at the string with my serving jig in my right hand, I pass the end of the serving material underneath and back over the top and hold the end with my left hand. 










Then I wrap over the top of the string making sure I wrap over the serving and to the left of the first wrap. That should lock the first wrap around the string. Be careful for the first few wraps so nothing slips. 










After about 4 wraps or so, you should be able to get your jig tightened up to the string and make about 10 or so wraps still holding the end of the serving in your left hand. After those tight wraps, tug on the end of the serving and make sure the wraps are secure.










Then hold the serving end back over the wraps and continue the serving for a few wraps past where the tag is. You can then snip the tag off so it's out of the way and continue the rest of the serving.


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## NP Archery

DannyRO said:


> Awesome thread!!! :77: NP archery
> 
> just 2 questions: How do you choose the orientation (or direction) of twisting?
> What is the relation betwen serving and twisting orientation?


These 2 question both relate to each other.........

#1 The direction of the twist......Several things may/can influence that. The equipment/jig design. The direction YOU want to serve in. ( more on that in #2 ) If you are right or left handed. How the string or cable is placed in the jig. 
Truth is, it don't matter UNTIL you get to the serving part. Which brings us to #2.......

#2 Ahhhhh.........the great serving direction mystery! There is more confusion over this aspect of strings than any other. No wonder ! Clockwise. Counter clockwise. Left. Right. All the in depth and contradicting explanations out there make it sounds more like space travel than something as simple as a string! It ain't got to be that hard, I promise!

Lets start with the string twisted, stretched tight and each loop anchored at each end. Let's say we will start the serving in the middle of the string.

When the serving is applied, it can only ADVANCE in 2 possible directions. Right or left. Still with me? 


Now, decide which way, right or left, you want the serving to advance from the middle. 
Got that?

Your serving must be applied in whatever orientation that would cause the twist in the string to TIGHTEN (increase) between your serving jig and the post you are serving towards. 











If you were to start your serving on the right side of this pic and serve toward the loop (right to left) your jig would need to pass over the top of the string away from you, and swing back under, around, and back over the top again and the serving will ADVANCE from right to left.

Easy enough ?


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## NP Archery

petrey10 said:


> i too had the problem of the bulky bumps when back serving the loops... great idea!! I am going to use that one for sure!
> 
> I am a little confused on when you are putting the twists in... mainly on the 2 loop side... do you twist the whole string and leave a certain amount and twist each loop separately?


Correct. I twist each leg of the split separately, usually by hand, before I serve the loop area.


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## petrey10

ok so when you check to make sure you got the correct length (100 pounds of tension) do you just put both loops together? Just trying to cover all the basics here..


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## NP Archery

petrey10 said:


> ok so when you check to make sure you got the correct length (100 pounds of tension) do you just put both loops together? Just trying to cover all the basics here..


I put BOTH loops of the split on 1 post and the cam loop on the other post. Crank up to #100 and check length. You may have to add or subtract a twist or 2 to get dead on.


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## Gunner7800

Awesome, thanks a ton.


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## drtnshtr

Man if this isnt a sticky yet it should be...thanks dude!!!


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## calvin94

The past few days I have been searching for some good info on how to build split buss cables and well you have answered my prayers I dont know if I typed in the wrong thing or not but your explanation and detail on how to build one even for a newbie like me made it very simple and I want to thank you very much for taking the time and effort to do this.
Thanks
Cal


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## kpcoupe

Ok one quick stupid question. What is bunishing??? And how is it done?


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## NP Archery

O.K. to get back to where we left off....

When we left, we had served 1 loop. The other loop gets placed on the post and served to match the red one.




























After the loops are served, I like to place them both back on the post and bring up the tension again to near #300 for them to sit for a bit.










Next, we will serve the cam end of the cable.


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## petrey10

man your loops look great! When I finish my end loops I can never get an even and consistent "serve" do you have any tricks? Do you leave 300# of tension on the string while you when you serve the ends using the tags? Also my hands are some what sweaty and discolors the strings when I am holding and pulling on the tag ends any tricks for this? 


I vote this thread for a sticky!!


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## Razorbak

sweet....after my surgery..Im gonna make these yokes and see what I like the best..nothing else to do for the next several months while I re coup...thank you again for doing this...hopefully next year I can shoot a deer with strings I made :smile:


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## NP Archery

On to the cam end...

Again, for this portion of the serving, you will need to know how long the serving runs up the cable. Layout that on the cable and serve away. Careful here and make sure the serving goes on properly. The area of the serving that passes over the sharp angled lobe of the cam is the #1 area of wear on single cam bows. 





































Melt the tags of the serving down, reduce the tension down to #100 and check the length. Adjust the twist if necessary to dial in the length. 

Remember....these are just prop cables and do not fit anything so the serving here in the cam area would be longer on most bows. As well, the colors were chosen so they would stand out for my cheap camera. It's easy to see that the darker color OVER the lighter color makes for a better looking loop serving and I should have taken that into account when I started this build. Try and remember that as you pick colors especially if dealing with light or fluorescent colors.

If everything went as planned, you should have something like this.




















More to come....


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## Razorbak

cant wait


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## ManHunterUSMC

This one and only thread has taught me so much about making a string that I feel like I should be making a jig instead of typing.

my question is... Did you make this jig yourself? and is the string puller easy to make? #300 is a good bit of tension, how do you create that kind of tension, I would guess with a crank... but how would you let it down.

After you get finished doing this thread could you post a thread on your string making set up. Thank you so much for the knowledge you have passed on to us! I seriously feels smarter!


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## NP Archery

ManHunterUSMC said:


> This one and only thread has taught me so much about making a string that I feel like I should be making a jig instead of typing.
> 
> my question is... Did you make this jig yourself? and is the string puller easy to make? #300 is a good bit of tension, how do you create that kind of tension, I would guess with a crank... but how would you let it down.
> 
> After you get finished doing this thread could you post a thread on your string making set up. Thank you so much for the knowledge you have passed on to us! I seriously feels smarter!



About the jig......As I stated at the start, just homemade DIY stuff here with parts that anyone can put together. A few have PMed and wanted some pics of the jig i used for this. Here is a link to those pics. 

More cable stuff to come soon....

http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e362/Billyquack/String Jig Pics/


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## sawdust2

I,m working on my third string and split yoke cable. The first split yoke I did by guess work and it basically was your first method. After reading your post I modifier my home made string jig my adding a two post attachment to the yoke end. The next buss cable went just fine and building it helped clarified your procedures and illustrations. The third one is currently under construction, being stretched as I'm typing, and its going even smoother. I don't consider myself a string maker but from your post and a lot of searching in AT I am making strings and cables that I am well pleased with.

Thanks for an excellent tutorial.

sawdust2


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## somersetcabin

ttt


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## ManHunterUSMC

ttt?


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## NP Archery

I'm hurrying, I promise ! Yall do know hunting season is still going on don't you? LOL!

Getting back to the cable........let's look at an alternate method for the loop serving. We briefly covered making a loop without breaking the wraps, thus leaving no tags at the loops to serve with. 2 of the options we had was to use a separate piece of string material for serving or leave it with out serving. The layout would look something like this....



















In a 2 color cable, that means both of the tag ends, 1 pair for each color, would be at the cam end. Like this.....











The cam end of the cable would have 2 sets of tags. We would use BOTH sets of tags to serve the cam loop. If your careful, it will go on pretty neat with a nice candy cane look. Like this...










You have a couple of options with the loops. 1 way would be to leave the loop UN-SERVED. You can add a temporary tie to hold the loop until you go back with a short section of serving after the twist. Like this...










And it will look similar to this after the twist and serve...










The other option is adding a extra piece of material for the serving and make it look like this....




























All of these variations will work and hold up well if done properly. It boils down to what works best with whatever techniques you like.

We have now covered a few ways to make a "static" split buss and a few ideas for the loops. Next time we will look at how to build a "floating" split buss cable. It's pretty simple too. Stay tuned.....


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## petrey10

just curious... which method do you like the most?


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## Koorsboom

What is the diffenerce in doing your end serving from the middle of the string towards the loops and vice versa?


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## NP Archery

petrey10 said:


> just curious... which method do you like the most?


The second example with each split a single color and all loops served. I have made cables that way more than any other method.


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## NP Archery

Koorsboom said:


> What is the diffenerce in doing your end serving from the middle of the string towards the loops and vice versa?


Either way will work well. I've tried both methods and settled on serving from the center towards the loops.


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## NP Archery

A few have asked about hand tools...... this is what I use most often......










Some are almost impossible for me to do without.... like this set of snips and pliers from Cresent tools. There is nothing better to cut string material or to grab and pull a tag.




























These picks from Stanley tools are great for pulling serving through on the ends.



















My serving jigs are mostly BCY Bear Paws....










You will need these as well.... I doctored up my tape so that it would hang on my post better.



















Next time....... we will try and build one of these........A floating buss cable.

I changed up the color a bit so it will not look like we are doing the same thing over and over! 










It's easy.......Stay tuned...


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## Limey

Thanks for posting this thread with its pictures.

I make my own strings and a few for friends and it always nice to see how people do it as more than one way. I like your candy strip tag ends, I have done this on some of my bows,two wraps of one colour then two wraps of the other gives a nice colour banding. Although it looks like you just wrap yours together?

I may also try your glueing of the tag ends method to remove the little back-tie hump.


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## Koorsboom

What are the main differences/benefits between serving the loops with tag ends of the string material vs serving the loops the "conventional" way using serving material?


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## NP Archery

Koorsboom said:


> What are the main differences/benefits between serving the loops with tag ends of the string material vs serving the loops the "conventional" way using serving material?


 For me the tag end style is easier, quicker and the durability has never been an issue. I'd guess that's why you see that style used so much.


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## NP Archery

On to the Floating Split buss.........

Not sure who originated this style of a buss but it goes hand-in-hand with the Hoyt brand of bows. It's debatable as to which style of a buss, the static or floating, is the "best" and just how much "floating" actually goes on. That said, here is one way to put one together......

This style of buss consist of 2 parts. The upper split yoke portion is basically a short string that is doubled. The main body of the cable has a cam peg loop on 1 end and a loop at the top end so the yoke can pass through. Here is a look at how the yoke passes through the body. 










We will build the yoke first. It is nothing more that a short string.










The question of how long and how many strands always comes up and different builders have different thoughts. I usually build the yoke at 15" and that will leave each leg of the yoke around 7.25" after it's doubled. Unless someone asked for a specific number of strand, I make the yoke with the same number as the body of the cable. 
Pretty straightforward stuff. Wrap and serve the loops.





































It should look like this before the stretch and twist.. 










We will layout the main portion of the cable next...


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## petrey10

i thought I saw someone who switched their bow from the stock split yoke cable to a floating yoke cable... why would someone do this?


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## mbw

Great thread. Thanks NP! This should be a sticky!


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## Razorbak

got home from surgery few days ago and once able to sit up..gonna make all 3 styles of yokes and see what I like the best..least it will be a skill I can use in the future..awesome thread..my abosolute favorite of all time


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## NP Archery

The layout for the body of the floating yoke cable is straightforward as well. It will have a cam peg loop at 1 end. The opposite end where the yoke portion passes thru is really nothing more than an unfinished end. No serving . No knots. Just an unfinished loop left where the strands were placed over the post.










This example is a 2 color cable with a 2 color split. Another option would be a single color cable and split or a combination of 2 colors with 1 color for the body and another for the split portion. Several ways of doing it at the least. Because the body of the cable needs only 1 served loop, a single color with the tags at the loop end for the serving is a simple way of building and makes a pretty attractive string as well. My point is that there are plenty of ways to build one of these.

Start the layout similar to a regular string but end BOTH tags on the same post. Don't forget to tie a scrap onto 1 color so you can keep them separate.Like this....




























You can serve the cam loop with both of the tags at the same time with a candy-cane look like this....










or....something we haven't done yet. Using a rubber band, hold BOTH sets of tags parallel with the layout and anchored to the opposite post. Use a scrap strand of material and serve OVER both sets of the tags and tie off like this...















































This way of serving a loop may fall somewhere in the advanced string techniques but it ain't all that hard. It is also a good solution if for some reason you need to change the colors of the loop serving. It also keeps from having so much bulk at the loops. 

Next time, we will look at the other loop, stretch and twist both parts up and add the serving. Stay tuned....


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## petrey10

i thought I saw someone who switched their bow from the stock split yoke cable to a floating yoke cable... why would someone do this?


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## Razorbak

awesome..just awesome..I vote for a sticky/tagged or what ever you can do ..just awesome info....looks like i can modify this a little for when I do endless strings for trad bows..cant wait to get mobile so I can do this...thank you again for doing this thread..one of the best


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## NP Archery

petrey10 said:


> i thought I saw someone who switched their bow from the stock split yoke cable to a floating yoke cable... why would someone do this?


I guess it would depend on which side of the argument you fall on. There are fans of each type and everyone has their ideas of why one is better than the other. Maybe the person in question wanted to see what changes, if any, a different style of yoke would bring.


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## NP Archery

OK. We have the cam loop finished and we will now take a look at the other end. It's nothing more than the loop left where the strands passed around the post. Here is what it looks like on the left. That was easy wasn't it?










We can now twist both parts of the cable. Here is the spacers in place and the twisting of the body of the cable.



















Don't forget to burnish the bundles a bit before you start the twist.










And the twist..... This first pic shows the loop that the split yoke will pass thru to complete the cable. It is the easiest loop you will do.



















This pic shows the cam end and all the tags we had on that end. When we add the cam serving we will get rid of those tags and have a nice smooth transition there. 










We will work on the serving next.......


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## NP Archery

The serving for the yoke section is next. I like to make the serving here about 2" on either side. It looks better if you can keep both sides uniform and the same length.



















And the finished yoke should end up like this....










Now for the cam serving on the body of the cable. This is the end that we served over the tags with a scrap of string material. We were left with a total of 6 tag ends here. 



















After the tags are passed thru the center of the bundle and snugged up super tight, I snip them off close and add a dab of glue here like this......



















After the serving is applied, the tags will not slip and makes for a nice transition.




























We will finish up next. Stay tuned.....


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## NP Archery

Lets get this thing put together now.....

The yoke portion passes thru the unfinished loop we left at the top of the cable. I like to put the assembled cable onto the stretcher and crank it up to #300 or so and let it sit for a few minutes.























































Thats the floating split buss. Not a mystery anymore now is it? You should have something like this ...










And there you have it........ how to make a split buss cable along with a few variations thrown in just as promised. I think it was Gunner7800 that asked about a thread like this about a year ago and I'm just now getting it up. Sorry it took so long !


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## Gunner7800

I'm good now, thanks. I really appreciate the thread, it's extremely helpful.


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## Razorbak

most awesome thread ever..thank you very for doing this thread


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## petrey10

yep great thread... thanks

STICKY PLEASE!!!!!


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## Antihunter

Llyod,You forgot the calculator..

Anyone wanting to get a set of top end set of strings should give Lloyd a try.Each set he builds is built with this much detail.If it's not right and what you ordered it goes in the trash and a new set is built.


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## neednew1

This post has has great pics and info. Great job


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## klemsontigers7

Lloyd, I was going to PM you but I figure you have a lot of PMs so I will ask on here. Could you do a small tutorial on how to start your tag end serving? I assume you must first wrap it through itself or something, otherwise you wouldn't get the serving going at a 90 degree angle to the string (or cable).


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## NP Archery

klemsontigers7 said:


> Lloyd, I was going to PM you but I figure you have a lot of PMs so I will ask on here. Could you do a small tutorial on how to start your tag end serving? I assume you must first wrap it through itself or something, otherwise you wouldn't get the serving going at a 90 degree angle to the string (or cable).


I'll try and work on that. I'll need to take some new pics that show how that is done. You would think with the 600 or so pics that I took for this thread I would have some of everything. A video would be great wouldn't it ?


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## klemsontigers7

NP Archery said:


> I'll try and work on that. I'll need to take some new pics that show how that is done. You would think with the 600 or so pics that I took for this thread I would have some of everything. A video would be great wouldn't it ?


Yep... a video would be great. I'll be checking back to this thread to see how to do it. I could figure out a way to do it, but it would be trial and error to figure out if it works after hundreds of shots. Doing it the right way the first time seems like the best way!


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## reylamb

Anytime I have ever tried to tie off the tag ends I end up with a gap in the middle, and one tag goes down one side while the other tag goes down the other.......so the middle of the end loops end up with nothing over them....so yes, pics or a video would be helpful for sure.


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## DannyRO

reylamb said:


> Anytime I have ever tried to tie off the tag ends I end up with a gap in the middle, and one tag goes down one side while the other tag goes down the other.......so the middle of the end loops end up with nothing over them....so yes, pics or a video would be helpful for sure.


Got the same problem first time. But then I got it: one end should be winding on the other part of the post like in my ugly draw:
View attachment 1st TagEnd.bmp


It looks (but is not) like a elongated Double Fisherman Knot


STICKY THIS THREAD PLEASE !!!


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## Green River

reylamb said:


> Anytime I have ever tried to tie off the tag ends I end up with a gap in the middle, and one tag goes down one side while the other tag goes down the other.......so the middle of the end loops end up with nothing over them....so yes, pics or a video would be helpful for sure.


Every 2 or 3 wraps, scoot them up tight with you finger nail so the gap closes up. Making a string is easy, making them neet is the hard part.


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## petrey10

reylamb said:


> Anytime I have ever tried to tie off the tag ends I end up with a gap in the middle, and one tag goes down one side while the other tag goes down the other.......so the middle of the end loops end up with nothing over them....so yes, pics or a video would be helpful for sure.


i got the same problem... it needs to be fixed


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## jesse300

ttt


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## Moparmatty

Great thread.


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## Robert43

Nice really well explaned I never knew what you guys were talking about the ends with tag serving now I understand. My last set of string had nothing on the ends so a real pain in the backside to get all strands over the lob of the cam. Expecially as the loops were too small for the lobs. Now I think I might make my own


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## BrownDog2

so much information. Thanks for the help.


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## jhhitman

What a great tutorial. I have one question, not sure if it was asnwered yet. Ifso I apologize. Ifiamreading this correctly, a 20 strand cable when separated would have all 20 strands on the bottom and them the splits would each have 10? Also, do you serve the middle of the cable and then split from there? If not how do you know where to serve for the split?


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## NP Archery

jhhitman said:


> What a great tutorial. I have one question, not sure if it was asnwered yet. Ifso I apologize. Ifiamreading this correctly, a 20 strand cable when separated would have all 20 strands on the bottom and them the splits would each have 10?  Also, do you serve the middle of the cable and then split from there? If not how do you know where to serve for the split?


#1 This is correct. The splits would each have half of the # of strands in each leg. For this thread, the cable was built using a total of 24 strands and each leg of the yoke was made with 12 strands. 

#2 The serving locations used for a particular string or cable are part of the "information" that one has to gather at the start of any build. These specs are usually based on the factory locations and most string builders either measure the original factory set and record the findings or acquire reliable measurements from other sources such as the internet. IMO, nothing beats having the old string and cable set from where you can take an exact measurement for the new set.


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## jhhitman

Thanks for the help. Sounds like a good notebook and keeping measurements is an important step.


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## jimb

So you pull your end loop serving in around the post, I've never thought of that, looks easier.


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## MrHoss

I like this thread!! :thumbs_up


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## jhhitman

Great tutorial. You said when you do a floating yoke you usually build them 15" long making both legs 7.5". If you are building a static yoke do you build each leg at 7.5" also? Thanks for the help. Not trying to become a business just trying to have some fun.


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## NP Archery

jhhitman said:


> Great tutorial. You said when you do a floating yoke you usually build them 15" long making both legs 7.5". If you are building a static yoke do you build each leg at 7.5" also? Thanks for the help. Not trying to become a business just trying to have some fun.


I use 6" as a default measurement on a static yoke. I build the floaters a little longer in order to have a bit more working room between the post as I layout, stretch and serve.


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## moshootahoyt

*thanks!*

i think that is the best thread i've seen on here. thank you for your time and info share.


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## deerhunter81

I think I am ready to build on myself! Thanks for all your time and knowledge!!!


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## incendiaerus

:bump:


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## incendiaerus

NP Archery said:


> The layout for the body of the floating yoke cable is straightforward as well. It will have a cam peg loop at 1 end. The opposite end where the yoke portion passes thru is really nothing more than an unfinished end. No serving . No knots. Just an unfinished loop left where the strands were placed over the post.
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> This example is a 2 color cable with a 2 color split. Another option would be a single color cable and split or a combination of 2 colors with 1 color for the body and another for the split portion. Several ways of doing it at the least. Because the body of the cable needs only 1 served loop, a single color with the tags at the loop end for the serving is a simple way of building and makes a pretty attractive string as well. My point is that there are plenty of ways to build one of these.
> 
> Start the layout similar to a regular string but end BOTH tags on the same post. Don't forget to tie a scrap onto 1 color so you can keep them separate.Like this....
> 
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> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> or....something we haven't done yet. Using a rubber band, hold BOTH sets of tags parallel with the layout and anchored to the opposite post. Use a scrap strand of material and serve OVER both sets of the tags and tie off like this...
> 
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> 
> This way of serving a loop may fall somewhere in the advanced string techniques but it ain't all that hard. It is also a good solution if for some reason you need to change the colors of the loop serving. It also keeps from having so much bulk at the loops.
> 
> Next time, we will look at the other loop, stretch and twist both parts up and add the serving. Stay tuned....




Thank you, this was very helpful.

Dude


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## NP Archery

I'm still amazed at how many have viewed this thread. I get PMs almost daily about these pics and wonder just how many strings they have sparked. WOW! Thanks to all that have commented so positive. I just never knew how much a few pics I snapped could help someone out.


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## dwagoner

Pictures are worth more than words when it comes to making strings i say! you did good here THX


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## incendiaerus

NP Archery said:


> ... I'm still amazed at how many have viewed this thread.
> ... I get PMs almost daily about these pics and wonder just how many strings they have sparked. WOW!
> ... Thanks to all that have commented so positive.
> ... I just never knew how much a few pics I snapped could help someone out.



Wonderful pictures and thread - thx - for the string making tips and tricks.


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## bernardinifan

what serving are you using?

thanks


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## jhhitman

I recently tried something new and made a floating yoke for a buddy. The measurments were dead on and everything looked perfect, but when we folded the yoke in half and went to shoot the bow I noticed that one of the colors had a spot where it was a little loose. The rest of the string was tight, but right at the fold there was a part of one color that was not as tight as it seems it should be. 

Any ideas on what might have caused this?


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## dwagoner

did you put that short piece under 300lbs tension when building/serving like rest of string?? possibly from folding over in half and not an issue and will settle shortly after a few shots, myself ive gotten away from floaters on my hoyts, just more simple to make regular ones and tune imo


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## jhhitman

Thank you for the help. I did serve and stretch it to three hundred. I took it off last night remeasured then put wax on it and reversed the bend. It seems to be fine now.


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## RAO110

Like this, thanks.


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## pandyhunter86

Awesome thread thanks for the info!!!


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## MrHoss

Bumping up for more string building.


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## Peteyur

Need to find again
Thank you for all the help!!!|
pete


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## milsy

Subscribed!


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## morris8809

if i want to make a 90.75 length string what would be the formula to allow for twit and stretch.


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## anarchyhunter80

Great thread save for later


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## dwagoner

morris8809 said:


> if i want to make a 90.75 length string what would be the formula to allow for twit and stretch.


what material???


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## jrdrees

Finished my first split-buss set-up tonight, still need to put the serving on the string but the cables are on (07 Diamond Edge-Girfriend's). Sure takes more time than one would think, but the second cable did go better. I got enough stuff to do several set-ups for her and my couple of bows, if any thing it's a fun project. I figure I would "practice" on her bow (30 lbs.), then make me some!


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## brandonlw

marking for later


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## Huntinsker

I'm supposed to be studying biochemistry so I'm marking for later. Thanks for the awesome thread!


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## jrdrees

Big thanks for the info here! First set of string turned out awesome, flo pink for the lady's bow! One tip I would give would be to wash your hands several times during your build, black serving thread got my fingers dirty, then got some on the strands. Also if serving loops with the tag ends be sure to pay attention to the direction of twist of the strand and keep it round, don't let it open and flatten out. Can't wait to make another set!


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## RatherBArchery

tagging this for later use


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## d_ninja

Tagging it.


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## kiwitahi

Great thread! Thanks! (saved)


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## lc12

This isn't a "Sticky" yet?!


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## unistar

Need to read again


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## gofor

taggin' it.


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## rcsd6815

good info


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## TMG76

Awesome info!


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## thwackaddict

btt


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## GTOJoe

tagged.


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## mongopino915

Awesome post and some of the best info available.


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## cttrailrider

Super post. Well done.


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## Peteyur

In part because of this thread I have made strings for my wife, friends, and myself. I have not started doing it for a business because that would take all the fun out of it.but I now feel very confident about my strings and enjoy building them in the winter as a way to pass the time until the snow melts. Thank you soooooo much for sharing your knowledge and passing on a great art form!!!!!


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## rajahmar

Great thread, Thanks.


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## juspassinthru

Tag


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## coryj

tag....


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## jam105

tag...


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## sroush

tag>>>


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## aaron.sterud

Tagged for later


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## burdog

Great thread!


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## Scott.Barrett

This may be the greatest post ever made on AT! Thanks!


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## NoDeerInIowa

Awesome info!


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## buddy13

Great job pictures where excellent,Thank you for teaching me gave me whole new look on things.WOW!


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## marc_groleau

With all the BS on Archerytalk these days it can be frustrating but it's this kind of great info and members like this that keeps me checking in.


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## [email protected]

I would just like to say THANKS! 
I am able to toy around in string building, and I really enjoied this thread.

Well done my friend!


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## 2X_LUNG

60X said:


> When I build mine I layout 12 strands of one color and close the loop. Layout the 12 strands of the 2nd color on the same posts and close that loop. Go to the other end and close that loop. Twist and stretch. Just seems like alot of popping off and swapping with the way showed above.


Exactly how I do it. Super easy and quick


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## Reddy

Tag


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## Donald1800

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. This thread is the reason that I have acquired a string jig from 'munchmounts' and will be making my own replacement strings/"hard" static cables (TenPoint factory cables are serviceable but fairly ugly). My TenPoint Carbon Phantom Xtra uses a Twin Cam system using "Hard" Static Cables, which are just "Floating" Yokes that have been made hard/static by serving the yoke right at the string junction. I have asked for practical tips on this type of cable months ago after several days of internet searching resulted in zero. Your very helpful tutorial on floating yoke cables gave me exactly what I needed. Thank you again.


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## Reddy

Tag


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## jhinaz

NP Archery said:


> or....something we haven't done yet. Using a rubber band, hold BOTH sets of tags parallel with the layout and anchored to the opposite post. Use a scrap strand of material and serve OVER both sets of the tags and tie off like this...


This tip by NP Archery was described 4 1/2 years ago but I had never heard it mentioned anywhere before. Luckily I remembered reading it recently after I had made a BIG mistake making my control cable.....I got carried away and started to make it as a SPLIT-YOKE cable....yeah, my bad! Anyway, I had already tag-wrapped both yoke loops before I realized my mistake.....and I had cut the excess tags off which left those tags too short for me to re-wrap them. I was able to save the cable by using the rubber band method that NPA described in this post. Thanks NPA! - John


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## Hana Pa'a

This is great


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## jameswk

:thumbs_up


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## blackduck889

tee agged


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## B.Hunter

For all the hard work and time involved by OP:
Bumping this thread!


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## adventurejack

saved


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## poetic

split yokes with a pin stripe? tag......


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## norconkm

Pin stripes aren't that difficult with this method. I like to do two colors with two pinstripes that way each yoke has a stripe in it.

I do a slight variation where I tie one piece of material to the next and cut out the extra later. It lets you lay it up with the same tension on all strands, but you end up with tags on opposite ends of the string (since you have one run that's sacrificial).

Layup the first color, with one wrap of pinstripe and serve a yoke loop either with a loose piece of string. Continue the layup with the pinstripe and the convert over to the second color. Again, serve the yoke loop with a loose piece. The opposite loop can be served with scrap or the tags as you'll have two there. 

The order of the stripes is the critical part - you have to take care when cleaning up the string for serving, but it provides 4 bundles - two color, two stripe which will separate perfectly down each leg after you serve the yoke.


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## kc hay seed

anything wrong with making two separate pieces like a floating yoke and then severing the two pieces together after putting them on the bow?


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## nuts&bolts

kc hay seed said:


> anything wrong with making two separate pieces like a floating yoke and then severing the two pieces together after putting them on the bow?


Ten inch floating yoke legs. Shoot the bow enough so that the floating legs settle to where they want to be. ONE side will be shorter, OTHER side will be longer. Serve the two floating legs into a static setup. Advantages. BOTH legs will be nearly equal in twists, after fine tuning. BOTH legs are full strand count, instead of just half strand count. Works great.


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