# served D-loops, show me



## rasyad (Nov 22, 2005)

Mike at Overkill Archery told me about serving D-loops so I tied one on (har, har). I forgot to ask what size serving he used so I just used what I had which was 0.019 BYC. I tied it really tight so the loop is stiff and will not rotate on the string. 

There are lots of benefits to a served D-loop. I would be glad to gather your experience and put together a how-to guide with photos. 

So lets see those Served D-loops!

thanks, Rasyad


----------



## Mexican 3D (Nov 16, 2003)

did you made thr loop with serving material??

i have made some with string material, and just serve them with serving thread. they look pretty much like yours.


----------



## Dave Nowlin (May 21, 2003)

I also serve my D-Loop and have for several years, but I purposefully make it just a little loose so it will freely rotate around my string and not impart any torque to it whatsoever. There is also another little trick I use to protect my center serving. Those individual strands you have digging into your center serving will attemp to seperate it. I serve around those strands that encircle the center serving so my serving I build this from presses at right angles to the center serving. This creates an even better served loop.I position this loop on the string by tying string nocks which confine its movement.
Dave Nowlin


----------



## rasyad (Nov 22, 2005)

I used serving only from begining to end. 12 strands in the loop, then wrapped.

You say you used string material, then serving. How many strands of string are in the loop and what size serving did you use? Does your served D-loop rotate on the string or is it fixed?

thanks, rasyad


----------



## Mexican 3D (Nov 16, 2003)

rasyad said:


> I used serving only from begining to end. 12 strands in the loop, then wrapped.
> 
> You say you used string material, then serving. How many strands of string are in the loop and what size serving did you use? Does your served D-loop rotate on the string or is it fixed?
> 
> thanks, rasyad


the loop had about 14 or 16 strands. it is about the same thickness as a string. i took a long piece of string material, and made 7 or 8 loops in my fingers. then i tied the ends together. next, i folded those loops to make a D. then, i began serving about 1/4 above where i wanted the loop, and served the loop, and 1/4 below. this way it is secured in place and doesnt rotates. 

on size serving, i dont know, since this isnt exactly size serving. its a nylon cord i found in a local store. they had a lot of colors, and the spools cost less than $1 for 300 yards. i served a blue loop in my blueberry bow. also, the center serving and the peep sight was tied with the same cord, and it doesnt separates or anything. and the nock fits just perfect.


----------



## rasyad (Nov 22, 2005)

*Hey Dave*

Good point on the torque transfer. I wonder what others think, rotating loop or fixed? 

I am interested in your technique of serving the serving to prevent separation of the serving. Could you post a picture?

Also, what material do you use and how many strands in the loop?

Thanks, Rasyad


----------



## Dave Nowlin (May 21, 2003)

I drive 2 finishing nails into a board about 2 inches apart to serve as a jig, then I take Diamondback serving material and go completly around both nails 5 times and then pull one tag end out about 18 inches and cut it off from the spool. I then tie a square knot where the 2 ends meet leaving 1 tag end about 1 inch long and the other end has the remaining excess. I then lay this on a flat table and lay my bowsting across the middle of the circle formed by the serving material. I then pull each side of the circle around the bowstring forming a D. I locate it in such a way that the square knot is close to the sting and the 1 inch tag end is stretching down the D toward it's intersection with the string at the other end of the D. I then take a couple of turns around the D with the long tag end toward the string then serve around the loop encircling the string. When I get completly around the loop I begin serving down the D until I get close to the string on the other end of the D, then once again I serve around the loop at this end of the D. When This is finished I now serve back down the D overlapping the first serving until I reach the other end of the D and then I tie it off. I do suggest you heavily wax the serving material before you start all this as it gives the loop a lot of body. After you have finished work as much string wax as you can into the finished loop with your fingers. You now have a pretty rigid loop that if it has been done correctly will spin around your string if you flip it with your finger but it will not go past your string nocks if you have made your end loops the proper size.
Dave Nowlin


----------



## rasyad (Nov 22, 2005)

*Great descriptions you guys!*

Wow I did it completely differently. I hung my bow by the bowstring with a loop of cord. Then I took about 5 feet of serving, folded it in half and pulled the ends around the bow string serving and through the center bite. I located this slip knot where I wanted the top of the serving loop to locate and pulled tight leaving a starting point and 2 strands of serving about 2.5 feet tied to the bow string. I then balanced a 7/16 inch steel transfer punch with one hand and flipped the serving over the rod and tied an overhand at the lower loop location and pulled tight. Back over the punch and around the bow string with another overhand and repeated 5 more times pulling tight each time. After the second pass the punch stayed put, parallel to the floor and I could use both hands. I could also have used the shank of a drill bit (after taping the flutes and point for safety). 

Once I had 12 strands I pulled out the punch and repositioned the cord through the new but loose loop strands (where the punch had been). The weight of the bow then made it easy to serve the loop strands and ensured that the new serving loop was oriented properly. 

Thanks to both of you guys for contributing.


----------



## r2t2 (Feb 8, 2003)

Just a thought. I like my loops tight so they alighn the peep. 

RT


----------



## Dave Nowlin (May 21, 2003)

If you build the loop the way I outlined you have the option of making the loops around the string as tight as you want. You control that as you serve the loop. I will admit however that it is not as tight as a conventional tied on loop. That said it isn't as likely to come untied at just the wrong moment either. Another thought is simply that the measure of string quality is the ability of the string to be stable enough that the peep is in the same place each time the bow is drawn. Then peep location is controlled with string twists. How do you think some people shoot directly off the string very successfully? It has to do with string stability.
Dave Nowlin


----------



## PoisonSnake (Feb 10, 2005)

Dave: I have a Winners Choice string on my Outback. I did not have any problem with peep rotation until December and I have had the string on the bow since April. Now, we put a half-twist in the string and this seemed to work OK for a couple of weeks. But, I am beginning to see some peep rotation still yet. Is this typical of WC strings? Should I put it on the press and put another half-twist in it? Your thoughts are appreciated. PS


----------



## Dave Nowlin (May 21, 2003)

I won't bash Winner's Choice or any other string maker, but I will say that in so far as stability goes 452X is a more stable string material than 8125. You might contact "crackers" and have him build you a string. In fact you might consider one of his strings with a floating yoke. I believe he has had tremendous success with them on single cam bows.
Dave Nowlin


----------



## Deezlin (Feb 5, 2004)

PoisonSnake said:


> Dave: I have a Winners Choice string on my Outback. I did not have any problem with peep rotation until December and I have had the string on the bow since April. Now, we put a half-twist in the string and this seemed to work OK for a couple of weeks. But, I am beginning to see some peep rotation still yet. Is this typical of WC strings? Should I put it on the press and put another half-twist in it? Your thoughts are appreciated. PS


This doesn't sound right to me. I would call them and see if it does with them. There could be some strands breaking under some serving causing this. I would talk to them about it.

I had a string like this one time, it wasn't a WC. It drove me krazy until I found out what was causing it.


----------



## PoisonSnake (Feb 10, 2005)

Dave: I have already contacted Crackers. I think I will be making a trip to St. Joe to have him do some work. He e-mailed me back but he wasn't terribly specific. I'm not terribly keen on sending my bow through the mail. I do all of my own tuning once things are set up. But, I have heard nothing but good things about Crackers and from what reading I have done on here, most folks are satisfied for sure. Can you give me an idea of what type of $ figure I'm looking at here? My wife has got me building a mansion this year, so every dollar I am making counts.:wink: 

Deezlin: I agree. This is truly the oddest thing. It just happened so very quickly and now there seems to be no end to the problem. I would say the peep has rotated a quarter turn since the half twist. Before that, there was absolutely no peep rotation at all. I had never been so happy with a string.


----------



## Dave Nowlin (May 21, 2003)

I don't feel right quoting another mans prices. I will only say the set of strings I bought from him last year were very reasonable. I expect the next set I buy from him will also be reasonable. I don't have any desire to hurt anyone's felings and I know there are several good stringmakers who post here, but "Crackers" is my string builder.
Dave Nowlin


----------



## PoisonSnake (Feb 10, 2005)

Dave: I can appreciate that for sure. Like I have stated, I e-mailed him a month back. BTW, did you just order the string from him or did you have him "Crackerize" your bow?


----------

