# Center Serving Help



## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

MKD said:


> Could someone please direct me to a place where I can see how to apply center serving to a bow string? Thanks



It's actually very easy to do.

You will need one spool of center serving material and a serving jig.

Buy center serving material in a narrow diameter, and then you can custom fit the size of the serving to your nocks by adding a strand of bow string material or sewing thread, dental floss, whatever you have.

Essentially, start wrapping the center serving for about 1/2-inch and test the nock fit. If it's too loose, unwrap the serving. Lay a piece of thread longer than the planned new center serving parallel to the bowstring. Start wrapping around the bundle of existing bow string and the extra piece of thread. Wrap for 1/2-inch and test the nock fit. Repeat until you get the perfect nock fit.

A perfect nock fit is defined as the nock will support the weight of the arrow. Hold the bow so the bowstring is horizontal. Riser is above the bow string, and the arrow is hanging down from the bow string. 

When the arrow nock is on the string, the nock should slide easily up and down the serving. Tap the string with one finger sharply, and the arrow should fly off. 

This is the perfect nock fit.

HOW TO CENTER SERVE BOWSTRING.

A serving jig is just a holder for the spool of serving thread. The top of the jig has a groove that the bowstring rests in.

Pull out 2-inches of serving thread. I am assuming you will serve from left to right. Take a sharpie pen and make a mark for the left end and right end of the serving on the bowstring.

Hold that excess 2-inches of thread between your thumb and index finger and start spinning the serving jig around the bow string. Set the tension just tight enough that you are not twisting the bow string. 

When you have wrap 2-3 times around the bowstring using your left hand on the jig, stretch out the excess 2-inches of serving thread next to the bow string, and hold it stretched out with your right hand. 

Using your left hand on the serving jig, continue to spin the jig right over and around the bowstring and the 2-inch piece of excess serving thread (some folks call this the tag end).

Keep spinning that jig around the excess tag end of serving thread and the bow string. When you have only 1/4-inch of excess tag end of thread sticking up (getting hard to hold the tag end with your right hand), get a pair of sharp scissors and cut that tag end close to the serving.

Keep spinning around the tag end of serving and bow string. Eventually, the tag end of serving thread will disappear under your wraps.

Keep spinning until you get within 1/4-inch of the right hand mark on the bowstring which is the end of your center serving.

See the picture below how to use a "whip loop" to lock in the end of your serving. You can use a spare 12-inch piece of serving thread or you can use dental floss for the whip loop. 
























































Lay down a loop of dental floss. Start wrapping over the loop of dental floss and the bowstring. When you have covered the mark on the bow string which indicates where you want the center serving to end, pull out 6-inches of extra serving thread from the jig. 

Cut the thread leaving a 1-inch tag end sticking out of the jig.

Feed the tag end of serving thread through the dental floss loop. Hold this tag end in your right hand.

Take a pencil or a pair of needle nose pliers in your left hand, and grab the tag ends of the dental floss. It will be tight, but get a good grip with the pliers on the dental floss tag ends and steadily increase your pulling pressure. Soon, the floss will start sliding easily once you get it going. 

The dental floss loop will get smaller and smaller and keep holding that serving thread tag end with your right hand. The dental floss loop will pull completely through and the tag end of the serving material will also pull out 1/4-inch before the end of the brand new center serving.

Snip the tag end of center serving so that it sticks out 1/4-inch.

Coat the spot where the tag end comes out of the center serving with a dab of superglue.

Holding your bow so that the bowstring is vertical, stretch out the center serving tag end so that it is horizontal. Take a toothpick and light it on the stove so you have a very tiny flame. Approach the tag end horizontally and get slowly closer to the horizontal tag end of the serving. 

The end of the serving thread sticking out of the center serving will light like a fuse. When the flame reaches the center serving, blow it out, and smear the plastic ball up or down the center serving.

Do this correctly, and you will not ruin your bowstring or center serving.
[ask me how I know this].

Very easy process, but I wanted to give you a blow by blow account.


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## MKD (Feb 8, 2003)

nuts&bolts said:


> It's actually very easy to do.
> 
> You will need one spool of center serving material and a serving jig.
> 
> ...


Dang NB you above and beyond with those instructions, I can do that with the help of your post.


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## EXTREME 1 (Jan 24, 2004)

Very Very Nice Explaination


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## practice-more (Nov 10, 2005)

*Very Nice*

That is awesome, one more document added to my "bible"

Very nice post N&B
Thanks,
Mitch


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## Deezlin (Feb 5, 2004)

That looks like a nice write up on center serving Nut & Bolts!!! One thing you may have not mention is it is sometimes difficult to serve a string on the bow. If you don't have a press or do, it can still be a problem.

You need to add some spacers to your bow. These can be as simple as a couple of heavy card board boxes. They should be place between the cables and string so that you can get enough clearance to manipulate the server without interference from the cables or guide rod.


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## PB26 (Dec 31, 2006)

What a great post! I just put a Shaffer I was using on another bow onto my Constitution, and wanted to try the d-loop knot method of attaching the cord to the cable, as I don't have a press. I unwrapped a section of serving off of an old pair of cables, and 20 minutes later I'm ready to go. Saved me a trip to the shop, and it feels great to do it myself!


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## Huaco (Jul 7, 2006)

Deezlin said:


> That looks like a nice write up on center serving Nut & Bolts!!! One thing you may have not mention is it is sometimes difficult to serve a string on the bow. If you don't have a press or do, it can still be a problem.
> 
> You need to add some spacers to your bow. These can be as simple as a couple of heavy card board boxes. They should be place between the cables and string so that you can get enough clearance to manipulate the server without interference from the cables or guide rod.


Would it be best to press the bow and remove the string, then Affix it to some type of tension device with ample tension and clearance?

I am thinking about between my covered porch 4x4 posts with a hook on one end and a ratchet strap on the other to tension the string. Placed at about "low-chest" height, I think that would work pretty well? I am no expert, but I NEED to reserve my string tonight and finish tuning up my FireCAT for the Season opener in less than 2 weeks!


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## jwolfe78 (Mar 10, 2006)

good post!


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## Big Shot (Jul 2, 2008)

Huaco said:


> Would it be best to press the bow and remove the string, then Affix it to some type of tension device with ample tension and clearance?
> 
> I am thinking about between my covered porch 4x4 posts with a hook on one end and a ratchet strap on the other to tension the string. Placed at about "low-chest" height, I think that would work pretty well? I am no expert, but I NEED to reserve my string tonight and finish tuning up my FireCAT for the Season opener in less than 2 weeks!


Without a scale, though, how are you going to know you have the right tension so that the string is stretched the same as it will be when you put it back on the bow?? Would the serving spread some when you put it back on the bow if you did not have it under enough tension when you served it?? Definitely a quiestion for bigger brains than me. :tongue:

Also, you could run the chance of stretching the string too much and damaging it. Just my 2 cents


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## Grey Eagle (May 23, 2002)

Big Shot said:


> Without a scale, though, how are you going to know you have the right tension so that the string is stretched the same as it will be when you put it back on the bow?? Would the serving spread some when you put it back on the bow if you did not have it under enough tension when you served it?? Definitely a quiestion for bigger brains than me. :tongue:
> 
> Also, you could run the chance of stretching the string too much and damaging it. Just my 2 cents


It has been my opinion that there is no "exact" amount of tensioning that is ideal. Rather that you need to have enough tension on the string such that when you apply the serving, the string is not wanting to rotate/twist. And this amount of tension required will vary depending on how tight you are trying to apply the serving.

People get far too wrapped up (pardon the pun) in tensioning a string. It's not near as critical as some would have you believe.

As to the question of using a ratchet strap to tension a string....... that is exactly how I've been doing it for years, and it works well 

Final point, be sure to wrap the serving in the same manner that the string is twisted.

Cheers


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## cmherrmann (Jun 1, 2004)

To keep the cables out of your way I use a large tie wrap and tie wrap them down toward the riser, this pulls them far enough out of the way so I can run my serving tool around the string with no interference.:wink:


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