Here's a nice article on waxing your bow string

[bigbuck150]

I found this on another forum and thought I would share.

Waxing your bow string is an essential part of bow maintenance and knowing How to Wax a Bow String properly is as critical as the wax itself. This applies to all types of bows including compounds, crossbows, recurve and longbows. Waxing your bow string will extend the life of your bow string by keeping it from becoming frayed, damaged by dirt or water and will help to keep the strands from becoming dried out and less flexible. Waxing your bow string is very simple to do and only takes a couple minutes of time. Here is a quick rundown on how to wax a bow string.

The first thing is to make sure that your bow string is clear of any dirt or debris. This can be done by wiping with a clean dry cloth. Another little trick is to take a scrape piece of bow string serving material. If you do a half wrap with the bow string serving and lightly pull it down the bow string you will see dirt and old wax being removed.

Next you want to take your tube of bow string wax and rub it up and down on your bow string. You want to make sure the bow string wax is sticking far enough out of the tube that the tube itself is not contacting your bow string. Letting the tube rub on the bow string will cause premature wear. You want to apply a good amount wax but be careful not to overdo it. Ideally you want to make sure the bow string wax covers the bow string with a thin coat. While doing this you only want to wax the exposed portion of the bow string. You want to make sure that you do not wax any of the bow string servings.

Now that you have wax on your bow string you want to take your finger and thumb and just rub the wax into the bow string. The heat and friction will cause the bow string wax to melt and make it easier for the wax to penetrate each individual strand and cover the entire bow string. Some will recommend to use a piece of leather instead of your fingers but I have found that you can build up quite a bit more heat with leather. By using your fingers you will not add excess heat to your bow string which could contribute to premature wear. If your fingers get hot you will stop and your bow string will thank you.

Once all of the wax has been rubbed in you can take the cloth you started with and wipe off any excess wax that might have built up. This will usually be where the bow string meets the servings. By keeping your bow string waxed it will last longer and perform better. It's a great idea to regularly wax your bow string. How often will depend on how much you shoot your bow and the age of your bow string. In general the more your shoot and the older your bow string is the more you will need to keep it waxed. Stay tuned for more helpful archery articles from 60X Custom Strings. You can contact us at 60X@60XCustomStrings.com or visit our blog at www.60xcustomstrings.com/blog/

[Carpdaddy]

Thanks for the reminder, I often forget to do this.

[Cookies]

Thanks buck. Good post!

That said, is it better to wax your string strung in the bow or just held tight on a peg or hook, etc.? I have only done it strung but if there's a better way, I'm all ears!

[Captainkirk]

Yeah, great reminder! I always remember to wax my string...except when I forget. Then, not so much.....

[50#draw]

"You want to make sure that you do not wax any of the bow string servings."

How come?

[Carpdaddy]

Hum; I missed that the first read. I am interested to know why also 50# draw since I usually do??

[Captainkirk]

I don't think it hurts anything...just gets wax on your tab or glove and your arrow nocks. I generally avoid waxing the servings as a rule, but sometimes ya miss...

[Graps]

It can make your hand slip and cause you to clench your fist pulling the arrow off the shelf .