<html><body><font face="Helvetica">Baron sure!<br><br>Janyn<br><br>Sent from XFINITY Connect Mobile App</font><blockquote><br>------ Original Message ------<br><br><b>From: </b>Bary Sears<br><b>To: </b>jaynardone@comcast.net, 'Garth Groff'<br><b>Cc: </b>archers@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org<br><b>Sent: </b>September 1, 2016 at 2:32 PM<br><b>Subject: </b>RE: [Archers] Restringing Crossbow--How It Came Out</blockquote><blockquote><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><style><!--
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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Hopefully at a near-by University!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Barre</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_MailEndCompose"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></a></p><span style="mso-bookmark:_MailEndCompose"></span><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Archers [mailto:archers-bounces@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>jaynardone@comcast.net<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 1, 2016 12:19 PM<br><b>To:</b> Garth Groff <sarahsan@embarqmail.com><br><b>Cc:</b> archers@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Archers] Restringing Crossbow--How It Came Out</span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Congrats to you Lord Mungo! I will be offering some string making and serving classes at future Universities.</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">In service,</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Janyn</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><hr size="2" width="100%" align="center" id="zwchr"></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">From: </span></b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">"Garth Groff" <<a href="mailto:sarahsan@embarqmail.com" >sarahsan@embarqmail.com</a>><br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:jaynardone@comcast.net" >jaynardone@comcast.net</a>, <a href="mailto:archers@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org" >archers@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Thursday, September 1, 2016 9:49:56 AM<br><b>Subject: </b>Re: Restringing Crossbow--How It Came Out</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Noble Friends of the Bow,</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Back in July I opened a thread here on re-serving a crossbow. After <br>several years of light use, the serving on my string finally wore <br>through where it slides along the track. I had never served a string <br>before, and had little confidence for this project. Lord Janyn <br>graciously gave me a ton of good advice, with contributions from several <br>others among you.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">I had already ordered the materials to make and serve handbow strings. <br>One of my longbows came with a string that wasn't served, and I decided <br>this would be a good introductory project. First I watched the DVD HOW <br>TO BUILD A GREAT BOWSTRING from Traditional Vision Quest Productions <br>(ordered from 3Rivers). Then I loaded up the serving machine, an AAE <br>server I also bought from 3Rivers. This machine is a pain in the butt, <br>and I couldn't get the serving material to flow through it smoothly <br>without the axle wingnut falling off. I wish I had bought another brand. <br>I ended up passing the serving string around the bowstring manually with <br>this machine. That was difficult enough, but I didn't have a rack to <br>hold the bow, or alternatively a string stretcher. Holding the bow in my <br>lap in front of the TV, I struggled for over an hour to finally get the <br>job done. Add to that I had to keep backing up the DVD to review what I <br>was doing. I was not a happy camper, and wasn't looking forward to the <br>crossbow project. Then a trip to New Hampshire to scatter my late <br>father-in-law's ashes intervened.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Today I finally decided to finish the project. I began this round by <br>watching another DVD, CRAFTING TRADITIONAL FLEMISH STRINGS, produced and <br>sold by 3Rivers. This video is much clearer than the first, but both <br>suffer from showing the wrapping from the viewer's point of view, not <br>the person doing the wrapping. Being rather spatially challenged, I <br>still had a hard time interpreting the movements, particularly the last <br>part with the counter-wrapping. Grrrr!</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">I determined that the crossbow needed two inches of wrapping on each <br>side of the tiller. It originally had about three inches, but this <br>seemed excessive. A more powerful crossbow might need the extra wraps to <br>help keep your fingers off the actual string when spanning. I made a <br>mark with a silver Sanford Sharpie on the string on each side. I had <br>saved the old serving, and found that it was about six feet long. I <br>decided that I would need about five feet with the two-inch distances <br>out from the tiller. I was just barely right about this, but six feet <br>would have given me a longer working part (IIRC, that's Coast Guard talk <br>for the part of a line you are working with, as opposed to the bitter <br>end, which is stationary).</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">The wrapping I chose was .030 BCY Halo-brand. Since there wouldn't be <br>room for the serving machine anyway, I simply cut a length of this <br>material and worked without a spool. The serving cord was well soaked <br>with string-maker's wax. I didn't think to use the string-maker's wax on <br>the bowstring itself. It would have helped bonding. Next time I will do <br>this.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">To get the shooting string up off the track, I used a 3/4-inch square <br>scrap of poplar. It was inserted under the string on the right half of <br>the track. Later when I had wrapped the serving up to the wood, I lifted <br>the string up and moved the piece to the left so that it was under the <br>finished wrapping. Then I continued wrapping to the right.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">I followed the instructions in the video. My initial knot on the left <br>was a square knot, which left an unsightly nubbin under the serving. A <br>half knot would have worked as well, since the working part would be <br>tight under the wraps anyway. I pulled each wrap as tight as I could and <br>made sure each was chock-a-block (there's another nautical term) to the <br>previous turn on the left. No gaps allowed. There was no problem <br>shifting the poplar stick. My only real problems were with the counter <br>wrap at the end. As mentioned, I didn't have much line with which to <br>work, and another foot would have been a help. It took me three tries to <br>get this part right, but eventually it came together and I was finally <br>able to pull the working part tight from under the wraps and clip off <br>the excess on both ends. Whew! It was actually much easier than doing <br>the longbow string.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">I waxed the entire string including the serving with the bowyer's wax. <br>Then I used a scrap of soft leather to burnish the string. This heated <br>the wax and helped it penetrate between the bowstring's strands, and <br>down between the wraps on the serving. This trick was suggested in the <br>3Rivers video. I made sure to get the wax evenly around the string and <br>serving, especially working it onto the bottom of the string where it <br>will ride along the track.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Rather than the usual string wax, I used the bowyer's wax to lubricate <br>the crossbow track. Bowyer's wax seems to have better lubricating <br>qualities than regular string wax.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Now let's see how long my handiwork lasts. Lord Janyn said he replaces <br>his serving several times a year. He shoots a crossbow a lot more than I <br>do, and his is much more powerful (mine is a Siegfried combat crossbow).</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Definitely get the 3Rivers video if you are new to this sort of project. <br>You will need very heavy serving cord, much heavier than that used with <br>handbow strings. Don't forget the bowyer's wax. Everything you need is <br>available at 3Rivers, and probably from other sources.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Thanks to all of you who encouraged me on this project. I hope my <br>observations and methods will be of help to some of you who haven't yet <br>learned this skill.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Yours Aye,</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><br>Lord Mungo Napier, The Archer of Mallard Lodge</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></p></div></div></div></body></html></blockquote></body></html>