String Jig

[Soundarc]

I am just about to buy a string jig to replace my homemade one. I have been considering the Spigarelli Jig. Does anyone have experience with this jig? Also, I appreciate any other recommendations.

Thanks
Oskar

[Viper1]

Soundarc -

I've been using the same homemade jig for over 30 years. It looks like hell, but has made thousands of strings. If I needed a new one, I'd probably just make another. Save your money, Just MHO.

Viper1 out.

[Huntmaster]

No experince with that one, but I can tell you I like my Yellowstone jig a lot.

[wmt3rd]

Take a look at this one; https://www.shop.jurassicarchery.com/ and here is a discussion concerning the jig you are looking at; http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=234256&highlight=jurassic

I have the Jurassic jig and I like it a lot. It doesn't take up too much room and it is very strong. I tried to make my own, but with my mechanical issues I just ended up denting the inside of the garage door from throwing my first attempt across the garage. :mad:

Mack

[Jim C]

I have used several, home made jobs, etc. I own two yellowstones, several of Mike's Jigs and had an extended apple. The range-gunshop-archery shop where I shoot pistols has another apple and I help out making a string or two there.

The apple has several advantages. Its not super expensive and it has two tension bolts on each fork-one to hold the main fork in place, the other to set the fork angle. This is an advantage because some jigs combine the two devices and when you turn the fork angle, they sometimes collapse.

Yellowstone Advantage-big strong base. Nice "tape measure" included (the apple doesnt have this). lots of accessories


Mike's Jig-cheaper, portable well made but you need a good strong work bench and some c clamps. I bought these for teaching people who to tie strings since I can set up several jigs on the tables in my class room. I keep one in my car in case I have to tie a string at JOAD or a tournament

The one that Brownell sells looks like a winner too-Tim Strickland showed it to me at an ATA or NFAA indoor

[sadarcher]

I am just about to buy a string jig to replace my homemade one. I have been considering the Spigarelli Jig. Does anyone have experience with this jig? Also, I appreciate any other recommendations.

Thanks
Oskar

Here's my review of the Spigarelli string jig that I posted last year.

I have one and it's a piece of junk. First Alternative, the only place I could find it, pasted me on the shipping. They charged me twice what it weighed and when I complained they got ugly and started the insults. NO, they wouldn't adjust the shipping cost. The shipping was almost as much as the jig. When I got the amount I tried to cancel it and they conviently waited a day to get back to me then told me it already shipped. I checked and it shipped many hours after I tried to contact them so there was plenty of time to cancel. They answer their emails very quickly when they want to.

About the jig. The posts have bushings on them to rotate. They are so large, your small loop on recurve strings is difficult to get off. I don't know how you'd do compound cables with the small loops. After you close your end loop and start wrapping, you need alot of extra tension to get the 2 sides together with the post being so large. Also, the posts are too close together. You can't spin your serving tool until you get away from the posts. The aluminum they used on the arms and the base where the arms rotate on are so soft, it galled when rotating them with the slightest tension on it. The other parts are soft aluminum as well and if you do alot of cranking parts will certainly wear. Also, if you clamp it to your workbench the metal will collapse if you put too much tension on it. I had to use strap clamps to avoid that.

I bought it only because it would colapse down for storage. It takes quite awhile to crank it down to it's smallest size. When changing from say a longbow string to a recurve string with maybe 5 inches difference, it takes awile to crank to the different size. The worm screw goes into a thin piece of aluminum so if you adjust for different lengths or crank it down for storage often it will wear out. As you crank the handle you can feel the worm screw galling the aluminum. I greased the heck out of it to minimize it.

I wanted to put a knob on the one arm as it only comes with a bolt and you need a wrench to tighten it. All the bolts and screws are metric and in the US they're not that easy to get at your local hardware store. I needed to get a knob, drill it out and tap it with a metric tap.

The slack between the 2 sections is so much, you can't figure what the string length will be. The more tension you put on while wrapping the strands, the slack will change. You will often times get strands with different tension on them.

I replaced the arms and posts with some that a friend made for me. They are much wider and the posts have smaller pins at the top so at least that part works for me. The slack between 2 base pieces is still a real problem and the only cure for that is a different base. With that it wouldn't be a Spig jig any more.

I don't know how Alternative can make all their custom strings on this jig. As I said it's nearly impossible to get compound split yoke loops off the posts.

I got the BCY video and their jig is real solid. If you got the money and space that would be a great one to have.

Don't waste your money on this jig and please don't get ripped off like I did from Alternative Sports!!

[Hank]

Here is the latest one I have made.

A piece of 1" square tubing slides into a 1 1/4" tubing (you have to grind a groove into the 1" where the seam is inside the 1 1/4" tubing, then it will slide inside.)

The goal posts are 1/2 gas pipe with wooden dowels jammed down in them and tapered with double headed nails on top. They are bolted into 1 x 2" square tubing.

I also put 1/4 bolts with wing nuts half way down on each post -- it helps hold tag ends and it is really slick if you are making multiple color strings or adding extra strands in the loops.

[Soundarc]

Thanks for all the comments. It is very helpful.

The reason I was attracted to the spig was the fact that it telescopes and can be make smaller for transport. I’m actually getting the jig for our club and it will be passed around among the members, so therefore it needs to be easy to transport. I know that the Apple and BCY make good jigs but unfortunately they don’t compact for transport. I really like Hanks jig. Do any one know of a company that makes a similar one?

[limbwalker]

SoundArc,

I'd bet you that Hank will sell you that one ;)

I've recently made my own as well, using the plans that RonC posted on the Texas Archery Assn. website. Well, mine is similar to Ron's anyway. I used the electrical strut and concrete anchor bolt hardware, and that works excellent. I figured that all totaled, I was out $35 for my string jig, and it works excellent. I just clamp it in my workbench and work away. Now all I need to do is get better at the end loop servings!

John.

[Hank]

That one is not for sale :) But I have another that I would part with.

Better loops? I think the server and the way it tracks has alot to do with great loops. Here is a link to a great serving tool and won't break the bank. Works awsome with mono servings as no metal touches it. The only modification I made to mine was add a big fender washer on each side of the bolt to give it extra weight.

http://www.circutstore.com/servlet/the-92/BOW-STRING-SERVING-TOOLS/Detail

[Hank]

This is the one I will sell -- $65 plus shipping.

I think the best way to do it is ship all the parts but the 1 1/2" conduit. A person could get a piece of that at a store near them. One end is fixed and the other slides up and down the pipe.

It was my best one until I got in a string jig making war with warf (we have declared a truce at this time)

[x1440]

What's the best material to use to for the posts? I tried thick wooden dowels, but they didn't hold up for long. Long thick metal screws also bent. What did you guys use when you built your own jigs?

[Hank]

Gas pipe

[sadarcher]

What's the best material to use to for the posts? I tried thick wooden dowels, but they didn't hold up for long. Long thick metal screws also bent. What did you guys use when you built your own jigs?
The posts my friend made for me to replace the ones on the Spigarelli jig are made of 6061 aircraft grade aluminum. They are 5/8" dia with 1/4" posts at the top. They haven't bent yet. My friend is a long time machinist and he told me the tension I'd be putting on them for strings shouldn't bend or break them otherwise we would have used steel.

[ecm]

just curious....where do you guys get your string material ?

[sadarcher]

I get std dacron from Keystone or FS Discount Archery. Since these places only seem to have basic colors I get everything else from Lancaster. They have most of the materials available with all the different colors.