Using hairdryer to melt wax
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I believe heat like that breaks down the molecular structure of the wax and reduces the efficacy of the wax.
I cannot remember where I learned that.....:set1_thinking:
I cannot remember where I learned that.....:set1_thinking:
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548 Posts
i have heard that that is a no no.
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I like rubbing it in "hard" till my fingers get hot and i can barley stand it anymore, that way i know that the wax is gettin in the string.
I guess this would work but we dont have a hairdryer at the shop.
I guess this would work but we dont have a hairdryer at the shop.
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1,884 Posts
No!
Do not use a hair dryer, leather, or any other artificial heat to melt wax into your string or cables. It's not necessary and you run a good chance of ruining your rigging. Any moron can post onto Youtube.
All you need to do is rub it in with your fingers. This will create enough heat to soften the wax and work it into the fibers.
Do not use a hair dryer, leather, or any other artificial heat to melt wax into your string or cables. It's not necessary and you run a good chance of ruining your rigging. Any moron can post onto Youtube.
All you need to do is rub it in with your fingers. This will create enough heat to soften the wax and work it into the fibers.
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I do it works great , melts pretty quick too.
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Go here...
http://www.bowmancustomstrings.com/BCS/html/waxing_the_bowstring.html
Waxing the bowstring is necessary for a number of reasons. First, under high magnification, the fiber make-up of the string is visually different from what you may think. Millions of extremely fine fibers going in many directions make up a single strand. The general flow is unidirectional lengthwise with a clockwise twist. All those millions of fibers need a lubricant between each other in order to not create friction or any other force to compromise their integrity. The more unidirectional fiber flow, the better the string. Regardless, the lubricant must be present. That is the reason for the wax. A barrier between fibers is always present yet also holds them together and their total strength is enhanced. With our high-tech world, wax is still the best material for this purpose.
Secondly, for much the same reasons, wax protects the string from the environment. Dirt, rain, clothing or any number of contaminants come into daily contact with the string. The wax forms an effective barrier protecting the string from these outside forces. If there is not enough wax present, the string may be receiving damage from many areas. These are internal as well as external.
With a proper waxing, the two factors described can be held to a minimum. But, there is also one more very important factor to consider for waxing your string. I call it a wax shampoo. This effectively cleans much of the foreign matter from your string and actually gives it a fresh, clean, new look. The following are the main easy steps to maintaining a clean and healthy string. Always use a soft cloth for the waxing process.
1. Use a good wax. I am not fond of waxes that leave a sticky texture. Ones which are just a little softer are good. You want to be able to easily spread the wax and rub it in everywhere. You don’t need to take the string off the bow. Just spread it on; rub it in; wipe off excess. Do not heat the wax or string. All string materials are polymers and should not be heated. Rub only till you feel your hand become warm and no more.
2. For a wax shampoo, put your bow in a press, and put the limbs under pressure. Don’t do enough to remove the string; just enough to relax it. Spread the wax liberally on all exposed or stressed surfaces of the string. While relaxed, rub it through the string liberally and until your hand gets warm. When you have a lot of wax on your hand, you know you have a lot on your string. Take the pressure off the limbs and wipe off all the excess wax. Much of the dirt foreign material comes off in the cloth.
There you have it. It is not difficult or time consuming. With a little bit of effort, your string can actually last you a very long time. When you understand the mechanics of why these things should be, it seems only fitting to treat the world’s strongest fibers properly.
Good Luck . . . and Good Shooting.
http://www.bowmancustomstrings.com/BCS/html/waxing_the_bowstring.html
Waxing the bowstring is necessary for a number of reasons. First, under high magnification, the fiber make-up of the string is visually different from what you may think. Millions of extremely fine fibers going in many directions make up a single strand. The general flow is unidirectional lengthwise with a clockwise twist. All those millions of fibers need a lubricant between each other in order to not create friction or any other force to compromise their integrity. The more unidirectional fiber flow, the better the string. Regardless, the lubricant must be present. That is the reason for the wax. A barrier between fibers is always present yet also holds them together and their total strength is enhanced. With our high-tech world, wax is still the best material for this purpose.
Secondly, for much the same reasons, wax protects the string from the environment. Dirt, rain, clothing or any number of contaminants come into daily contact with the string. The wax forms an effective barrier protecting the string from these outside forces. If there is not enough wax present, the string may be receiving damage from many areas. These are internal as well as external.
With a proper waxing, the two factors described can be held to a minimum. But, there is also one more very important factor to consider for waxing your string. I call it a wax shampoo. This effectively cleans much of the foreign matter from your string and actually gives it a fresh, clean, new look. The following are the main easy steps to maintaining a clean and healthy string. Always use a soft cloth for the waxing process.
1. Use a good wax. I am not fond of waxes that leave a sticky texture. Ones which are just a little softer are good. You want to be able to easily spread the wax and rub it in everywhere. You don’t need to take the string off the bow. Just spread it on; rub it in; wipe off excess. Do not heat the wax or string. All string materials are polymers and should not be heated. Rub only till you feel your hand become warm and no more.
2. For a wax shampoo, put your bow in a press, and put the limbs under pressure. Don’t do enough to remove the string; just enough to relax it. Spread the wax liberally on all exposed or stressed surfaces of the string. While relaxed, rub it through the string liberally and until your hand gets warm. When you have a lot of wax on your hand, you know you have a lot on your string. Take the pressure off the limbs and wipe off all the excess wax. Much of the dirt foreign material comes off in the cloth.
There you have it. It is not difficult or time consuming. With a little bit of effort, your string can actually last you a very long time. When you understand the mechanics of why these things should be, it seems only fitting to treat the world’s strongest fibers properly.
Good Luck . . . and Good Shooting.
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NO!! Don't do it..
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When polymers where first made they were affected by heat, that's when scientists were first trying to copy natural fibers. Today, they are very heat resistant because they are formed by different processes.
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oooooorrrr
..Scorpion Venom
GREAT STUFF
No rubbing.
..Scorpion Venom
GREAT STUFF
No rubbing.
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Been there done that, best answer is NO!. I got my bow all set up for our state field shoot a couple of years ago and it was shooting lights out. I thought I would make a good run at the title. The night before I got the great idea that adding a little heat with a hair dryer would do wonders and get the wax in good. Well it did just that but the nest day my bow was so out of wack that I couldnt hit a thing. Learned my lesson the hard way.
Good Luck
Good Luck
I know everyone says it's bad, but I have done it a couple of times in years past. I don't do anymore for no particular reason. But I do remember being concerned about not getting the string too hot. What I don't understand, is when using the hair dryer. I never got the string hot to the touch. However, on here you have all kinds of folks saying how much they heat up their fingers even when using leather or other items. How is this heat different than low heat from a dryer? Heat is heat, whether from friction or a dryer. If you're rubbing the string enough to burn your fingers, you're probably reaching the same temp's as using a dryer.
Funny part is, is that you can hold your fingers in front of the hair dryer and not burn your fingers. Which is hotter i wonder???
My instinct would say stay away from the heat, but I'm not convinced that any damage is being done.
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This is the way I've been taught to do it by the local Pro shop guy a few years ago. Does this hurt the string? I have got it hot enough that I had to blow on my fingers to cool them off.
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