how often should you wax the strings of your compound bow?

As a matter of fact I'm about to go wax mine now. I was told to do it when the string starts to fray. On the wax it says wax after every 5 shots, but I think that is too often.[:-]

Someone ask this on another board. I was shocked at the responses of "Once a year"... "twice a year".... I do it all the time. The stuff flies off, gets rubbed off, rained on etc etc. It PREVENTS strings from wear and fraying. If you wait to do it until they fray... you're too late. It's preventive maintenance... not corrective maintenance. Put it on heavy and then either with a fine piece of leater or as I do, your fingers, pinch and rub it in until you almost get finger burns. You want to melt it into the inner strands. Some people say they use a hair dryer but I'm not so sure I could regulate the heat properly. I've done it with my fingers for 34 years. When I'm shooting a lot, I do it more often.

Two years? I thought you were supposed to get your string changed every year.

I wax up whenever the string feels dry, certainly any time I start seeing fuzz on the string, or if I'm going to be out shooting in damp weather. Or any other time I happen to think of doing it. Usually winds up being every couple of weeks.

HEck... I don't shoot that much. I change my string twice a year just BECAUSE and cables every other string change. I still wax the heck out of things. I used to do it once a year. One year I ran about 14 months and had one break. Never again.

Arthur... you'd be proud of me. A buddy of my is sending me a recurve to "try it out and you'll like it". I started that way 34 years ago and have been threatening to go back. He's kind of gave me the opportunity. Back to cut on contact, old heavy aluminum arrows, 5 inch feathers and a tab. I'm looking forward to that. Nothing more pure and faster than grabbing a string and letting it go. I'm in a position to beable to shoot everyday so it should be fun. Back to basics. Can't wait.

In 24 years of hunting, I've never waxed a string. Ever. Maybe I should start..


Have fun with that recurve David - sounds like a good time to me.

I shot a few deer in my early years with a recurve. It is simple and quick. Become the arrow grasshopper. Goodbye 30 yard shots.

Darnit davidmil I skipped over the "almost". I got a blister on my right thumb thanks to you.