Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

I've been trying to get some of the local shops to order me a string and cables for my Hoyt Raider Powerflex with no luck. These shops are the worst here and I'm tired of waiting around while I'm shooting a bow that needs new strings. I bought the thing on Ebay and it probably has the originals on it.

I'm thinking about buying one of those portable bowpresses for about $40 and just taking some pictures of my cams and then just attempt to do this myself. This will follow after I've had someone make me the strings of course. I've lost complete confidence in my local shops and now I want to do everything to my bow myself. Of course I'll still need the local pro shop to cut arrows, but that's all they are good for.

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

Contact gibblet here on the forum he will do you a good deal on a set of string and cables.


As for cutting arrows get the Harbor Frieght mini cut off saw, it does a great job and costs under $30

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

marine,

Absolutely you can... If you've got enough common sense to make it through Marine boot, changing a string is no big deal!

And... After finally starting to use quality strings myself this past year, I can honestly say that every archer owes it to himself to buy a nice after-market set and replace the junk that most companies put on their bows.

BowTech is one of the few I know who put after-market quality strings on the bows they sell, and I've heard good things about the strings on the new Switchback XT; before that model came out, you probably couldn't have bought worse strings from a manufacturer. That's not bashing; that's experience. I shot them for six years.

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

They charge $6/dz at the local pro shop and the guy that does it says that the cutter is running at something like 700 rpm's. He makes it sound like a big deal to have arrows cut with the correct tool for the job. I'll probably attempt to cut arrows at a later time, but right now I'm loosing sleep about getting a new string and cables[X(]. Are those portable bow presses worth a crap or not?

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

That depends on what one it is.

I have a portable press that was made by Walks With A Gimp it is a great press but I dont know if he is making them anymore.

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

marine pride
Pick up a bowmaster press, plus I believe you'll need the split limb adapters for a hoyt, total should run you around 50$. Then order a set of strings from gibblet, and you'll be shooting new high quality strings in no time. ANd once you have the press you can do adjustments and work on your bow anytime you please.

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

If you were a nice guy Russell you would mail your press to Marine Pride.. Come on show that Aussie generosity...

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

I have seen them and they are slick, but my understanding is he does not sell them anymore. I use the Bowmaster myself and it also works fine. Get one and then you can do all kinds of tuning and maintenence without relying on others.

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

If you can get your string and cable lengths, you can get them made fairly easily.

As far as presses, they all pretty much work. I havethe WWAG press, and it works flawlessly. I've gotton desperate in the field and made a "press" by placing two strong sticks on the outside edge of each limb and used a treestand ratchet strap to draw them closer. I put a t shirt under the sticks as to not scratch the bow. Was it safe? seemed like it. would i recommend it? only in an emergency, because something could definitly happen. Just keep those fingers away from the string groove - that goes for all presses!

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

I can tell you with certainty he is not. I have even offered to pay him more than his asking price when he was selling them to get one... so far, no dice. And it ain't like he doesn't have the time; he's one of the few guys who spends more time on the boards than I do!

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

wow josh, nothing was going stop you. that's awesome. bet you impressed your buddies with that one.

i suggest taking pics of your cam from both sides and your cable slide area. make sure you get in the pic whether the string/cables cross above or below the slide, and mark apiece in each pic with masking tape. i'm not sure if your bow is a single or cam.5, or dually, but always mark the same piece (string, control cable, buss cable - the split one) with tape. it will help you out when/if you get confused.

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

I bought one at a local sporting goods store that lookede a lot like a WAAG's press. I'm sure it's not AS good;), but it has served me well since I went to a VFT style bow.
Since your hoyt is split limb I'm not sure how to press those bows?

BTW, why your taking note of your string & cam orientation you might want to also take a pic of where your string & cable cross and where they do so.I'm not sure if all bows are the same ( cableon outside & cross below cable guard?) but once you get the old string & cable off things look like they could go any which way when placing the new ones backon.
I'd do one at a time also.

Good luck with it. As far as the arrows go, if you really have some sort of beef with the local shops, you can always order your arrows cut to your specs off ofsome of the on-lineweb-sites.

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

VERY good advice here.... you can't have too many pics of your setup before you undo it.

I replaced the string on my old Mathews a week or two ago, and walked into my local shop. He threw it in the press and had it cranked down before I could say anything (which irritated me to no end because Mathews recommends backing the limb bolts out before pressing their bows!) and then proceeded to yank the old string off.

Well, he must be pretty confident he knows how the new one goes on, I thought to myself. After all, it's a Mathews dealer.

Yep... spent the next twenty minutes trying to figure it out... [:@]

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

i once heard of a guy putting a string the wrong way around the idler wheel of a mathews. you ever hear of that nubo? yeah, the guy was sure the string was too short. i bet the figure 8 did look kind of cool though.

RE: Can I change a bow string & cables myself?
 

You must be mistaken here John, Nubo would never actually touch anything but a Bowtech. Just mention the "M" word and he starts wandering around in circles, his left eye starts twitching and if any stray cats come into view he runs em down and eats them raw :D