One of the most frustrating things that can happen is when your d-loop won’t stop moving. I used to believe that you either had to retie a d-loop and set up everything again or just try to live with it. But gone are those days.
Top 4 reasons why your d-loop keeps moving:
- New Strings
- Tied incorrectly
- Not tightened down enough
- String Wax
It could be one or more of these problems, so let’s talk about it.
1 New Strings
Some of you may or may not know that when you order new strings, they may not come pre-stretched. Meaning the strings haven’t been put under tension yet. When you put the strings on for the first time, they’re still settling in as the tension and force of being on your bow puts load and tension onto the string, causing it to lengthen.
If you look at your strings carefully, you’ll see that they are made up of strands or smaller strings, twisted in one direction to bind them together to make it into one unit, having all the strands working together.
But only for the fact that they are twisted in a certain way. So when the strings are still settling, they will lengthen by rotating in the opposite way that the strands are twisted in the first place. So if you tied your d-loop has moved, that could be a big reason. You haven’t done anything wrong. You might not have realized how much strings can stretch by.
2 Tied Incorrectly
I know everyone has their own theories about what works and what doesn’t. But I think for something as old as a d-loop as old as a d-loop, the phrase if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it applies. What I mean by tied on incorrectly is that your two mushroom heads need to be on the opposite side of the string. Preferably the top mushroom to be away from your face so you don’t feel it.
The whole point of the mushroom head is that it grips onto itself and is wrapped around the string. If the mushroom heads are on opposite sides, they will almost cancel each other out, and your d-loop will be pretty hard to move, even by force. If they are on the same side, it will be much easier for the d-loop, even on its own, over time to slide across to the other side of the string.
As well as that, you’ll want to make sure your mushroom heads are big enough that it has a big enough surface area to grab onto themselves. If you are unsure about any of the steps tying a d-loop, I have a step-by-step guide here on my YouTube Channel.
3 Not Tightened Down Enough
This is probably one of the overlooked problems, but if your d-loop is moving, you should check it out. Your d-loop may not be tight enough.
Through personal experience, I can tell you with confidence this is one of the reasons your d-loop is moving. When I used to tie on my d-loops, I would tighten them down with my release aid.
I’d put one hand on the string, and the other would pull as hard as possible with safety in my release aid. This worked to a degree, but I always found after a couple of months, my d-loop would end up on one side of my string. And the reason for that? It wasn’t tightened down enough.
When I got myself a set of d-loop pliers, it changed the game. You can tighten your d-loop down much more with them. On the set that I have, it has different settings if you want it more or less tight. Since I have purchased d-loop pliers, I haven’t tied a d-loop that has moved. I would recommend a set.
4 String Wax
Good old string wax. If I were you, I would look at string wax as a last resort. Make sure you’ve done everything I have suggested, and if for some reason your d-loop is moving, then use the wax.
String wax is mainly used for binding almost broken strands back together on a string. But you’re here to fix your d-loop and not your strings.
What you should do is when you have your d-loop cut put string wax around the top and bottom of your d-loop, as these are the two areas that will wrap around each other. The wax will almost make them stick or bind together. Hopefully, solving your moving d-loop problem.
As said, you should use it as a last resort, as tightening your d-loop down properly will solve most people’s issues. If you are doing all of the above and still relying on the string wax for it to stay in place, then I would suggest your d-loop material is not good enough quality.
Trust me; there is good and bad material available. Talk to someone and find some of the quality d-loop material either in your local archery shop or online. Then you’ll be hammering!
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