Bow screw lubrication

[alberta300]

Hi everyone, Could someone please tell this beginner what the best lubrication is for a bow screw. It's a new bow, but it seems to be getting harder to turn.

Thanks............Mike

[Michael Darnton]

Some people suggest soap, but it's corrosive and can damage the screw and eyelet. Wax (candle, for instance) is the right thing. But I don't think it's a lubrication problem--most likely it's humidity causing the stick to swell, which makes the frog bind. The solution is to loosen the eyelet a half turn. Or wait for dryer weather.

[Froggie]

Door-Ease stick lubricant works great. You can buy a near infinite supply for a few dollars at an automotive supply store. A little dab used infrequently on the threads is all you need.

[jmasters]

Is the hair changing length causing a different part of the channel to be containing the eyelet? The floor of the channel may have a bump, the screw hole in the stick may not be concentric or some other allignment problem. I see a fair number of these in some class of bow. You might have it looked at... the clearance problems are not too hard to fix, but you do not want to try it yourself.

[La Folia]

Sometimes the screw eye is mounted crooked, and that will certainly make it bind. I don't know if there's much you can do about it except lubrication or return it.

Candle wax is the usual lubricant, as Michael says, but I might try molybdenum disulfide or dry graphite, in that order. Even a number 2 pencil might help.

[Jacob]

If the eyelet is set crooked, I plug the hole and re-drill it.

[Regis]

I've used simple candle wax. Just plain white candle with no scent. Rub the "clean" screw on the wax to get a little in the threads and put it back in. Doesn't last 'forever' but, it's very easy to re-apply.

Regis

[alberta300]

Thanks everyone...........You have been most helpful!

[Stacey_Styles]

Might want to be sure that the hair isn't so stretched out that the eyelet is actually bumping up against the button end of the stick mortise. I've seen sticks crack behind the frog simply because the player did not understand how the tightening mechanism works. There is a limit to how far back the frog can travel!