Cleaning the rail and serving?

[lvt01]

I just got my new Vortex today.....yahoo!! The dealer I bought it from had already put it together. Let's just say he's an archery dealer that is just getting into crossbows so he's pretty new to the game. He had most of it right and I really appreciated what he was trying to do for me. He has an indoor range so I was going to sight in the Lumizone scope before I left. He told me that he had waxed the string and serving, but after a couple shots I noticed the rail was turning black. He had used this wax called "Black Lightening". Its a graphite and silicone wax he uses on his compound bows and its black like tar. So...does anyone have any suggestions on how to clean this stuff off the rail and string without wrecking the finish or the serving? Thanks!

[Boo]

If the serving is black it is Angel Majesty which will give off some of it's dye. It will stop soon enough. I am not familiar with the wax you're dealer is using. Is it black? I prefer Dalton 2000 over anything else.

[lvt01]

Yup...its black like pitch. Its silicone with graphite. Makes the rail and serving feel really tacky. I think it'll attract dust like a magnet. I have been using scorpion venom wax on all my other CB, but was thinking about switching to the Dalton wax. Do you think it'll be OK or should I try to clean it off?

[Boo]

Sorry, I forgot to answer your question. Just spray a rag with silicone and wipe the deck and serving. After changing to another serving conditioner/wax you will have to wipe it a few more times to get rid of the black.

[lvt01]

OK. Awesome! I really didn't want the rail stained right off the bat! Thanks!!

[Raymond]

Do you need to wax the rail?

[lvt01]

On my Horton CB's I use lube on the rail and put wax on the string and serving. On the Excal's you are only supposed to put wax on the string & serving and nothing on the rail. I think there maybe a couple of different opinions on that too. I've heard some say to wax the string and not the serving and some say to wax both. I don't think you need to lube the rail at all. You should try to keep that clean so it doesn't collect dirt, etc.

[Raymond]

That is what thought I read about Excalibur. Thank you.

[gerald strine]

I use the Excalibur string wax on the serving and rub it in good with my finger after every shooting session and flip the string around every 50 shots or so. It does not really cost to do this and will cost more if you do not in the long run.

[wabi]

Lots of opinions on waxing strings & serving.
Some say wax the string & loops but not the serving, some say wax the serving, some say wax the string, loops, and serving.

I wax the entire string 2 - 4 times a year depending on how much I shoot. I wax the serving much more frequently, probably every 25 - 50 shots. (I don't count shots, I just observe the appearance of the serving.) I just use regular "bowstring wax" by Bohning.
I wipe the rail clean every time I put my bow away. (I use an old sheepskin pad that I also wipe my guns clean with - isn't pretty, but it works!)

Right or wrong, this method has worked for 10 years or so of shooting Excaliburs, and I don't plan on changing!

[lvt01]

Hmmmm...interesting. I never thought of using sheep skin to rub the rail down. It sure won't hurt anything. I might have to give that a try.

[awshucks]

WD-40 on a paper towel cleans the rail well.

[wabi]

WD-40 on a paper towel cleans the rail well.

Just happened to do some tying this morning and made up a couple WD-40s.
Got plenty of paper towels, too.
But when I put the WD-40 on the towel nothing happens - it just lays there.


(sorry, but it's snowing here and I'm stuck indoors - I'm sure most of you recognize the symptoms.
The WD-40 is a fly pattern I just found last night, and had to try tying a couple this morning. )

[lvt01]

Man...the "fever" sets in on you fast!!! Back to the "real" WD-40 response...so the WD-40 won't damage the serving at all or cause it to break down faster does it?

[Boo]

Man...the "fever" sets in on you fast!!! Back to the "real" WD-40 response...so the WD-40 won't damage the serving at all or cause it to break down faster does it?

If used as described by everyone there will only be trace amounts that will not amount to anything to effect your string or serving.