Making Your Crossbow Rail Friction-Free

[PA_DeerHunter]

I've read numerous threads about "lubing" your crossbow rail. I suppose this is done to increase velocity of your arrows?

Has anyone tried treating the crossbow rail with any of those new substances which reduce friction on metal?

see: http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/20 ... d-actions/

or: http://www.microlon.com/

or any of the moly coatings that reduce friction on metal surfaces? This would not have the problem of build-up that wax or other materials pose to the rail. Anybody try any of these?

[vixenmaster]

All i have used is jig-a-loo put on cloth rub rail top let it dry. Don't want any type of petro products to get on or in yer string

[Normous]

Both our Vortex and Equinox are completely Teflon coated. Donwell coating which specializes in Medical and Aerospace teflon coatings preformed the procedure. Nothing sticks to my rail and the ultra smooth finish resulted in a solid 4 fps increase.

Another time I was given 50 feet of very expensive ($200) Polyethylene Industrial tape with a high slip coefficient to try on my deck. Pydpiper and I experimented with it but were unable to gain any extra usable speed from it.

[bob1961]

i just keep mine clean as i can, the string wax gets put down on it after so many shots....then it gets cleaned again..........bob

....

[NonTypicalCPA]

What do you guys use to clean the rail that won't damage the string? I've got some buildup from the string wax that I would like to remove.

[Normous]

Accetone will clean that rail in a jiffy.

[awshucks]

so will wd-40 on a rag. I've scraped excess wax off mine w/ credit card.

[JimM]

Goo-Be-Gone, I think thats what its called. Wax just whips off.. good stuff

[bkisel]

The "final solution" would be to design the CB so that the string does not touch the deck. The rail groove would off course have to be a bit narrower so that the arrow rode a bit higher. It think that it has already been done, at least with compounds. I believe it was a Parker model that I saw that had its string, at brace height, just a bit above the rail.

Bill K.

[shaftthrower]

The "final solution" would be to design the CB so that the string does not touch the deck. The rail groove would off course have to be a bit narrower so that the arrow rode a bit higher. It think that it has already been done, at least with compounds. I believe it was a Parker model that I saw that had its string, at brace height, just a bit above the rail.

Bill K.

Same feeling here, but there must be a reason for the rail contact that I don't understand

[sumner4991]

Contact with the rail, it acts like a guide. The string can react like a rubberband upon launch(when the string hits resistance from the air/wind). If there is no pressure against the rail, then there is a possibility of it jumping up and down.