String material

[JustinNC]

What is the excepted standard for self bows? B-50? Getting ready to take the plunge and purchase in the next couple days.

[Josh]

I make all my own strings using B-50 dacron with the flemish twist method.  It costs me around 30 cents per string.  I have only made one bow so far that didn't like the dacron (caused it to stretch too much) But that bow was a Reflex Deflex bow that had a really high early draw weight.     Other than that one you can't beat B-50 for the price and strength for self bows in my opinion.

[Thwackaddict]

Ditto Josh!!very cost effective and makes great strings

[JustinNC]

just making sure. Could remember if it was 50 or 52?

[George Tsoukalas]

I use B 50 for Flemish strings. Jawge

[DCM4]

While FastFlight brand material is more, B50 is about $8, FF about $24 per 1/4# spool, it's also twice as much material.  B50 is 4200' while FF 8900' (per pound I think).  So if a B50 string costs 30 cents, a FastFlight string costs about what... 45 cents?  But you have to be able to afford the up front cost to buy into a whole 1/4# spool, although I think it's available in smaller quantities.

I posted to say there is no standard for selfbows or wooden bows, especially not B50.  It is inferior in performance to what was the standard for millenia, linen, but does not wear out as quickly.  Absolutely no advantage can be had shooting B50 over FastFlight, where resistance to wear exceeds B50, and tremendous benefit in terms of handshock and cast can be had by shooting FF.

For the life of me I cannot comprehend the entrenchment wrt to use of B50, especially in the selfbow game where you would think foks were more open to new ideas, more adventurous in their choices, more objective and thorough in their assessment of performance.

[Lombard]

DCM, the devil you know so to speak. People use what they have become comfortable with, requiring a paradigm shift to change thinking on certain things. Thanks for the FF info, as I have stuck with B-50 due to price considerations, and did not realize that there was that much more thread on a roll of FF. Paradigm shift engaged. Is it true that with FF that fewer strands need be used than with B-50? Because if that be the case, then it might be possible to make FF string cheaper than the B=50.

[artcher1]

This flies over most folks heads but try mixing the two different materials. Have a good day . ART B

[stringstretcher]

Art.  When you mix you materials, do you mix them in each bundle or do you use a bundle of FF and a bundle of B50.  I am sure it would be kind of hard to  put say 4 FF and 4 B50 in each bundle?

[Elktracker]

While FastFlight brand material is more, B50 is about $8, FF about $24 per 1/4# spool, it's also twice as much material.  B50 is 4200' while FF 8900' (per pound I think).  So if a B50 string costs 30 cents, a FastFlight string costs about what... 45 cents?  But you have to be able to afford the up front cost to buy into a whole 1/4# spool, although I think it's available in smaller quantities.

I posted to say there is no standard for selfbows or wooden bows, especially not B50.  It is inferior in performance to what was the standard for millenia, linen, but does not wear out as quickly.  Absolutely no advantage can be had shooting B50 over FastFlight, where resistance to wear exceeds B50, and tremendous benefit in terms of handshock and cast can be had by shooting FF.

For the life of me I cannot comprehend the entrenchment wrt to use of B50, especially in the selfbow game where you would think foks were more open to new ideas, more adventurous in their choices, more objective and thorough in their assessment of performance.

Good info

[Josh]

For the life of me I cannot comprehend the entrenchment wrt to use of B50, especially in the selfbow game where you would think foks were more open to new ideas, more adventurous in their choices, more objective and thorough in their assessment of performance.

I would like to try FF one day, I would just rather use up the 10 or 12 rolls of B-50 I have first so they don't go to waste.   Nothing close minded about it on my part.   Also not talking performance, B-50 is a perfectly acceptable string making material.  Since I build wooden bows, I am not as concerned with performance anyways.  If I was I would just go buy the latest greatest compound bow on the market and call it done.  For someone just starting out making their own strings, I would reccomend the B-50 over the FF string all day every day for 2 reasons:  One, no high initial up front costs for a beginner and two, I believe it is easier on a bow than the FF because it has a little stretch to it.  The question that started this thread was about B-50 so I gave a B-50 answer.   

[JustinNC]

Ya'll keep squawkin and such and I'll just go cut me some yucca ...kidding...but I do plan on trying that later in the game.

If fastflight is acceptable (I see this and that about it on TG), I may know somewhere awfully cheap to get some locally.

Art, dont get my head spinning too bad right yet.

[artcher1]

You can mix a couple strands of the B-50 in with your FF bundles for a dampening effect Charles. Just cut the B-50 a couple inches shorter because of it's stretch. But what works better, for me at least, is 8-10 strands of FF in one bundle and 5 strands of the B-50 (or B-55) in the other bundle (for bows of between 45-50#). Or a three bundle string with 5 and 5 of FF and one bundle of 5 of the B-50. Serving of .018/.019 works great. Just be sure to cut the bundles of the Dacron a couple inches shorter also.

When you get to making up the second loop do so as normal. When twisting up the finished string you will have to PULL and TWIST at the same time to take out the stretch of the Dacron strands/bundle.

I've been cutting my FF material an inch longer for more twist-up. This helps mesh the two different materials together better.

Be sure to let everyone here know how this works for you.

Sorry Justin ART B

[JustinNC]

well since you explained it Art, we'll let it slide haha

[Marc St Louis]

I use FF almost exclusively and never more than 8 strands even on bows of 70# or more.  For lower draw weight bows of 45 ~ 50# I will use 6 strands.  A roll of FF used this way will last a looooong time