Author Topic: Dental Floss Bowstring  (Read 22539 times)

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Offline Buckeye Guy

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #15 on: September 13, 2011, 09:37:47 am »
Lane
Now thats some good advise , and the PA way
Beat me to the draw!Sorry I'm a little slow !
Guy
Guy Dasher
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Offline avcase

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #16 on: September 13, 2011, 01:19:39 pm »
Thanks Del.  I agree.

Perhaps instead of calling Dacron a subset of polyester family, it may be more accurate to go with the term "recycled plastic water bottles" fiber.  :)

-Alan

Offline WolfPupTee

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #17 on: September 13, 2011, 03:28:59 pm »
 :laugh:  did I accidently start a little debate about string? Well I have plenty of time to test out all of these strings.
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #18 on: September 15, 2011, 01:57:37 am »
Perhaps we were a tad bit hasty in dismissing the dental floss bowstring.  At least your bow will stay minty fresh. 
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline CraigMBeckett

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #19 on: September 15, 2011, 04:06:30 am »
MMM!,

I thought  the dental floss we buy/bought is/was stronger that suggested by Pearl Drums.  I was also under the impression that dental floss was in fact B50,  I thought I had read it somewhere in some archery publication. Cannot test as we/my wife has taken to buying the floss on a stick things that double as toothpicks.

Craig


Offline Del the cat

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #20 on: September 15, 2011, 05:03:30 am »
MMM!,

I thought  the dental floss we buy/bought is/was stronger that suggested by Pearl Drums.  I was also under the impression that dental floss was in fact B50,  I thought I had read it somewhere in some archery publication. Cannot test as we/my wife has taken to buying the floss on a stick things that double as toothpicks.

Craig
Maybe, but in that case it would doubtless be cheaper to buy it as B50.
Del
(Nah, I just ran some scientific tests and it can't be, 'cos B50 isn't Pepermint flavoured ;D )
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline avcase

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #21 on: September 15, 2011, 12:53:15 pm »
I've used B50 as dental floss in a pinch, but prefer the newer low stretch synthetics.  They seem to do the job just a little faster and I prefer the higher pitch twang sound.  Unfortunately, fast flight doesn't come in peppermint either.  :)
-Alan

Offline WolfPupTee

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #22 on: September 15, 2011, 05:56:23 pm »
 :laugh:  The dental floss I was using was like the cheapest of the cheap but I had used it before on a survival bow that I made last year and it was fine, never popped. But the draw weight on that survival bow was low (I think. I don't know how to tell draw weight and I don't have a scale or anything to measure it). It was mint flavored and waxed and it seemed strong enough to me. I probably won't use it for any future longbows I make though.
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Offline bubby

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #23 on: September 15, 2011, 06:43:49 pm »
how many strands of spyderwire  for say a 60# bow, Bub
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
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Offline johnston

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #24 on: September 15, 2011, 08:06:19 pm »
Best string advice I ever got came from Rich. I got hand problems ( not as bad as him, mine are only terrible) and he turned me on to artificial sinew. ;)

Lane

Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #25 on: September 15, 2011, 11:53:50 pm »
I've used B50 as dental floss in a pinch, but prefer the newer low stretch synthetics.  They seem to do the job just a little faster and I prefer the higher pitch twang sound.  Unfortunately, fast flight doesn't come in peppermint either.  :)
-Alan

I have also used B-50 for dental floss.  It worked, but was a little waxy.
I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline CraigMBeckett

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #26 on: September 17, 2011, 12:01:25 am »
MMM!,

I thought  the dental floss we buy/bought is/was stronger that suggested by Pearl Drums.  I was also under the impression that dental floss was in fact B50,  I thought I had read it somewhere in some archery publication. Cannot test as we/my wife has taken to buying the floss on a stick things that double as toothpicks.

Craig
Maybe, but in that case it would doubtless be cheaper to buy it as B50.
Del
(Nah, I just ran some scientific tests and it can't be, 'cos B50 isn't Pepermint flavoured ;D )

Touche!  (sorry cannot get the accented e)  ;D
Craig.
« Last Edit: September 17, 2011, 12:06:06 am by CraigMBeckett »

Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #27 on: September 17, 2011, 03:34:22 am »
I don't know how to tell draw weight and I don't have a scale or anything to measure it).

when you make that trip to walmart, stop in the luggage section and pick up a luggage scale.  $9.00 - $12.00

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #28 on: September 17, 2011, 10:40:29 pm »
I've used B50 as dental floss in a pinch, but prefer the newer low stretch synthetics.  They seem to do the job just a little faster and I prefer the higher pitch twang sound.  Unfortunately, fast flight doesn't come in peppermint either.  :)
-Alan

I have also used B-50 for dental floss.  It worked, but was a little waxy.


 ;D ;D ;D ;D

Hey, I've tried the hemp string they sell around here everywhere, and it is garbage. Del, you guys must have completely different hemp over there. The stuff in stores over here is horrible, and every 10 feet it is tied in a knot. I have made ropes out of the smallest diameter hemp string and have still had them break on the bow. I believe it is because of the way the process it, as I have read that hemp fiber is just as strong as linen. I actually prefer linen over anything. And b50, god I hate b50. I love the price, but they put just enough wax on the strings to get tangled easy, but not near enough wax to make a string. It feels like I am shooting a bow with a rubberband as a string like I used to do when I was a little kid instead a actual bowstring from the stretch, at least thats how it feels after shooting linen strings for so long...
« Last Edit: September 17, 2011, 10:47:48 pm by toomanyknots »
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline WolfPupTee

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Re: Dental Floss Bowstring
« Reply #29 on: September 17, 2011, 11:39:03 pm »
I heard some people attach the string to weights and let the weight stretch the string overnight in order to kind of get rid of the unnecessary elasticity... in b50 I mean.
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