Need help with knot

[druid]

I asked this on few places. Problem is: when I pass over 130# my timber hitch seems to be too weak to hold the string. String simply slips out through the knot. I tryed few ways to solve it but with poor results. I am not able to use double loop and endless strings. Any advice? 

[Ifrit617]

Tie a large knot at the point where the wraps on you timber hitch ends... when the hitch tightens, the knot will be too large to slip through, stopping the string from slipping.. Hope this helps.


Jon

[dmikeyj]

When you do a timber hitch, how many wraps do you normally make?  If you are used to only doing 2-3 wraps, try wrapping the excess around/through the loop until you have reached around to where the knot started (probably around 6-8 wraps), and bring the end back through the starting loop. 

So, what you will end up with will be a much thicker loop, since it has been wrapped around with the extra, but you will also have a knot that tightens against your nocks all the way around the tip, instead of just on one side.

Think of it as adding enough wraps so that when the right side tries to pull out, the left side holds it in place.



So, using this one as an example, you'd leave more to work with, and make another 3 wraps or so, and run the end back through that beginning loop.

Now, I've never tried this on such a heavy weight bow, but I make all my bowyer's knots this way, and have never had a problem, up to about 80#.  All of this is just a way to increase the friction holding the knot together- you basically double the friction when you carry the knot around the full loop.

Mike

[johnston]

Both Jon and Mike's suggestions have worked for me though I build three bows to reach 130#s.
You could even use a combination of the two methods.That ought to hold most anything.

Lane

[Cameroo]

When I first read the subject line I chuckled to myself, because I thought it was referring to a knot in a limb, and I thought if anyone knows how to deal with knots, it's Druid

These guys all have good ideas.  If you are using a synthetic string, you could also try melting the end and pushing it against some cold metal while it's still hot.  This will flatten the end out and serve the same purpose as the knot that Ifrit mentioned.

[crooketarrow]

  Tie a knot (1/2 hitch)on the end of your timber hitch. This stops it for pulling through. The wax on your string materal causes this to happen. I've had the same thing happen when I use to build war bows.

[Weylin]

I had this exact same thought. 

When I first read the subject line I chuckled to myself, because I thought it was referring to a knot in a limb, and I thought if anyone knows how to deal with knots, it's Druid

[mikekeswick]

Hi Druid, are you using fastflight or dacron? If fastflight add a few short strands of dacron into the reverse twisted section. I find fastflight is close to being too slippy in itself - I don't believe it is the wax causing the problem. I use dyneema (fastflight) cord for rock climbing sometimes and 'normal' knots just don't hold it, you need to use good cinching/friction knots with it. Make sure the first twist around the loop is almost folded over and not just wrapped around and also really butt these first couple of turns up against each other also do as dmikeyj suggestd above.
Remember the timber hitch is a friction knot and the more friction you use the better.

[druid]

My friends than you all for your advices, I will teste EVERYTHING and report what happened! My opinion is also that wax makes string more slipy, mybe I am wrong.
Mike, can you explain me with some photo about folding the string, I am not sure I understood well? The other part of your answer I understood good. FF is about.
dmikeyj I make wraps all around to the begining but I havent wraping through the loop itself. Any pics of that?