Sinew string project at camp

[swamp monkey]

Sinew string project

In about two weeks my son and I will leave for a week at Scout camp.  During that time I do what all adult leaders do, but there is plenty of time for holding down a camp chair and doing projects. 
SO.   I plan to bring two boxes, a pair of scissors, and a whole lot of deer leg tendons.  Why you might ask?   

A few years back I made an Anasazi cable backed bow with artificial sinew cables and wrapping.  About a year ago I made an Eskimo cabled backed bow with nylon cables.   Both were fun bows to make and shoot (see the PA posts if you like), but truthfully I want to push this further toward “abo”.

So I have a bag of tendons which I pound on in the evenings while sitting on the front porch.  Since this involves a hammer and my vise surface, I would prefer NOT to take that to camp.  That way I take a box of pounded tendons to camp to strip and use to make string.  I figure if I get bored with stripping sinew I can make string.  If I get bored with making string I can strip sinew.  If get bored with either one of those – well I would not be posting on PA now would I!

Anyhow I figure this is something I can do during down time.  I want to make about 80- 100 feet of cable for both bows and for bow strings.  Hopefully, some of the scouts will take an interest.  I will bring some artificial sinew for them to practice on if they take an interest.

I have this project well underway as you can see in the images below.  I have about eight feet of string so far. 

I will report back in July. 

[swamp monkey]

Plans don't always go as we expect.  I thought I would trade back and forth between shredding sinew and making string.  I didn't.  The shredding and trimming really needed to be done outside, but making cord does not.  I spent any time I had on shredding sinew.  I shredded about 20 or more leg tendons, and did not work on braid of cord.  I figured I was outside where I could make a mess.  sheaths and end trimming is messy.   It was hot and sticky so why not do as much shredding as possible?  I can make string another time when I am inside in a cool spot. 

yesterday I made about 18 feet of cord.  It is drying under wight in the basement right now.  I will pick it back up this weekend and add more.   

[bubby]

I admire you guys making sinew strings and such, just not my cup o tea, i'm gonna keep a look out for your next cable backed build

[Joec123able]

Very cool making strings takes a lot of Patience that's for sure

[swamp monkey]

This past weekend I worked on this for several hours and am up to 48 feet of sinew cord.

With plant string I call the stuff I trim off the sides fuzzies.  With sinew cord none of that stuff is fuzzy.  It's hard but that is what I was trimming off.  It took over a half hour to get the cord dressed up.   I am making cord at a rate of 7.5 feet per hour.  I figure I need another six hours on this and I will have about 90 feet. 

I will post pix by the weekend and some other stats on the cord. 

[swamp monkey]

I am no expert but I have made a few sinew bow strings.  I hang these from a nail in my floor joists. I attach a jorgerson clamp to provide weight and it stretches/ dries fine.  I had about 20 feet to dry so I had to get creative to use a drill press vise and a bench vise with that nail.   about 18 feet was dry already so I set it aside on the treadmill. 

The last picture is the full 48 feet trimmed up and coiled.  I am more than half way there!

[swamp monkey]

pounding sinew = 3 hours. 
cleaning and stripping sinew = 5 hrs.
String making =7.5 feet per hr. 
cleaning string  = 90 ft per hr.

I watched a movie this afternoon and ran the total length up to 60 feet.  That is eight hours of work.  At this rate I need four more hours to finish making string plus a half hour to trim it up.  If these projections stay true I will have 21 hours invested in making this string.  WOW!

I will post more when I have more to report.   

[swamp monkey]

I now have 72 feet complete and drying.   I am stopping for the evening and let my hands rest. 

I have decided that I am not going to stop at 90 feet.  I want to go all the way to 100.  It seems like a number worth bragging about.  Don't you agree?
   

[Adam]

Heck, I'd say making 1 foot is worth bragging about!

[Patches]

Keep going Buddy!  Good luck and make sure you keep it away from Mrs. Swampmonkey so she does not give it to the cat to play with (or eat)!  Good luck with her too! Ha haa haaaa!     

[Ed Brooks]

I have been making all my bow strings from sinew. however after I twist up the string(dry) I soak it in water, hang it from a nail and put the loose in in a drill, twist it up with the drill a little more and hang the drill from it, as it drys, I twist more with the drill and let it hang to dry. The drill seems to toughen up my hand work on the string. Works really well for my bow string. Ed

[swamp monkey]

I am at 75 feet and am running low on sinew.  I may have to purchase some more legs.  I will post an image of the cord by the weekend!.

[Carson (CMB)]

Wow!  I made one 4' string and was bragging my butt off...75' going on 100'!!!  Nice work. 

[iowabow]

You know I feel for ya buddy!

[swamp monkey]

75 glorious feet.   25 to go.