Artificial Sinew

[Ippus]

So, I was in the craft store today, scouting for feathers and leather scraps and whatnot, and I saw that they had a roll of "artificial sinew" near the craft lacing. It was $16.99...

I'd be leery of using it to back a bow or anything, but have any of you ever used that for fletching? What do you think?

[sleek]

It ties fletching great, and makes a subpar string but can do it in a pinch.

[Danzn Bar]

Artificial sinew is nothing but waxed nylon..............it has its place . and it can be used in making arrows if used property...
DBar

[osage outlaw]

I use it for stitching leather and making necklaces.  I prefer heavy duty UV resistant thread for wrapping arrows.  I soak it 2x with superglue and its rock hard.

[loon]

i've used unwaxed nylon for fletching. Real sinew is better but I guess nylon works fine with glue.. bit uglier of course
You can find leg sinew for less than $17
And I guess a roll of silk looks a bit better than nylon, but is weaker. Maybe artificial sinew would look better...

[Ippus]

While we're on the subject, how's monofilament fishing line for fletching? Say about 8-lb test? Do you just wrap it tight and glue it?

[Dakota Kid]

Mono wouldn't soak up the glue, it's basically plastic thread. 

Braided line on the other hand works great and is at least as strong as real sinew. I haven't tried kevlar thread yet, but would imagine it would be a durable option as well.

[CavemanRob]

I use it for arrows, wrapping fletching and nock (bamboo self-nocks).  It works just fine.  also works well for stiching leather like osage outlaw says

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

It's as good for wrapping fletching/nocks as any other thread, but of course it doesn't have the shrinking effects of real sinew.

[PEARL DRUMS]

It will fray on arrow wraps. I have all kinds of ugly arrows proving that. I shoot a lot. Most wraps wont last 6 months before they un-wrap, un-stick and fray. Silk is my favorite wrap. It soaks up epoxy glue and never comes apart or frays.

[DC]

Mono wouldn't soak up the glue, it's basically plastic thread. 

Braided line on the other hand works great and is at least as strong as real sinew. I haven't tried kevlar thread yet, but would imagine it would be a durable option as well.

I use Kevlar thread. You can't sand it, it just fuzzes up but you only need a few wraps. Don't try to break it with your hands

[JW_Halverson]

The artificial sinew actually can work very well.  First, cut a piece about 10" long.  Then begin splitting it into smaller strands until you have a piece not much wider than a line drawn with a pencil.  It's pretty easy because artificial sinew is comprised of several of these smaller strands. 

Start your wrap, making sure to wrap the sinew over top of itself once or twice, but do NOT do a lot of layers!  A lump makes an uncomfortable day of shooting!  Pull the thread as tight as you can get it, wrapping carefully so that each wrap lays tight against the next.  When you get to the last of it, use your fingernail to smoosh it into the shaft as you rotate the arrow.  The wax will hold all in place...for just a little while. 

That little while is just long enough to reach over to pick up a small bottle of superglue.  Dribble a little on the artificial sinew wrap and smooth it with your finger, wiping it all around the sinew.  The superglue eats thru the wax and bonds the material to the shaft.  Careful you do not use so much glue that it wicks up onto the feather.  That turns it from a flexible feather to a blade slicing across the back of your bow grip hand. 

I knocked out a couple hundred of these for a German Documentary film crew several years back. 

[loon]

It will fray on arrow wraps. I have all kinds of ugly arrows proving that. I shoot a lot. Most wraps wont last 6 months before they un-wrap, un-stick and fray. Silk is my favorite wrap. It soaks up epoxy glue and never comes apart or frays.

epoxy sounds nasty, but I've never used it.
I have some, I think #100 silk thread, I can break it very easily with my hands..
I wouldn't like sinew as much for wrapping into the feathers because it's thick, hard to get it as thin as some thread. Unless it's backstrap sinew I guess..

[Ippus]

Sawdust.  It's man glitter.

lol! Awesome.

Thanks, JW. That's really helpful... and it may be just because I'm getting started, but "a couple hundred" sounds like an awful lot of arrows.

[JW_Halverson]

Sawdust.  It's man glitter.

lol! Awesome.

Thanks, JW. That's really helpful... and it may be just because I'm getting started, but "a couple hundred" sounds like an awful lot of arrows.

It was a burning pain in the a...awww, you know what I mean.