Hazel longbow, 100# @ 28"

[WillS]

What are you using as a stringer?  A bit of old paracord is the usual approach.

[Strichev]

Filip, stop beating around the bush, I'm waiting to see how a hazel warbow turns out! But here we are; (still) discussing the insanely complex device that is the stringer.

Maybe use that fishing braid as stringer material? Glue on temporary wooden nocks and use a double loop stringer. Problem solved.

Don't wanna use that braid? Use the belt you've mentioned, get some thick leather, make holes  sufficiently away from the edge and "sew" the leather into pockets for the tips using the fishing braid. Male sure to use enough of it so that it doesn't just cut through the leather.

For heaven's sake just get on with the bow, one doesn't make a bow on the internet! 

[FilipT]

@WillS
I tried paracord 550 among other things. It stretches like crazy. To clarify, you and me talked some time ago about paracord and despite being legit and not chinese knock off copy, it has huge amount of stretch, but it never breaks. We never got a conclusion why that is like so. Definitely I must use that belt I found.

@Strichev
Be patient. Its easy to not beat around the bush when you have things going for you. When they do not, you are doing everything you can to get on the desired course and that takes time and effort. When I brace it it will be done in a day or two. I don't really have much time currently for anything related bows and its a wonder for me I even got to this stage. But I don't want to leave people wondering since I started this thread so I am using every available opportunity to continue the work.

[WillS]

You're only getting it to brace height.  You could use old elastic if you really wanted to.  Any paracord is plenty good enough for bracing.  If you really can't make it work, do a quick rough bracing string out of your fishing braid. 

Getting a bow to brace and seeing it with a string on is supposed to take a couple of hours maximum, not days/weeks.

[Del the cat]

...
Getting a bow to brace and seeing it with a string on is supposed to take a couple of hours maximum, not days/weeks.
...

There is no "supposed".
It is not a race...

[FilipT]

Getting a bow to brace and seeing it with a string on is supposed to take a couple of hours maximum, not days/weeks.

Just to be clear, a "day" of bowyery in my life is actually an hour or two, since I don't spend a lot of time on it. I don't mind the slow pace, especially since there is a lot more important things in my life.

[Strichev]

Be patient. Its easy to not beat around the bush when you have things going for you.

True that. And indeed, patience is a must. All my work is currently on hold after I realized I've probably been idiotically making bows out of around 15% moisture content wood. Now I'm drying things indoors.

[willie]

if it is too stretchy, then double or triple it up. I find that stepping on the string with two outstretched feet goes easier than just one in middle (of course if the tips are two far to reach, then get a helper)

[FilipT]

if it is too stretchy, then double or triple it up. I find that stepping on the string with two outstretched feet goes easier than just one in middle (of course if the tips are two far to reach, then get a helper)

Interesting idea, I will try that and I'll post results. But the thing is that everywhere I read about paracord 550 I get two distinct answers. One camp says it stretches, other camp says it doesn't stretch and that you can use it for tillering string for example. I bought it from one store that sells survival gear among other things and they clarify that it's really a real deal paracord. Very weird. On wikipedia it says it has 30% stretch.
But the question then arises, what do guys that have non-stretchy paracord really use?

[WillS]

I think it's highly unlikely that paracord differs that much.  Perhaps your idea of stretchy is different to everybody else's

If you use a 550 stringer, and stand on it pulling the bow upwards and the bow doesn't move at all, you're looking at something over 200lb.  That's another thing to be aware of - because you've not done this before, there's a good chance your preconceptions are beating you.  What may feel "heavy" to you could be very light to somebody who's used to heavy bows, and perhaps you don't know the difference in feel between getting a 90lb bow braced to a 130lb bow.

Hazel can make very, very heavy bows with not much depth.  Maybe you've got one of those at the moment, and need to take it down a lot.

[FilipT]

The point is, when I made the length of paracord stringer such that I could barely get my foot onto it and pulled the bow, bow flexed (even though it's heavy then I am accustomed to) and it got almost to the point I could slip the loop of string. But, at the same time bow stretches the paracord such that I loose all the motion and mechanical advantage of "deadlift" and basically my hand is doing all the work. Do you understand what I am saying?
If I would have non stretchy stringer I could just simply pull and slip the loop.

[WillS]

Sounds normal to me.  It's probably just new to you, and you need to develop the technique.

[FilipT]

Brief update:

Yesterday I made the stringer from super durable polymer based belt. I made better double loop flemish tillering string and 40 mm in diameter ring which serves as string adjuster (Del uses similar).
I braced the bow with practically no effort but my string stretched. I set it 3" shorter than nocks in order to get full brace height but it simply settled against belly of bow. I am not sure what to think of it, it's much better made and I suspect it needs just to settle. Any ideas?
I will tomorrow wind a bit around the ring in order to shorter it, as I have guests in house and can't work on the bow today.

Also I will put various pictures.

 

[FilipT]

Guests went away and I used the ring to adjust the string and again went for bracing. Then I realized. String doesn't stretch at all, windings untwist as each winding of the loop pulls other toward itself and that causes string to lengthen. I don't really know what I did wrong and there is no material left.

[WillS]

Keep it simple.  Get rid of all the tricks and the rings and the belts etc.

You're just making a bow.

Make one string that has a bowyers knot at one end, so you can set the right length.  Make another string to use as a stringer.  Brace the bow high enough that the tips aren't pulling the string apart, but are being pulled downwards.  I personally always go to full brace height immediately, but that's up to you.  The lower the brace height, the more the string will want to stretch.

We're talking primitive weapons here.  Always have that in mind and you'll be fine.