Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: SjWhite on June 10, 2011, 12:12:56 am
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Hello all,
I'm new to making bows, and I do not know how to make a good quality string.
I would be very greatful if you would tell me what you do, or if you just buy yours online.
Thank You for your time.
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i googled and found this
http://poorfolkbows.com/flemish1.htm
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SailorDad has the best link if you don't care for U-tube (which I don't)...I had never made strings before and built that jig a few days ago...followed the tutorial of that site and now have about 14 new strings made up. I did them one after another, some for kids bows some for my bows and they all turned out great. Good luck and just jump in...not sure why I was so reluctant to try and learn, it really is easier than it looks.
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Ditto on poorfolksbows. I have them bookmarked.
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that's how I learned! For the price of ONE string you can buy a roll of string making material to make 10-15 strings of your own.
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Thanks for the sight! Very informative ;D
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Guess I am experiencing operator error...
:)
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The jig I built was based out of Al Herrin's book.
I made it taller from the back of the board to the top of the wrapping pins, plenty of room to server under the string for loops and knock area.
And made it easier to adjust for string length, Just extend it out to the length you need your string to be.
The ends turn out for making your loops.
The next one I build will be only of hardwood, as this one is mostly pine the hardware tends to tear up the soft wood.
Other than that it works like a champ.
Regards,
-Gus
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This is how I make strings. Wrong or right, it's how I do it.
First I lay out a couple kitchen chairs and weight them down with something so they don't tip when I got the threads tied on and am twisting them. I make 2 ply strings, twisted up by slightly reverse wrapping em. If slighty reverse wrapping scares you too much you don't have to do that, but I just prefer it either way compared to the loose twist of a typical flemish twist. Works for me. I lay the chairs out about a foot and a half to 2 feet longer than the bow I am making, gives me a good amount of leeway. Here I am using 20 strands of good quality linen thread. This string is actually for a warbow. After tieing 20 strands out between the chairs, I wax each one up and down with beeswax.
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string1.jpg)
I separate the strings into two separate bundles of 10 each. Then twist each bundle up a bit, both bundles are twisted in the same direction, I loop the first around the chair while I twist the other one up. If you start getting kinks then you twisted too much. You don't have to do it that much at all, too much will hurt the string, especially if you twist until you start to get kinks.
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string3.jpg)
Make sure both bundles are next to each other after twist a bit...
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string2.jpg)
Now I twist them both back together in the same direction so they wrap around each other. It should take a bit of extra twisting to get em nice and wrapped around each other. It is very important to pull tight when doing this so there are no kinks or anything. Should look something like this:
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string4.jpg)
(told you I like em twisted up more than usually, :) ) Ok, I don't do the hitch knot on string like this, I only do loops. Here is how I do the loop. First, after measuring your string (most strings should be around 3" shorter than the what the bow measures nock to nock, if anyone wants to know), loop it around like so...
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string5.jpg)
Unwrap the extra tail of the loop.
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string6.jpg)
Now unwrap a couple inches of the string under the loop to be,
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string7.jpg)
Now, here is something important. You wanna wrap the the two tail pieces around the two separate bundles, but you have to wrap em in the right direction. Look at the main string and note at what direction the bundles wrap themselves around each other. You want to wrap the tails in the opposite direction the main string wraps, or else it won't work. Wrap the first tail.
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string8.jpg)
Then the other one...
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string9.jpg)
After that just twist them back together. Pull the tails tight, twist it tight, and cut the tails if you want. Also, everyone seems to like to taper the tails, by letting one pop out before the other one to make the transition less drastic.
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string10.jpg)
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/toomanyknots/how%20to%20make%20a%20string/string11.jpg)
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Thanks toomanyknots! Ive always used a timber hitch to make my loops ::), never tried the way you showed here. ;D
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No prob. A typical loop like the one above is way easier on the string material than a timber hitch.
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I guess I do it the hard way.
Learned the flemish twist, with braided loop on one end, make it about 8 '' longer than the bow, and then timber hitch the other end
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I prefer a timber hitch too...and in over 30 years of archery I've never had a string break. No brag, just fact! ;D
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i will have to try one of these techniques i normally just braid Dacron fishing line in groups of three then dental floss on my knocking point
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i will have to try one of these techniques i normally just braid Dacron fishing line in groups of three then dental floss on my knocking point
Does this work very well ??? ??? ???
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it works well for me its kind of time consuming but its simple and it works ;D