Which string material?

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I’m about to order some more string material as I have enough d97 left for about 2-3 more strings. I usually build my strings with 10 strands of D97 and 2 strands of b50 as a cheap filler and I fell hat it’s softer and allows the D97 to bite into it for a better holding string. On some bows I’ll pad the loops a bit more with some extra b50.
I’m debating, get more D97, or try something different and if so then what?

Thanks for the input everyone
Kyle

[PEARL DRUMS]

Its all good stuff, Kyle. I have used at least five different types and have to problems with any of them. I would suggest you leave the B50 out of the main bundles and only use it to pad loops, if need be. Adding B50 to the main bundles is only adding dead weight as it does nothing to help.

[gfugal]

All my bows draw 50# or less, my draw is 26 1/2 and I try for fistmele of 6", so I don't think I would be straining any of them with a faster string material.  Is it a safe assumption that blending materials such as B50 and FF, is a reasonable experiment or is it a waste of time and materials? 
Hawkdancer

I made a string recently that was made of polyester thread and dyneema fishing line.  I made it as a flemish twist, with roughly half of it being one and the other half being the other. What happened interested me.  It ended up creeping about as much as polyester alone, so I had to readjust my knot as the length changed. However, once it finished creeping, it didin't stretch much anyomore, not nearly as much as if it had been just polyester. After the creep I believe it had a stiffness closer to pure dyneema. What i'm guessing happenend was that the creep was the polyester stretching and thining, as the spiraling of the flemish flatened out as straight as possible. So after that initial creep,  the polyester stretched as far as it could before the dyneema was forced to work, but once that happened i think the dyneema took over the load entirely (so it was important that there was enough dyneema to handle the entire tensile load alone). I don't think mixing the two is as simple as 1 + 3. Because they stretch at different rates and have different tensile strengths. i think instead of getting 4 from combining them you get something like 1 then 3.

I don't think i'll mix different string material again unless I needed to get rid of one and use it to get the string thick enough. I personally found the creep annoying and would prefer to avoid that by going straight dyneema. But it does work if you want to do it that way just make sure you have enough strength for it, which most strings of common thicknesses will suffice by plenty.

I posted this in the other string thread but I feel it applies to your question too.

[Morgan]

Guys, what do you mean when you say pad loops? I’d really like to try some string material that doesn’t stretch like b50, but I haven’t ever done tip overlays and am spooky about using anything but b50.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Lets say you want an 8 strand low stretch string. Measure out the 2 or 3 bundles, if you are making a Flemish string.  Then add another 3-4 10" strands of B50 just on the ends, that is "padding" the loops. It fatten up the loops only. If you use hardwood, horn or bone overlays you can just make straight up 6,8 or 10 strand strings with no padding. Or, if you make an osage bow with no overlays you can still not pad the string. I don't pad osage tips or over lays, it doesn't need the help and wont dent.

[bjrogg]

I do like Pearl. I'd never go back to B50 I really like D97. My strings don't stretch or shrink and better performance to boot. It also goes along ways.
Bjrogg

[Morgan]

Thank you for that explanation pearl

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Thanks for the input guys. I ended up ordering dynaflight 10 as it was on sale for $2 cheaper than d97. They’re close enough I the same for me to not fuss over. I think I read that they are the same diameter and the d10 is #5 stronger than the d97. I got two spoils of the white on the way.
I think I’ll take your advice pearly and nix the b50 strands from te main bundle and just keep them in the loops when I pad them.

Kyle