Strung up over which string material to use? We take a look at some of the things about strings that you'll come across when making your first bowstring. === Follow me on Facebook: / nusensei
I appreciate your channel so much! You teach so well and concisely in each of your videos. I spent so much time wading through forums and their opinions and then realized you had a video on string material and in just 12 minutes I learned more than a couple hours of other research.
It took me a while to figure out that Flemish twist Dacron B-50 strings seem to be more popular on longbows than fast flight type endless loop strings, despite being less efficient, because they are quieter. I've seen a number of people say the combination is incredibly quiet on a longbow, and may cause deer to jump the string significantly less. Which is huge.
That was pretty informative, thank you. At first I was using BCY X but quickly learned that 8190f is a better material for limb longevity. It's all I use now. I stretch it for a long time to avoid any rotation issues.
I was surprised about materials used in bow strings...Being fisherman and fly fisherman I have dacron, spectra and Dyneema on spinning and fly reel reels as backing...Thank you for explaining so well....
Thanks for this. Very informative. I had no idea you shouldn't use modern material (like in fast flight) on a traditional bow. You've probably saved me some trouble
i've used practically all of the different blends. After much trial and error i've settled for Bearpaw B55 Dacron for non FF bows and Bearpaw Spectra 635 for FF bows. I make strings for all the members of my club and have not had a single failure. And i use the same materials for endless loop and flemish twist strings successfully.
Hey nusensei. Sorry to post this message here in the comments, I couldn't find another option to contact you since I do not u use social networks. I really appreciate your videos and benefit from them for myself and my students. I wanted to propose a video about how to find your personal tiller settings. I'm shooting barebow with Mediterranean grip and it seems to be a huge mystery to find the right adjustments. Another topic is the number of strands in a bowstring. I started to make my own strings and everybody tells you something different, as always. I'm also a language teacher and really enjoy your clear, structured and critical but always respectful videos. Keep up the good work. Enjoy, Michael
I recently came across your channel wanting to get a better start at archery(I've made a few bows)...and immediately subscribed because of the subtitles 👍👍. I wear hearing aids and these are so helpful... thanks for taking the trouble.
Good video and to add to what you have said, the traditional bows such as horse bows work better with dyneema according to places like Alibow who i seem to be the true experts in Asiatic bows. Armin Hiemer was saying that Dacron shoots horrible from a traditional horse bow, I am not an expert but i took the advice and made my horse bow strings from Dyneema (652) and it worked out well. I don't know the reasoning behind it but the tips of the Horse bow i own (Kheshig bow from Alibow) has tips that seem pretty strong compared to takedown bows.
There was one time i had some spare dyneema fishing line hanging around. It actually worked quite well. I think the difference between that and purpose built bowstring is the latter is pre-stretched, but i havent noticed a difference.
for modern materials in 2020, bloodline vec 99 material and BCY 454 are used in compounds that want the best, most durable string on the market that doesn't need to be waxed a 1000 times (that's what a lot of compound shooters do)
I prefer natural fiber materials as I practice "primitive" archery. I have recently made a usable string from a spool of dollar store cotton reverse twisted together. It works quite well so far on a 30 lbs draw weight fiberglass bow. Its obvious that it could definitely withstand alot more draw weight. I have seen cotton thread mentioned in ancient Vedic and Asian Indian texts for use with much higher draw weight bows.
This isnt meant as hate so dont take it that way, but I have a question for you. If you like practicing "primitive" archery and prefer natural material, is there a reason why you use a fiberglass bow as opposed to a more traditional material?
You can't buy fast flight anymore. The rumor is that It's all being used in USA's bullet proof vest manufacturing. The stuff Brownell sells now is called fast flight PLUS , it's a different kind of material and I would suggest this string type for most archers wanting to build strings. Although no one really knows what fast flight plus is, due to brownells weird marketing, it works quite well, and is half the price of bcy materials. It gives quite a soft shot shot feel compared to 8125g, and in my opinion it's nicer to shoot. I've shot most of my personal records with fast flight plus, so it's definitely not a bad material.
Thank you so much for this very informative and well done video. I'm interested in making my own crossbow stings and cables. This was just what I needed. Do you have any other recommendations for me?
Thanks for a well done video. I have made many bow strings from braided nylon fishing line with good results. I’m guessing it is similar to Dacron. Would appreciate any thoughts in the subject.
I make ally Bow strings out of Braided fishing line and it is a sister to dyneema ... Spectra is really good to use but I really like using 100 lb test Frwanf brand because although it is braided, it's a softer braid. I also just use 4 strand braid rather than 8 or more .... I make my Bow string 12 strands for my 45lb. Bows that's 1,200 lbs of tensile strength to handle a breaking point of 180lbs ... So it's overkill, but stronger than a string I would ever buy.
So how much stretch does Dacron have? I just received some for a birthday gift. And how many strands should I use for a 70 pound bow? I usually build sinew/rawhide strings for my primitive bows so I'm not familiar with synthetic strings.
Aaron Luna I think 20 strands could work, 70 pounds is very heavy for Dacron so I think Fast Flight or the blends mentioned in the video would work better, that, or make another sinew or rawhide string :)
Very interesting and important speech, thank you for it. I have a question. I usually make to my bows from spectra (fast flight) material. This material is quite expensive. For the test, we bought ready-made strings from aliexpress described as PE1000 for a few dollars. I measured the speed of the bow using a chrono with both strings with the same arrow and the same length, the speeds were exactly the same. The preload of the bow when applying the strings was identical. So exactly the same properties. Is it the same material? polyethylene? Strings are interesting topics.
Chinese Hmpe D1200 or D1600 pre waxed dyneema, they are similar to bcy D97..low creep and low stretching material, D1200 hmpe material that junxing company and Mandarin duck use for their bows. They don't use dacron polyester.
Dear Nu, what if we use PE 4 Strands fishing line? I have tested a 0.4mm can handle more than 30Lbs, if we twist 6 of it still smaller than usual archery string but can draw a lot more than 70 Lbs?
So... Let's say I have a traditional longbow made from european pine, sitting at a draw weight of 45 lb and a draw length of 28.5" What type of string would you recommend me using?
What about BCY B55, 100% polyester of a kind similar to Dacron but less creep over time. Could you and would you recommend BCY B55 for Trad longbow which was only suited to Dacron ?????
I know this is older video, but say I get a long bow with 40 pound string, am I able to put higher poundage strings without worrying about damage to the bow?
Xpl0ration : a 40 pound Bowstring might have for example 14 strands. A 45 pound Bowstring might have for example 16 strands. A 16 strand string can handle larger loads (strain shared across more ways) than can a 14 strand string, BUT a 16 strand string will weight more (more grams / more ounces). So fitting a really heavy duty Bowstring to your longbow may slow down the arrow velocity. Just fit a Bowstring which is durable enough for the job; but not too heavy duty unnecessarily.
im wondering. what strings do you use? ive got an olympic recurve SF premium limbs and a mybo rio super cast riser 40 lbs.pretty much just like you but yea im not running win&win lol.. i got a set up from a club near me but ive no idea what they used!! im target shooting i heard of fast flight its a thing it seems.. i heard you dont want to use that as well. i just need a standard thing, top of the line lets go for it. what recommendation can you give me? imma just have them build me a string.. i could buy one but what you missed is there are also premeasured strings what would my string length be on a 70 inch bow? or does that change depending on the type of string? i figure olympics or not there is a string that just does it. im flexible if 100000 ppl use this stuff its gotta be a good thing. candycane is awesome!!
There isn't a "standard", but most modern strings (i.e. anything that isn't Dacron) will work for your bow. I personally use 8125G, but mostly because I've "tooled up" for it and have more colour selection after buying a lot of it. Most stores in my area stock 8190, so I might have been better off using 8190. Unless you're being REALLY specific about your string performance, it doesn't matter that much. Just go with what the shop uses. Strings are measured to a standard AMO length - a 70" bow uses a 70" AMO string (which is around 67" actual length).
alright thank you. but you threw a couple numbers at me whats the real difference? in strings does it really matter? i see the word dyneema or GORE thrown around alot. what i dont get is the importance of the difference of the way its made. but yea youre right ill just let the pros / coaches at my shop handle it. after reading though all the different materials and how they work 8125 dyneems /gore does seem like the way to go.8190 though is 100% dyneema.. with creep or stretch though maybe i might look into a vectron / dyneema string. its essentially just how often you have to replace a string or keep up arrow speed. better materiels = smaller spools!!! lol.. i could just buy the material and have them build me something good .. atleast im hoping lol.
All sorts, used to be mostly Nylon, newer serving materials are blended braided and monofilament Dyneema. The difference is structure, bowstring fibre is all unidirectional, serving material is twisted, woven or braided. You could probably use braided Spectra/Dyneema fishing line as a decent serving material for a fraction of the cost.
@@mrnice752 so what would you suggest for making bowstrings that'll last? Cause my dacron strings keep breaking and i can't find anything that doesn't have the serving material (which makes it harder to nock an arrow)
@@DerekBartlettBeorn I think Dacron is the best material for your bow, where are your strings breaking? You want the serving material to protect the dacron from abrasion. you can get wider nocks if they won't fit the string.
hey man this is far most the best video on bow string info....just a quick question...i was recently gifted a recurve bow from my grandfather..the bow is almost 30yrs old and in perfect condition as he used it couple of times only...i dont know which string to use...will dacron be suitable???
How do you get 10 strings out of a 1/8 pound roll and just 30 strings from a 1 pound roll? 8 times as much string only results in 3 times as many strings?
Nu Sensei, quite a few backyard pvc recurve bow makers just use a 950 kelvar line with two figure 8 loop knots at both ends for stringing.......is it safe to do so on modern take down recurve? I am a complete noob in archery...... but 950 kelvar line doesnt stretch at all, good resistance on elements....and can withstand 900+lbs of pull.…..on the paper....it seems like a perfect easy stringing option.
Kevlar actually used to be very popular in recurve strings. However, it's fallen out of favour compared newer blends of spectra fibers. While the Kevlar line might function well enough for a PVC bow, you should be using a proper string for a modern takedown recurve, especially in using serving to cover the end loops (unless you're using Flemish twist). The abrasion against the bow's surfaces when shooting will cause the threads to fray and eventually break.
In the mid 1970s and the late 1970s if you wanted performance, your only choice was Kevlar. If you wanted a string to last more than ONE SINGLE COMPETE FITA ROUND, your only choice was Dacron. I used Dacron in the 70s. My coach used Kevlar. His Saturday's brand new string would break sometime during most Sunday afternoons, WITHOUT shooting a formal full FITA round either day. OK, given that he made them with less strands than recommended, it may have been no wonder. My coach gained extra performance by going lighter and he was prepared to put up with this!! I tried a couple of [normal # of strands] Kevlar strings, and yes my bow shot faster, but within 3-months, each would ["*violently"] break. SO even making them with recommended number of strands for 40# @28" bow, string life was dissapointing, and something else needed to be found ----- in the mid 1980s, FastFlight was that chemists' thing which was found to replace Kevlar for Archery bow use.
In the mid 1970s and the late 1970s if you wanted performance, your only choice was Kevlar. If you wanted a string to last more than ONE SINGLE COMPETE FITA ROUND, your only choice was Dacron. I used Dacron in the 70s. My coach used Kevlar. His Saturday's brand new string would break sometime during most Sunday afternoons, WITHOUT shooting a formal full FITA round either day. OK, given that he made them with less strands than recommended, it may have been no wonder. My coach gained extra performance by going lighter and he was prepared to put up with this!! I tried a couple of [normal # of strands] Kevlar strings, and yes my bow shot faster, but within 3-months, each would ["*violently"] break. SO even making them with recommended number of strands for 40# @28" bow, string life was dissapointing, and something else needed to be found ----- in the mid 1980s, FastFlight was that chemists' thing which was found to replace Kevlar for Archery bow use.
Help.. I have a hoyt/easton 66inch recurve with a bow string length of 60 1/4 to 60.5 inch, but can't find any store who carries that length or a store that will custom make that size. How do I go about getting that length. Desperately seeking advice.
That's a very short string for a bow of that length. Normally you'd be looking for a 66" AMO string (or 65" actual). Are you sure you need that length?
Thank you for responding. I have measured the string using a regular tape measure. it measured between 601/4 and 60.5 . What is AMO? The AMO on this bow is either H24 or 124. The information is limited because it has been rubbed off. I had bought this bow used. Also I have enjoyed your videos. Keep up the good work. Samantha
Hey Samantha, the actual bow string length is measure under 100lbs load. And the other source of error is time, sometimes a wrong string end up on a bow, that then gets past on in that state. To check your bow's AMO lenght, take a string and measure on the unstrung bow the distance between top string groove to bottom string groove flat along the limbs. Of that AMO length subtract 3 inches and that is the ruff string length you need for bow.
+Samantha Sanford, . . . for a 66inch Recurve Bow, IF you wish to get replacement Dacron, & ONLY Dacron, then the actual bowstring length you need is 61 1/4 to 61.5 inch; once again, this ONLY applies to Dacron type. (A USA Based place) where you can get that, @ that length, is 60xCustomStrings. [Just state in order COMMENTS.] For all modern fibres/types, 62.5 to 62 3/4 inch is what you must get [as a starting point]. . . [on a 66inch Recurve Bow, that is]
Buy a 62" (4"shorter) dacron b50 flemish twist string and you'll be fine. You can add or take a way twist to the string to get the brace height you want.
I live on tae same road as asecond hand shop, so I get the cheap tennis rackets and fishing equipment as I use the strings for my bows and crossbows, I might get from 10 to 20 shots out before I replace the strings, and as the rackets and gear is cheap and I can get up to three strings a racket or 7 to 10 strings a spool of fishing line, My bows and crossbows are cheap quality so I am not taking much of a risk which is why I don't recommend my technique unless you too have a cheap crossbow of bows, then give it a whirl
Potassium Cyanide I would just get a bow string dude, theyre pretty cheap and you won't ruin your bow. It's a lot less expensive to buy a string than new limbs/bow
This is why the manufacturers are exploring diferent materials to make strings with. Steel would rip your bow apart. The string has to have a little give"forgivness"at the end of the shot so that it dosen't rip your limbs from the pockets.
Is it right that today, we cannot buy the ORIGINAL Fast Flight fibres???!!!!! Is it right that bowstrings of the FF name are actually Fast Flight PLUS or a replacement FF from that original which came along during the early 1990s? Correct me if I'm wrong p.l.e.a.s.e.
Sub Par Limbs with fiberglass laminate would be considered modern. They are made to handle faster strings, especially the target-style limbs. The age of the bow isn't really important, as fiberglass limbs and faster strings have been used for decades, and all-wood traditional bows are still made.
Okay. The only information I can give you is one limb on the outside says Heritage Series, then the lower limb on the inside says Kudu, and it's made in Italy. Wooden limbs. So does that mean I should get the stretchy kind of bow string for it?
Thank you! Ironically, I broke my last carbon arrow a few months ago. Once I get some arrows, I'll make string, then work on making wooden arrows. Target and possibly hunting are all I'm interested in. I'm not big on competition, but thanks for your quick advice. I've watched this video several times now. It's so satisfying to make my own things, so to make my own strings would be great.
* * it is ``recommended´´ to avoid bowstring material which is "blended with" Vectran, if you plan on using it for your modern Olympic style Recurve bow. Just use 100% spectra or 100% Dyneema, without any % of Vectran. Vectran [blended] should be reserved for use with the Compound bows. (Which is where it is recommended)
A bowstring blended with a small % of Vectran has virtually no creep. This feature is preferred for Compound bows. BUT a bowstring blended with a small % of Vectran has a greater amount of ``shock´´ which may hurt the less robust limbs of the more delicate Recurve bows. This is WHY it is preferred to avoid its use on Recurves.
Eduardo Alves : depending on which material use buy and use, the thickness can vary from maybe .012" per strand to as much as maybe .017" per strand. The threads are really thin.
