Christophe of Grey
Leathersmith/Archer
How To Make A Bowstring
Bow strings break. It’s a fact of archery. There are basically two types available, the endless loop and the Flemish string. Endless loop strings are the type of string most commonly found on modern traditional bows. There is a serving at the arrow nocking point as well as at each end. Typically endless loop strings are one color, black. Flemish strings are typically two or more colors and have serving only at the arrow nocking point. This article will discuss how to make the Flemish string.
You will need a Flemish string jig. You can buy them for about $20 or find plans for making one on the internet. You will also need bow string material. Dacron 50 is commonly used for Flemish strings. Fast Flight material should only be used on bows that state they are suitable for use with Fast Flight strings. The low stretch quality of this material can snap the limb tips off older bows or bows not designed for use with this material. Also, if you choose to put string silencers or metal nocking points on your strings you have basically negated the advantage of using a Fast Flight string. You will also need some nocking points and serving thread. A serving tool is extremely handy and worth the few dollar investment.
Now decide the length required for your bow. Is should be marked on the bow as the AMO length. If not, measure from string nock point to string nock point without following the curve of the unstrung bow. Set your jig for this length. I put my jig in a vise but you can also clamp it to a table or work bench to stabilize it. Now with the jig oriented such that most of the pins are on your left, attach your first color choice of string material to the pin in the upper most corner away from you. Now bring the string material over the rightmost pin to your left, down around the pin at your right closest to you, up to the movable pin (for string length) back down to the pin to your right away from you, and up to the pins on your left, looping around the next lower pin. This forms a W with very long outside arms. Keep going until you have made 7 complete turns, 7 strands in this bundle. Now using scissors, cut the string between the pins to your left and remove the bundle from the jig. Repeat these steps with your second choice color. At this point, you should have two 7 strand bundles. The ends will be staggered which is the point in wrapping around the numerous pins on the left end of the jig.
Join the two bundles and measure back 8 inches from one end. I put a cup hook on my jig that I wrap this point around, then just wrap the remaining string around the two pins to my right to hold the string bundles in place. You now have two bundles anchored to your jig. Working with the short ends, twist each bundle clockwise by rolling them between your thumb and index finger. Then cross the string in your right hand over the string in your left hand in a counter-clockwise twist. This prevents the string from becoming a twisted mass when you are finished. Keep doing this twist pattern until you have twisted about 4 – 5 inches of string. Carefully remove the string bundles from the hook and rehook the center of your twisted section and anchor the string. Now join the tow ends to the same color in the main body of the string forming a loop around the hook and twist in the same manner as before, each bundle clockwise, twisted together counter-clockwise. Twist to the end of the short pieces. Now put a clip/clothes pin on the end of this twist to hold it. Do the same measuring and twisting on the other end of the string. The trick here is to twist the second end IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE FIRST! You now have a string with a loop in each end.
Hook one of the loops over the cup hook on your jig and twist the entire string in the same direction, counter-clockwise, as you did when you joined the bundles. I twist the string tight then pull on it to help set the twist and rub the string between my index and thumb to help smooth it out. Slowly and carefully let the string untwist to its natural state, it will not completely untwist.
Now put the string on your bow and set the brace height twisting the string to increase brace height, untwisting to lower brace height. You may need to rewrap one end loop the first few times you make a string until you get the hang of setting the string length and loop sizes for your bow. After you get the brace height about right you need to serve the nocking area.
Load up your serving tool with the serving thread. Lay about one inch of thread on the bow string and start warping over this piece. The idea here is that as you wrap you are covering the thread on the bow string. Keep wrapping until you have about ½ inch left to finish. There is a nifty bowyers trick to finishing off the serving but I can never get it right! So what I do is take a six inch piece of bow string material and fold it in half. I lay it on the bow string where I’m putting the serving on with the loop end away from the serving thus far wrapped, ends of loop over part served. Then I keep serving for another ½ inch. At this point, clip the serving thread leaving about 2 inches and be sure to hold it tight against the bow string so it doesn’t come unraveled. Now feed the clipped end through the loop of the extra bow string material. Grip the ends of this material, sticking out from under the serving you just wrapped, and pull it. You may have to use pliers to do this. Pull until the end of the serving thread comes out with the extra loop material. What you are doing is burying the end of the serving thread under itself. Clip off the excess as close as you can to the serving. You can also clip off the extra strings hanging off the ends of the bow string. Some archers, me included, like to leave them on for a more period look. You now have a new Flemish bow string.
A characteristic of Flemish strings is that they stretch when first used. You can put your new string on your bow and leave it strung over night or go shoot 30 – 40 arrows with it. Either way, you will have to reset the brace height to adjust for stretch. I usually make up a few strings before I need them and “break them in” to get the stretch out. That way if I’m at a shoot and break a string, I can put a new one on without worrying about it stretching and changing my brace height – which leads to other problems.
Good luck, be creative, and go spend that $10 the string would have cost you if you had simply bought it on something more interesting………..or more refreshing!