string length

[Beardy]

Heeellp!

I've now made two of my own strings and I'm not happy the first one was a bit 'square' rather than round, but that's the one I'm currently shooting. The second one is round, and has layed up really nicely and looks good, but it's to damn short!

What I want to know is what length should I set my jig at for a sting for a 70" bow, and how critical is it to get it right. I'm aiming to upset Mrs Beardy again this weekend by making another sting (Kitchen table workshop ) but would like to end up with a usable string for my pains.

Thanks

paul

[Meddler]

There are various ways you could do it....

1) - Depending on the material, nominal bow length less 2.5 - 3.5 inches.

2) - Measure the distance from limb tip to limb tip while the bow is unstrung and add half an inch

2) may not be as accurate with limbs which have radical recurves, but in the old days, they used to store one piece recurve bows with the string stretching from one limb tip to the other when the bow was unstrung.

This will put you in the ball park...

Then you make either longer or shorter strings dependent on the results...

Hit and miss? Yes I agree.

But then I have been told I'm a pragmatical theorist.

If I try something and it's not right, then I make a change and see what happens...

Iain.

[geoffretired]

Beardy, is the square string the right length ,or is it short too? If it is right, put it on the jig and note the length.
(The square one may be out of shape because there is a loose strand or two.)
If I was in your situation, I would make a short loop of bowstring material, just a few strands and tie the ends. Then link that in to the short string, like joining elastic bands together. Fit it to your bow and see what brace height you get. If it is too long, twist to get it where you want it. Then take out about twenty twists,put it on the jig and note the setting for the next one. By taking out twenty twists, you make the string a little too long so you can have twists in the new one to reach the right Brace height. You don't want the string to give the right BH with no twists as that can make a flat shaped string.

[phillc]

With the square string have you tried looping any type of string around it (while strung ) and slide it up and down each side of the centre serving quite fast this will heat up the wax and (hopefully) make the strands bind in together also it will remove excess wax which can make the string look square its worth a try