elastic string

[nath]

I'm getting a bit concerned about my string, it's about 6 months old and I got it custom made at Quicks in Waterloovile (2 colour red and black)

It started to stretch almost straight away then after a couple of months it seemed to stay put, the problem is that it has started to stretch again quite a lot (roughly 1/8 of an inch every time I shoot) and I need to put 3 or 4 more twists into it to get my bracing height back again

I'm thinking of getting a new string, one that doesn't stretch so any recommendations are welcome

The string I have is listed on the Quicks site as "Custom Made Twin Colour Candy Stripe Strings: XCEL MATERIAL £11.95"

[Hidden Hippo]

It may just be the way it has been made. A quality string will stretch very little if at all - SDM strings (link around on this site somewhere) or Greg Hill will make a very nice string for you.

[spavo]

As Hidden Hippo has stated a good string will stretch very little, I have shot Greg Hill's strings in the past and very good but it took nearly 2 months to come.

I have had a problem in the past that the string never stopped stretching to until it reached a bracing height of 21.5cm (68inch bow). After investigation I found out the batch of strings I had made were slightly to long even when burnishing the string it would stretch my theory was and still is unless someone can come up with a better one that the strands were not lying down correctly once burnished.

Treat yourself to a good sting made for your bow and you will have no worries, or even better ask someone in your club if they will make you one and by them a

[sambow]

I wouldn't expect a string made from Excel to stretch very much. I used it on a compound bow to good effect and considering a compound bow is permanently strung there was no stretch (my cam timing would have gone up the spout if there was).

Are you sure its stretching or are the strings slipping under the serving? How tight are the ends served?

[Rik]

Originally Posted by nath

I'm getting a bit concerned about my string, it's about 6 months old and I got it custom made at Quicks in Waterloovile (2 colour red and black)

It started to stretch almost straight away then after a couple of months it seemed to stay put, the problem is that it has started to stretch again quite a lot (roughly 1/8 of an inch every time I shoot) and I need to put 3 or 4 more twists into it to get my bracing height back again

I'm thinking of getting a new string, one that doesn't stretch so any recommendations are welcome

The string I have is listed on the Quicks site as "Custom Made Twin Colour Candy Stripe Strings: XCEL MATERIAL £11.95"

The pattern of stretching is more or less classic for a string wearing out: It stretches in, settles to a more or less stable length for a while, then starts to creep as it approaches the end of it's life.

Trouble is, it shouldn't be wearing out this quickly.
Be that as it may the best advice to give is to replace it. That pattern of behaviour usually means the string is dead. If you've some experience with string making you might be able to save it - if there aren't strands broken under the serving , but I'm assuming you haven't (given that you're buying ready made strings). So, bin it and replace it.

I don't generally trust 3rd party strings, but there are a few reputable string makers out there.

[MATTeL]

Originally Posted by Rik

Trouble is, it shouldn't be wearing out this quickly.

Surely that depends on how often the string is used.

A string that is hardly shot will wear out more slowly than a string that gets shot daily for a couple hundred of arrows.

[nath]

Update,,,,,,

My string has 16 strands and my bow is 34lb fully wound up and 29&1/2" arrows so I calculate that at about 38lb

I decided to go get another string and the guys at the shop reckon that 16 strands should be OK and maybe I just got a dodgy string.
I could go up to 18 strands but that would slow things down and drop my sight marks. At 80yds my sight is still fully extended and about 1 turn from fully down so not wanting to move my sight in to be able to get a sight mark for 80yds I went with a 16 strand string again (string flex supra 8125)

So today I shot an Albion round with my new string and it stretched to the tune of 4 twists within the first 3 dozen arrows then stayed solid till the end of the round, the best bit is I shot a personal best (702) I'm well happy!!!!

[Rik]

Originally Posted by MATTeL

Surely that depends on how often the string is used.

A string that is hardly shot will wear out more slowly than a string that gets shot daily for a couple hundred of arrows.

Well, yes, but I was kind of assuming (in the absence of any other data) that we were talking about an "average" sort of load on the string. In which case 6 months is rather a short lifespan for a modern string material.
Unless Excel is trying to be the new Kevlar...