Longbow string slipping

sunmouse · 05-07-09, 12:26 AM

My husband shoots a custom made 55lb (I think) Bamboo and Osage (I think) longbow

and has been shooting fine with it, except after a few rounds the longbow

string seems to stretch and his fistmele or brace height goes right down, causing him to take said string off bow and re-twist it. This has been driving him potty over the last few months. I think the bowyer who made the string used dacron, although I can't be 100% on it.

Any help is appreciated, as I would like it better when he isn't tearing his hair out about another aspect of his life.

Trunkles · 05-07-09, 07:24 AM

Double or single loop ?

I had real trouble with mine at a clout last weekend - the bowyers knot was slipping. I was shown that I was tying it incorrectly so it didn't lock on itself. Really frustrating!! Oh mine is fastflight (TS-1) as that is what the bowyer supplied - dacron is fairly normal.

Dylan · 05-07-09, 08:53 AM

Is the string a single or a double loop string?
If it is a double loop one then the string is is probably made of Dacron. I would try a 'fastflight' type string which is less likely to stretch. Though it might be worth while getting in touch with your bowyer and letting him know just in case he advises against this type of string.
If it is a single looper, it could just be that the bowyer's knot is made wrong. if you Google bowyer's knot or timber hitch there are plenty of guides on the Internet showing you how to tie this knot. I seem to recall that Richard Head even has a guide on YouTube

Del the Cat · 05-07-09, 05:48 PM

Dacron isn't that stretchy.
A double loop string isn't going to shift more than about 1/4 " on the bracing height.
It's presumably just the bowyers knot slipping (or tied incorrectly...or maybe a bit of both plus too much wax!), I've had similar problems on an Asiatic recurve where the large loops were secured to the centre section of string. A double loop string solved the problem...the tricky part is making it the right length!
Del

steve58 · 05-07-09, 10:27 PM

You can order a double loop laid in string (so fastflight should be OK, but check with the bowyer) from Bickerstaffe

woodsplitter · 06-07-09, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylan

Is the string a single or a double loop string?
If it is a double loop one then the string is is probably made of Dacron.

Bickerstaffe's double loop strings are made of Fastflight. He uses it because he reckons that traditional linen strings had no give, and as Fastflight doesn't either, it's more suited to the bow

gwynn · 06-07-09, 06:04 PM

English Bowman · 06-07-09, 07:01 PM

The trick to tying the knot is to make sure that the twists of the knot lay into the twists of the string, see Gwynn's pic above.

05-07-09, 12:26 AM	#1 (permalink)
sunmouse In the Gold Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 675 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 7 Uploads: 0	Longbow string slipping My husband shoots a custom made 55lb (I think) Bamboo and Osage (I think) longbow and has been shooting fine with it, except after a few rounds the longbow string seems to stretch and his fistmele or brace height goes right down, causing him to take said string off bow and re-twist it. This has been driving him potty over the last few months. I think the bowyer who made the string used dacron, although I can't be 100% on it. Any help is appreciated, as I would like it better when he isn't tearing his hair out about another aspect of his life. Sponsored Links 20 x 60cm Economy Target Faces: £5.00 36 x Plastifletch Arrow Fletchings £3.00

05-07-09, 07:24 AM	#2 (permalink)
Trunkles It's an X Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: West Riding Posts: 2,272 Tournaments Joined: 1 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 200 Uploads: 2 Blog Entries: 15 Recurve FS Seed #42	Double or single loop ? I had real trouble with mine at a clout last weekend - the bowyers knot was slipping. I was shown that I was tying it incorrectly so it didn't lock on itself. Really frustrating!! Oh mine is fastflight (TS-1) as that is what the bowyer supplied - dacron is fairly normal. __________________ Andy -------------------------------------------------------------------- A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on. -- (Terry Pratchett, The Truth)

05-07-09, 05:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
Del the Cat In the Gold Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Harlow Essex Posts: 858 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Dacron isn't that stretchy. A double loop string isn't going to shift more than about 1/4 " on the bracing height. It's presumably just the bowyers knot slipping (or tied incorrectly...or maybe a bit of both plus too much wax!), I've had similar problems on an Asiatic recurve where the large loops were secured to the centre section of string. A double loop string solved the problem...the tricky part is making it the right length! Del __________________ Health Warning:- These posts may contain traces of nut.

05-07-09, 10:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
steve58 In the Gold Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nottingham area Posts: 995 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 1	You can order a double loop laid in string (so fastflight should be OK, but check with the bowyer) from Bickerstaffe __________________ Be the change you wish to see.

06-07-09, 06:04 PM	#7 (permalink)
gwynn In the Red Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Northumberland Posts: 507 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	__________________ On time : Working : In price. You can have any two out of the three.

05-07-09, 08:53 AM	#3 (permalink)
Dylan In the Blue Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: On the Edge Posts: 149 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 3	Is the string a single or a double loop string? If it is a double loop one then the string is is probably made of Dacron. I would try a 'fastflight' type string which is less likely to stretch. Though it might be worth while getting in touch with your bowyer and letting him know just in case he advises against this type of string. If it is a single looper, it could just be that the bowyer's knot is made wrong. if you Google bowyer's knot or timber hitch there are plenty of guides on the Internet showing you how to tie this knot. I seem to recall that Richard Head even has a guide on YouTube

06-07-09, 07:01 PM	#8 (permalink)
English Bowman In the Gold Join Date: May 2005 Location: Portsmouth Hants Posts: 953 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournaments Won: 0 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	The trick to tying the knot is to make sure that the twists of the knot lay into the twists of the string, see Gwynn's pic above.

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