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Heavy bow strings
ChrisD:
Well, the very best of luck to you on that one! I'll be really really interested to hear how you get on.
C
duffontap:
Chris,
I believe Howard Hill used a linen string on his 170# osage flight bow. I don't know how thick it was but it set a world flight record so it seems it would have to have been reasonably light. It's ALL speculation and unscientific until you put the 1/8" linen string on a bow of 'X' weight to prove that it can be done.
Question: If I built a 150# bow and shot it a hundred times in a row with a linen string that fits into a 1/8" nock--would Pip pull his string theory out of his second edition? Would you reconsider your opinion? Would it change anything? Would anyone say, 'I was wrong, you were right'? ( :) this is a good-natured ribbing).
J. D. Duff
ChrisD:
JD
Good natured ribbing aside ;), I certainly would say 'I was wrong' and and I would consider a big proportion of what I had previously thought keel hauled and requiring reconsideration. I would have said 'I'll eat my underpants' - but this is an online post and someone one day might hold me to it.
I can't speak for Pip - but if you're right, then the replica warbow using public (and I realise they'd probably all fit in a winnebago if stacked properly) would start using them - its a population which likes tradition after all.
C
Garry:
Mark,
From what I am gathering is that there must be more than one type of FF availiable. I can only get "Fast Flight Plus" here in Canberra Australia. I measured single strands, 10 times, and every time it came out at between 50 and 55# averaging 53#. The FF+ that I used is supposed to be 50# per strand, but it is very thin!
I used 4 strands on one of my 50# and it is like using spider web for a string. Took a bit to trust the stuff.
I agree with your statements, however I am not into flight just getting a heavy arrow to go 240 yards and yes a 125# yew bow is fast! (and fun)
I tell you what I will do is make a 10 strand string and a 20 strand string and tell you the difference (on my Old Oak 110#er, not my good yew tho) but I am thinking that due to FF being so light anyway that it will make very little difference.
Cheers
sagitarius boemoru:
Sheesh, we use linen, my friend Iktomi has osage bow of 116# and uses linen...its no big deal. Anyway, I found out there are some people growing hemp and doing research on it in czech, I have contacted them, hopefully I ll be able to get some raw material or to have a hemp custom grown tended to specified requirements.
Rob, my shooting buddy (Rhunter on PP) just made himself a rather sharp Ipe/hickory bow 105#/31´´ and hes got linen string on it as well, I m having linen on that 90# yew bow now, no problems so far. He did some research on the material in lab where he is working, he found basically its about the asme in strenght as Dacron per thread, but it does not have the stretch. He did hovever tested dry fibre, not the one reinforced with hide glue as old bowstrings were made.
This is czech unbleached linnen, which is (and historically was) too often exported to britain and sold as Irish harbour.
I suspect the glue is the important additive to make the strings slightly stronger than now.
We use 18 strands for 90#, 21 strands for 105#, but again this is just a normal string without hide glue. They look rather fluffy, but they are not exceptionally thick once you string the bow. 21 strands would be probably alright even for 120# and there is no problem with a reasnoable nock size on 3/8´´ arrows.
I will try hide glue reinforced strings in close future, I expect to have at least 25 percent of gain in strenght.
When these fail, its usually when they get dry. Its basically wood and in this fibrous form it dries too quickly and too much, so its reasonable to moisterise these strings prior shooting.
Jaro
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