Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: H Rhodes on December 04, 2014, 02:05:30 am
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I have been reading old posts by some of you knowledgeable fellows about fast flight string and decided to give it a try. I made an endless loop string with D-97 , ten strands and double served. It shoots great on my 62" recurve and I have to say that I should have tried it sooner... I am hard headed and slow to change. It seemed a little faster, a little quieter, and less aggravating to break in. B-50 always has a break in period where I have to adjust brace height a few times as the string is stretched out. This string was a breeze. I set the brace height one time - done. All this is well and good, but I ran into trouble on my next ff string...
On my longbows, I have come to appreciate my flemish strings with the loop at one end and the bowyer's knot on the bottom. It doesn't fall off when the bow is unbraced and I like that. I couldn't get a bowyer's knot to work with my fast flight material. The knot kept slipping and I need some advice on how to proceed. I am sure one of you guys has figured this one out. What do I need to do?
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How many strands are you using? I normally only use 8 - 10 strands of fastflight (bows - upto 65#). So I add say 6 strands of B50 to thicken the ends out to 16 or so strands. The B50 is a lot less 'slick' which then allows me to tie a bowyers knot with just two turns around the bend with no slippage. Other than that make sure your first wrap around the bend is very tight and wrapped virtually back on itself not an open wrap. Three wraps around the bend should be enough but make sure that first wrap is tight.
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IMO Bowyers knots are only reliable with natural material. Most man made stuff is too slippery, even then I find and extra wrap through helps, and it needs to follow the twist if you know what I mean.
I only ever use a linen string and bowyers knot for show, rest of the time it's continuous loop FF.
Del
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I do at least 3 wrap through when I use ff for my tiller strings, only use 2 with B50. :)
Pappy
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Thanks for the replies. I am using 10 strands and most of my bows are in the 45 - 60lb range. I will try it with some B-50 woven in the ends. I have never had a problem with my knot with the B-50 and even with it, I usually make three wraps. Do most of you make a double loop with your fast flight strings? How many of you tie the bowyer's knot using fast flight? Just curious and thanks for the ideas.
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I always [well most of the time] use double loops except for my tiller strings. :)But I did that when I used B50 also.
Pappy
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I make the double loop for FF and D97 bow strings. I had the same problem with the bowyers knot slipping on my tillering strings. I give it an extra wrap or two.
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Trying to keep a timber hitch from slipping when using FF on a 100#+ bow is a nightmare. I just don't bother with Flemish strings anymore.
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Howard I just use a b-50 tillering string till I get to brace then I make my ff double loop string
for the bow and finish with that
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I am getting ready to order some FF or some d97 soon can't wait to see the difference.
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That's the best Idea bubby, :) I really like the low stretch in the FF for tillering string but I have found if the B50 is made right with very few twist it won't stretch that much either. :)
If you put a lot of twist in it, it's is like a coil spring and will never quite stretching /a real pain to try and tiller with, especially the first low brace. :)
Pappy
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I tried D97 this summer, and it drove me crazy until I tied a simple overhand knot just past the bowyer's knot on the loose end of the string. That works great, but is a bit of a drag if you have to adjust it later. I saw that trick on here somewhere. Using an extra wrap or two does help, but I don't completely trust it without the extra knot. I do like the way the new strings shoot though!
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I recently started using FF, and I don't see myself going back to B-50. I use 8 stands FF endless loop, padded with 4 stands of B-50 at the nocks and served with halo. I use this method for all my bows in the 45-65 # range.
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I found that the knot holds better if I twist the part involved in the knot into cord. I use three wraps and follow the lay of the cord.
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I tie a knot after the timber hitch,, so it cant pull past that :)
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Thanks for the advice fellows. This stuff I am using is D97 and I am really liking it. I added 6 strands of B-50 to the last ten inches of the string and my three wrap bowyer's knot is holding like I want it to. That said, I think I like the endless loop string better with this material. It really shoots differently. I think it is some quieter, but it is a different sound than B-50. It really benefited from my homemade yarn silencers. ;)
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I use fast flight but double the last 8 inches for the loop and the timber hitch plus tuck the timber hitch three times. I also make my strings using 16 strands so the doubled section is 32 strands. This works very well on my 80 lb hickory molly even with the tips being thinned to 1/4 inch. 1/6 strands with a serving of waxed heavy linen
sewing thread gives a thick enough dia. for my self nocks. cheers fiddler49
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I tie a knot after the timber hitch,, so it cant pull past that :)
+1
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I tie a knot after the timber hitch,, so it cant pull past that :)
+1
Doesn't that make it tough to undo when you want to adjust the length?
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Instead of putting it through the loop twice, put it through tree times. I have never had a slip that way.