Hazel longbow, 100# @ 28"

[FilipT]

I have something like that at home, but how much "draw" this thing can get? I know you can use it, and I have personally use it for tying things but it never had big range of motion.

[willie]

remove the long strap, wind your parachute cord on the spool

[JNystrom]

Well that ratchet would work. Didn't even cross my mind earlier. If you make a lot of heavy longbows, you will enjoy a winch like Del's.

Also the problem with normal step on stringing is that i tend to be a bit scared of pulling the bow towards me. They haven't smacked me YET, though...

[WillS]

You really need to just get used to bracing heavy bows, if you want to make them.  Even if your bow is currently 120lb that's a very easy weight to brace with the right technique.  It's still within the limit for bracing without a stringer, as well.  Not the knee method, but the step through works well, as do a few others.

If 120lb is causing these issues, what happens if you want to make a 150lb, or 170lb bow?  Can't use winches and pulleys when you're shooting.  Also, don't worry about winches and ratchets for tillering - they tend to just make it too slow and can sometimes even get stuck.  Set up a good pulley system and tiller the bow with a strong rope.  You can feel what's happening far easier, pull as quick or slowly as you like and it's a much more organic and healthy way of drawing the bow.

[WillS]

Oh, and you don't need a second groove for the stringer.  Once you're back to brace the horn nocks should go on, and the stringer should be made with slipknots each end.  They slide over the horns, and tighten as the horn widens towards the bow tip.  They'll sit firmly and won't slip further down, so you can cut just one groove in the horn instead of two.  They never look right with two, when you're making sidenocks.

[meanewood]

For what it's worth, I have an ongoing back injury and I can sympathize with anyone struggling to brace bows no matter what technique they try!

The problem is caused by reaching out or twisting or both.

My solution is to make the stringer just long enough to fit and then use a short stick with a concave end to sit against the bow belly and a string slot to take the stringer.

The stick just needs to be long enough to get the bow to brace height.

So now you can brace by securing the bowstring while the bow is held at brace by the stick, no leaning over and no twisting!

My stick has a small piece of leather glued into the concave end to stop it slipping and prevent any scratching to the bows finish.

This small piece of kit is easy to take out into the field with you. Mine hangs off my quiver.

[WillS]

Nice

I imagine it still causes issues getting those nasty slipknots out of sidenocks though

[FilipT]

WillS, I would have to see this stringer you are talking about, mine is simply two loops string.

P.S. I don't bother myself with +120# bows and horn nocks because I didn't even finish this bow. After a few years I can start to think about this further.

[meanewood]

Hi Filip

To understand what Will is referring to, Take one end of your stringer and pass the loop through the loop on the other end and pull it all the way through. That end now has a running loop.
Now take the running loop and take it back to the other end and pass the whole running loop through the loop on that end and pull it all the way through.

Now you have running loops on both ends and they will tighten up under tension so that you don't need a second slot on your nock. Just tighten the running loop about a half inch above your upper limb nock slot. The lower limb running loop can rest right up against the bowyers knot.

Hey Will
I can't believe you haven't got the hang of it. Your not still using that F/F plastic stuff are you?

[WillS]

Nope, linen.  Simply doesn't work.  I'm not alone though, nobody I've mentioned it to can do it either with bows over 130lb.

Filip the reason I mention 120lb bows is because that's what you said this is at the moment.  You may be aiming for 90lb, but it doesn't make a difference.  If you need to winch your bow down just to put a string on, you're doing something wrong no matter what weight it is. 

[WillS]

You really should be putting horns on though, it's far safer.  You can get away with self nocks at 90lb, but they have to be absolutely perfect, and with you using modern string materials I'd imagine you will constantly find the tips splitting.  If you switch to natural fibre strings you'll be fine, but you probably don't want to do that.

[FilipT]

I don't have horns nor natural fibers nor the way to obtain them, so these self nocks will have to suffice for now. I thought of using already premade FF endless string, but I could make double loop flemish from spectra fishing braid. One day when I will have enough money I could order these things from abroad.

@meanewood
I understand what you mean now.
 
I will probably put this heavy bowyering on pause for a year until I get proper resources. Its hard to get serious when you got jack shit to work with and no easy way to obtain them. 

[WillS]

The self nocks will be fine, but you MUST pad the string loops.  The one you posted in the main bows section would cut through a self nock in minutes.  Make the loops very, very thick by laying in lots of extra short strands and you'll be ok.  Your string material is absolutely fine, as long as the string is made properly.

Remember that bow making is one of the oldest skills in the world.  You don't need winches, pulleys, ratchets etc to make a bow.  Heavy bows take a slightly different approach to lighter ones, but only in the sense that you ideally want the bow mounted on a wall instead of tillering by hand etc.

Horn tips can be bought online very easily and very cheaply, and you have everything else you need.  There's no reason to stop now, just crack on and get into it.

[FilipT]

What if I simply make more strands than needed  and thus get a thicker string? I have not measured diameter of string I posted but it is a 20 strands with each being 0,43 mm in diameter. I will put exact measurement later when I put calipers on it.

Where do you get horns? I registered myself to paypal so I could do online shopping. I looked at ebay but didn't find much. Some horns have a price of 20$ (or more) per 1 or 2 pieces which is completely ridiculous inflated price to me.

[Del the cat]

...Where do you get horns? I registered myself to paypal so I could do online shopping. I looked at ebay but didn't find much. ..

Where are you? You say "$" do we assume USA?
There are good suppliers in the UK.
Del