yucca plant fibers

[luke the drifter]

i am wanting to build a 40lbs. bow.  would it be feasible to build a string using yucca plant fibers to match this weight.  just curious?

[Justin Snyder]

Yes, but I haven't figured out the secret to working with yucca fiber yet. It is tricky to make strings with.

[El Destructo]

It also works for Bow Backing too....ask Jackcrafty...I believe He has used it

[luke the drifter]

justin,

there is a secret with yucca plant fibers?  i got some from around home just to fart around with.  i did the reverse twist method.  i did alright with it.  for some weird reason, it was amazing to make something from this stuff and it actually hold up.  would the string end up being too thick to accomodate a 40 weight bow? 

w.h.d.

[Justin Snyder]

Luke, I did the reverse twist also. I would like to figure out an easier way to handle it while wrapping. Sinew kind of sticks together while working, yucca fiber doesn't.

[Parnell]

Haven't tried but as far as thickness - I saw a bow with a deer rawhide string that was incredibly thick at the arrow nock.  Probably more than a quarter of an inch.  The were thicker cane with wider grooves.  Worked great though.  Got to shoot it - it was a completely primitive locust bow even made with stone tools! 

[JackCrafty]

I've tried yucca and yucca fibers will work fine for a 40# bow.  The string doesn't need to be thick: just over 1/8" should be fine.  Just remember that the string is only as strong as its weakest spot...so consistency is critical.

If you wind the fibers tightly while twisting, you don't need any "natural glue" to hold it together.  It will fail sooner, though, than a sinew bowstring.

Yucca fibers that are harvested green and then dried are stronger than fibers harvested from a dead plant.

[El Destructo]

I knew that Patrick would chime in with some good information....