Padding skinny strings

[Newindian]

I'm taking an archery class at a&m for fun. They shoot those funny looking pieces of scrap metal with all sorts of funny looking mumbo jumbo sticking out every where, but alas my score counts toward my grade and I'm not going to do all that well at 50+ meters shooting instinctively on one of my own bows. One thing I can alter though is my string, they have given me a 14 strand d97 endless for a 30lb bow. Correct me if I'm wrong but i believe the breaking strength of d97 is 75lbs per strand making this a string with a 250lb working load.
I'm planing on making a 6-8 strand Flemish d97 string, with the loops padded to 12, usually when I do this I have to do at least two rounds of serving to get an okay fit. Do you think that tapering in more strands into the bundles where the serving would be to thicken up the center of the string would be a good idea?

[loon]

I think some people do pad the center by adding strands from reading in ArcheryTalk or something.. I would only do it if I couldn't get the correct diameter just by double/triple etc serving. And I figure it'd be really annoying, maybe it could be done in some sort of jig when they're all tense and then you cut the extra strands off once served
I think the advantage of such a skinny string would be marginal though. And I wouldn't make it flemish..

[Pappy]

I use to just double serve , as of late I use a thicker serving 30/1000 I think and works fine on a 10 strand string. 
 Pappy

[osage outlaw]

I double serve skinny strings. 

[BowEd]

Adjusting to your arrow nocks is all that's required I feel.My style of nocks on my self nocks require I triple serve my string for them to fit.[fast flight string].Just in a short area.That's all I do.I don't mess with extra strands of string taperd into the middle any.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I double serve for the arrow to stay put and for my fingers to feel better.

[SLIMBOB]

Yep.  Double serve mine as well.

[turtle]

I have used unwaxed dental floss to build up just the area the nock snaps onto. When I get the fit right a drop of superglue on the unwaxed floss makes it permanent.  Usually lasts as long as the rest of the string.

[Newindian]

I wen with 6 strands, in a quick comparison between my string and the old one, mine had about an 1"-1.25" more penetration in foam.
btw do yall think that you know you're truly a primitive archer when you shoot ten times better shooting instinctively than with a sight (its not really a bow if it has a red dot is it).

[bubby]

Yup double serve or get the thicker serving string which i have been pondering, and flemish twist is just fine but work some extra 8 inch strands of string into the loops to pad them two on each end of each bundle

[loon]

I would love to see someone beat Olympic or compound style shooters with just a wooden bow

..though I guess one'd need average and the best archers respectively

[mikekeswick]

I would love to see someone beat Olympic or compound style shooters with just a wooden bow

..though I guess one'd need average and the best archers respectively

Or the flipside is have you ever shot a compound and realized how easy it is?!? I shot one of my mates bow for a laugh after he was going on about how good his groups were. The bow was right handed and i'm left handed...not a great start but in 5 minutes I was breaking his nocks.....with time and practise it would be super easy to be precise with a good compound....and that suits most people new to archery just fine......all part of the 'modern condition'.

[mikekeswick]

Your original 14 strand string would have a breaking test of around 1050lbs.....maybe a tad overkill! You did right making a lighter string and as you have seen it will make quite a difference to performance. I like padding the ends with short strands of B50 and then double serve the middles.

[Selfbowman]

All my selfbows have a d97 string on them. I build 8 strand strings. I add two strands to each loop and two strand to the serving and use 030. for serving . Works fine on a 50 pound bow. Arvin

[BowEd]

Yes I took for granted or forgot to say I pad my loops too with 3 9" strands of artificial sinew on my 9 strand FF string instead of using B50 for padding.No big diff,but still use horn for overlays on tips for wear reasons from the string loops.
On these hunting programs you'll see 12 year old kids shooting deer with a compound as regular as a good heartbeat.Using pin sights of course.I see some fellas not use the pin sights but still the extra speed and flat shooting compound is way easier for accuracy for the normal person.