Hazel longbow, 100# @ 28"

[FilipT]

I have to see that 3 ply technique. I am noob in the 2 ply one, let alone in the 3 plys haha.

Anyway, just few minutes ago I untwisted tillering string, carefully separated bundles, waxed it much more and made it again with applying what I learned yesterday. I think this now is much better made. I will brace the bow in the afternoon when I have more time to work.

Two loops


Two loops closer, no coiling this time


Stringer


Stringer strength haha

[FilipT]

Look at this, finally made a good string and already at least 3 strand broke. To start from beginning, I braced the bow about 10 times, because each time strand lengthened from full brace to be almost on belly. Each time winding around the ring to shorten it. It seems that ring created uneven tension and couple of strands broke.

I am not sure what to do. Should I do timber hitch on one end and disregard these broken 3 strands and have faith in the rest of 17 strands to hold?
Each strand has breaking strength of 80# and math supports that, but keep in mind that we have bundles of uneven number of strands.

[Badger]

  You don't wind it around the ring to shorten, you simply reverse twist. I have never had a string twist more than 1/2". I don't think you are putting enough reverse twists in to keep the string from unraveling once you have pressure on it. You should have at least a couple of reverse twists per inch. You also might be twisting the wrong way. You twist the string the same direction you twisted it when you built the string. Usually counter clockwise.

[Badger]

  After you have completed your second loop hook one of the loops over something and take the other end and start twisting, don't pull on it too hard until you have enough twists to lock in the loops.

[FilipT]

I put a lot of twists on it and string doesn't appear to rotate/unwind/whatever you want to call it (as string before did) as I brace bow.
When you look at the bow braced, you can see how brace height lowers almost 1 mm per second (!) until it lays on the belly.
Also, this string is very long and twisting it a lot would not make it suitable for bracing this bow, so I used ring.

[Badger]

 You can twist the hell out of a string and it won't hurt it. Fast flite string does not stretch. I have built hundreds and hundreds of them. You will get a little stretch on a new string until it pulls tight and that's it. We need to find out what you are doing wrong. Too low of a brace height will put extra stress on a string also. Is your stretched string at least 3" shorter than your nock to nock?

[FilipT]

It's not fast flight, but spectra fishing braid. I used the ring to adjust string to be about 3" or bit more shorter than ntn length of bow. When I put it on bow and it lengthens by these 3". These process was repeated at least five times, each time stretching.

It's not untwisting like the previous badly made string so I am really wondering where does it get that additional length.

[Badger]

   It has to be the string, I am also using some spectra 100# test at the moment because I ran out of string. I am not getting any stretch. I say get a different string.

[DC]

Are the loops getting bigger/ smaller? You say it's stretching 3". Does it recover at all? If the 3" was coming from the loops they would have pulled out by now I would think. Especially if you did it five times. That's 15" of string that had to come from somewhere. Somethings not adding up.

[DC]

I have heard stories of counterfeit Spectra out there. The word "Spectra" wasn't hand written on the label was it

[Badger]

      They sell it by the yard, I bought about 100 yards for about $20.00 jut to get my by 100#

[WillS]

Even the crap stuff wouldn't stretch an extra 15" though would it?  That's really going some.

Have we got a rough idea of the draw weight yet?  Any measured weight at any distance?

[WillS]

Just read back through the thread, and so far it looks like the bow is 70" ntn, 40mm wide and has 40mm of reflex.

That's the DNA of an absolute monster.  I'm not surprised it's causing issues.

[Strichev]

I once had a tillering string break when the ring I was using to adjust the length was a bit too sharp (flat). The string snapped at 120 pounds and I almost flew backwards over a retention wall - if it weren't for grape wines I'd end up going over. 7 feet backwards isn't that much fun.

Make sure that the stands are all equal length and make another string. I'd make a new string, hell, a bit of practice doesn't hurt. Make it thicker or something. Also, I'm sure you know this but the ring really really needs to be smooth and round.

300 pound bow might be a problem

[Badger]

   It is easy enough to check the draw weight without bracing the bow. Simply put a loose string on it and pull it down to desired draw weight. It will read the same thing if it were braced. I have been doing this for a few years now so don't tell me it won't work. If it reads 125 at 24" with a loose string it will read about 125 @ 24" if it were braced.