Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: WolfPupTee on September 12, 2011, 01:30:30 pm
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I know this is very bad using dental floss as bowstring but I just don't have anything else to use being a broke soon to be college student living in the little town of Waverly ::) . So I was just wondering is there any better alternative material that I can use?
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I am sure it will work , just wax it up goos and maybe go with more strands,but I bet the cost of dental floss can't be much more than a roll of B50. :) :) Is that Waverly,Tennessee ?
Pappy
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Waverly Viriginia Pappy :D . I wouldn't know, there are no archery stores anywhere nearby :laugh: . We do have a Cowling Brothers however!
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I used lots of strands. About twenty five strands if not more and then I waxed it with some beeswax that I found in my grandma's closet. I just wanted to make sure it was okay.
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Dental floss will break at about 2-3#'s. Multiply that by 25 strands and thats not even close to enough in my book. One strand of B50 will hold as much as your whole string. B50 is $7.00 a 1/4# spool, buy some before you get hurt or hurt a bow. Give me your address in a PM and tell me your bows actual length. I will build you a string and mail it off tomorrow.
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Look out for some hemp string or Linen thread, I'd have thought almost anything was better than dental floss.
I spool of Dacron will last you 5-10 years and save you endless pain and heartache.
Del
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The local Cowling Brothers might have hemp or linen but it certainly doesn't have dacron. Thanks again PEARL DRUMS. If I ever get a hold of something nice I'll send it to you as a thanks. In fact, I'll get right on it.
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from the bowyers bible the minimum string strength is 4 times the draw weight of the bow.
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in the crafts section in walmart they have hemp get the smallest dia they have it cost like 4 bucks if that .I used 10 strands on a 60# bow i have about 150 shots on mine still holding strong so far
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I should have noticed this! Then again walmart is 30 minutes away and we hadn't gone that way in a long time. I'll get there sometime or another I guess! Thanks for the info guys.
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I've had that hemp at Walmart break after a few shots. If you look at the thickness, it's not consistant. While you are there go to Sporting goods and pick up a spool of Spyder wire. Almost the same as Fastflight.
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Actually I've found another way to get dacron. It will just take a long while and patience.
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Dacron is just polyester. Advertised breaking strength per strand is almost 50 pounds but in reality, it is often less than half that much. Perhaps your grandmother has some thicker polyester button hole thread? One string would probably take up a couple spools.
I'd go for the hemp or linen thread if you can find it.
-Alan
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Dacron is just polyester. Advertised breaking strength per strand is almost 50 pounds but in reality, it is often less than half that much. Perhaps your grandmother has some thicker polyester button hole thread? One string would probably take up a couple spools.
I'd go for the hemp or linen thread if you can find it.
-Alan
NO NO NO NO NO...
(AFAIK)
Dacron isn't "just polyester" that's like saying a microprocessor chip is just silicon.
Please please please don't mess with polyester thread or nylon or dental floss or any such rubbish which will stretch like the length of a fishermans catch.
Hemp, Linen or a decent bow string material.
Other natuaral materials are also available.
You are in danger of wasting precious bow making time messing with inappropriate string material.
If you want to spend your life researching NATURAL string materials then that's a fine and noble thing, but please step away from the artificial fibres (unless they are 'designed for purpose stringing material)
Hemp and Linen are not poor second rate alternatives they are good materials. They were good enough to cut down the flower of French nobility at Agincourt on 150# plus draw weight longbows.
Del
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I bought some B-50 in a color I don't use. Be glad to send it to you if you will pm me your mailing address and if you can use white.
Lane
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Lane
Now thats some good advise , and the PA way
Beat me to the draw!Sorry I'm a little slow !
Guy
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Thanks Del. I agree.
Perhaps instead of calling Dacron a subset of polyester family, it may be more accurate to go with the term "recycled plastic water bottles" fiber. :)
-Alan
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:laugh: did I accidently start a little debate about string? Well I have plenty of time to test out all of these strings.
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Perhaps we were a tad bit hasty in dismissing the dental floss bowstring. At least your bow will stay minty fresh.
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MMM!,
I thought the dental floss we buy/bought is/was stronger that suggested by Pearl Drums. I was also under the impression that dental floss was in fact B50, I thought I had read it somewhere in some archery publication. Cannot test as we/my wife has taken to buying the floss on a stick things that double as toothpicks.
Craig
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MMM!,
I thought the dental floss we buy/bought is/was stronger that suggested by Pearl Drums. I was also under the impression that dental floss was in fact B50, I thought I had read it somewhere in some archery publication. Cannot test as we/my wife has taken to buying the floss on a stick things that double as toothpicks.
Craig
Maybe, but in that case it would doubtless be cheaper to buy it as B50.
Del
(Nah, I just ran some scientific tests and it can't be, 'cos B50 isn't Pepermint flavoured ;D )
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I've used B50 as dental floss in a pinch, but prefer the newer low stretch synthetics. They seem to do the job just a little faster and I prefer the higher pitch twang sound. Unfortunately, fast flight doesn't come in peppermint either. :)
-Alan
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:laugh: The dental floss I was using was like the cheapest of the cheap but I had used it before on a survival bow that I made last year and it was fine, never popped. But the draw weight on that survival bow was low (I think. I don't know how to tell draw weight and I don't have a scale or anything to measure it). It was mint flavored and waxed and it seemed strong enough to me. I probably won't use it for any future longbows I make though.
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how many strands of spyderwire for say a 60# bow, Bub
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Best string advice I ever got came from Rich. I got hand problems ( not as bad as him, mine are only terrible) and he turned me on to artificial sinew. ;)
Lane
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I've used B50 as dental floss in a pinch, but prefer the newer low stretch synthetics. They seem to do the job just a little faster and I prefer the higher pitch twang sound. Unfortunately, fast flight doesn't come in peppermint either. :)
-Alan
I have also used B-50 for dental floss. It worked, but was a little waxy.
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MMM!,
I thought the dental floss we buy/bought is/was stronger that suggested by Pearl Drums. I was also under the impression that dental floss was in fact B50, I thought I had read it somewhere in some archery publication. Cannot test as we/my wife has taken to buying the floss on a stick things that double as toothpicks.
Craig
Maybe, but in that case it would doubtless be cheaper to buy it as B50.
Del
(Nah, I just ran some scientific tests and it can't be, 'cos B50 isn't Pepermint flavoured ;D )
Touche! (sorry cannot get the accented e) ;D
Craig.
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I don't know how to tell draw weight and I don't have a scale or anything to measure it).
when you make that trip to walmart, stop in the luggage section and pick up a luggage scale. $9.00 - $12.00
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I've used B50 as dental floss in a pinch, but prefer the newer low stretch synthetics. They seem to do the job just a little faster and I prefer the higher pitch twang sound. Unfortunately, fast flight doesn't come in peppermint either. :)
-Alan
I have also used B-50 for dental floss. It worked, but was a little waxy.
;D ;D ;D ;D
Hey, I've tried the hemp string they sell around here everywhere, and it is garbage. Del, you guys must have completely different hemp over there. The stuff in stores over here is horrible, and every 10 feet it is tied in a knot. I have made ropes out of the smallest diameter hemp string and have still had them break on the bow. I believe it is because of the way the process it, as I have read that hemp fiber is just as strong as linen. I actually prefer linen over anything. And b50, god I hate b50. I love the price, but they put just enough wax on the strings to get tangled easy, but not near enough wax to make a string. It feels like I am shooting a bow with a rubberband as a string like I used to do when I was a little kid instead a actual bowstring from the stretch, at least thats how it feels after shooting linen strings for so long...
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I heard some people attach the string to weights and let the weight stretch the string overnight in order to kind of get rid of the unnecessary elasticity... in b50 I mean.
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WolfPupTee, If you are needing material I would be willing to provided you some (B50), serving string. I am located in Virginia Beach which isn't that far from you.
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I heard some people attach the string to weights and let the weight stretch the string overnight in order to kind of get rid of the unnecessary elasticity... in b50 I mean.
I always just remake the string like 3 times and pull it on the tree to stretch the string, but that sounds like a good idea.
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@toomanyknots
yeah you know seems like everyone has different methods lol. Whatever works for the person.
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Did you get your string I sent Tiara? If not, it will be there today. I stretched the daylights out of it, It will move very little for the first several hundred shots. There is a nock in the bag also, crimp it on where you see fit.
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No one has gone to the post office yet! But maybe I can convince someone to go. ::) I hope it is there because I'm about ready to string this thing and see if it works. Thanks for stretching it!