String building Material

[archeryelkaholic]

Used to build tons of strings for everyone before much of the high tech stuff was out.

450 premium was the last I used.

Any recommendations on string material as well as end serving?

Archer

 

[Drake]

452 is a real good string, also winners choice strings are world known to be the best.. this is what string bowtech puts on there bows stock.

 

[c3]

BCY -
452x - The most stable string material, but very stiff.
8125 - The fastest material, but will continue to creep until replaced. This is a very minute amount, but you'll have to add twists on regular intervals to keep it perfectly tuned.
02 - Some where between the two above, but very fast.

Brownell -
S4 and Ultracam - very similar to 452+ only different strand sizes
D75 and D75 thin - very similar to 8125 only different strand sizes
TS1 - very similar to 02

All these materials are made from different grades of Honeywell Spectra or DSM Dyneema as the base material (ultra high molecular weight polyethelene fiber). The tow sizes, colors and treatments (wax) are different, but the base materials are exactly the same from both companies. Both companies make the fiber from the same licence, though I can't remember who came up with it first and licenced the other

The 450 series and S4/Ultracam materials have another fiber called Vectran (liquid crystal polymer) added to stiffen them up. Vectran is the sorce of virtually all the fuzzing that occurs with these materials. It is a very stiff low stretch material and makes for super stable bow strings.

I hope that over view helps some.

Cheers,
Pete

 

[archeryelkaholic]

So, without cost as a factor and looking for no creep what would you build strings with?

What would you use as end serving?

How about middle serving?

All help appreciated.

Archer

 

[c3]

I'd use 452x for a compound and #62 braided center serving and #2S for end serving.

I'd use D75 Thin, TS1 or O2 for a recurve and #62 braided center serving and 2D end serving.

BCY has a bunch of good links to get an idea of where to go with it here:

http://www.bcyfibers.com/technical_sheets/

This is a decent sizing chart:

http://www.bcyfibers.com/technical_sheets/Bowstring%20&%20serv%20mat%204-04%20(2).PDF

Hope that helps.

Pete

 

[archeryelkaholic]

What is the best price/source you have found for the material listed?

Thanks again for the help.

Anyone want a free bowstring. I am going to make a few to brush up on my skills.

Archer

 

[c3]

I'm clueless about that sort of thing. I get all my strings from Mike Gerrard. He makes really cool bench top winders and has some incredible directions for making really good strings, but I have no idea where he sells them or where to buy materials from.

Needless to say for my few recurve strings I need lately, I've just been having him make them, LOL!

He just picked up some new stuff at Vegas for us to try, I'll post up if it turns out to be something special.

Cheers,
Pete