By Johnny Snyman
" Cheerly blow the bugle horn
In the cool green woods of morn;
Loose the hounds and let them go,
Wax the cord and bend the bow."
With these romantic lines Maurice Thompson opens another chapter in his book, "The Witchery of Archery". After the American Civil War, Maurice and his younger brother Will were prohibited from owning firearms because they were ex-Confederates.
Being independently minded they decided to pursue archery, which had its roots in their childhood years. For them archery proved not only a means of survival and a way of putting meat on the table, but also in yearning for a different kind of freedom. This they found in the unspoilt everglades of Florida. Far away from the cities they despised, and with the longbow, they found true adventure, hunting hard and feeling content with their chosen lifestyle. Their pursuit for self-efficiency inspired other great pioneers of traditional archery such as Arthur Young and Dr Saxton Pope, Howard Hill and Fred Bear.
Unbeknown to the Thompson brothers these men formed the roots of traditional archery. Today we still kindle a rich heritage of the past, offering the modern archer the choice to be independent.
My first real hunting bow was found in the classified section of a magazine. For almost half a month’s wages and with much rationalisation, justification and negotiation with the Minister of Home Affairs (my understanding dear wife) I finally purchased the old Ben Pearson Take down recurve. It came complete with bow case, arrow case and two dozen fibreglass arrows tipped with Pearson Deadheads. I was a very happy camper.
In time the 25-year-old spare bowstring was dangerously worn. Now, living in a one horse desert town on the barren West coast of South Africa, the nearest city was almost 800 kilometres away, and finding a suitable bowstring for my now "second wife" posed a problem indeed. By the way, the one horse in this town died almost 200 years ago!
I confided with my first wife to discuss the possibility of us venturing to the aforementioned far-off city, not only for a short vacation but also to find a bowstring. My request was diplomatically turned down.
Eventually, a string was found for my bow, but it was too short. A suitable one with new arrows... well, that’s another story!
As with many other enthusiasts, my interest in traditional archery grew. We find ourselves always looking for ways to better our shooting form, getting to know and sticking to our equipment until it became an extension of ourselves, and we felt confident to reach the ultimate goal - to hunt with the traditional bow.
In the hot morning sun under the Camelthorn trees, on a game farm near Hoedspruit, I sat with my teacher. I had enjoyed the privilege of sharing my first hunt with him, but for now I sat quietly and watched with intense interest as the hands of a master taught me how to make a Flemish splice bowstring.
He was wise in the ways of archery and a bowyer of note; true hunter, preferring to take his game only on foot. Unselfishly, he was sharing some of his wisdom with a novice, so with respect I absorbed his teachings.
With practised hands he twisted and reverse-twisted first the string loop, then the Flemish splice into the string. Almost like magic the attractive, rope-like plies finally began to take shape.
Having tried this technique before, with results that resembled a crow’s nest, I could only stand in awe of how simple the principle of reverse twisting really is. "If only I had known this method of making a string for that recurve back then," I thought. I could only shake my head in "dumbness covered with oak leaf clusters" as he handed me the new bowstring. The hunt with him was a memorable one.
The bowstring is truly such a simple part of a bow. When drawn, a bow’s limbs shape into a beautiful arc, pausing there for a moment before bursting into life, casting a whispering missile towards its mark.
But a beautiful bow is useless without a string, and how many of us are out there that can make our own?
"The pro-shop guy can see to that," some would say. Absolutely right, he will, but cometh the day you really have to make your own, the pro-shop guy may not be there!
Commonly nowadays, most bowstrings are the endless-style string. Nothing wrong with these at all. They are easier to make. Less skill is required and they are also faster to make if you’re in a hurry. They are no more durable than Flemish-style strings, but they lack one element - character.
Endless-style strings remind one of the glorious sport of golf — the only sport invented to ruin an outing.
So let’s get down to making a string for your bow too!
Making a Flemish splice string — jig
Materials and tools needed:
• Pine Board, 45 inches x 3 inches x 1 inch
• 34 2-inch nails
• Extra nail for use as a punch
• Hammer
• Hacksaw
• Long, slender triangular file
• Sharp pencil and tape measure
- Referring to Fig. 1 as the layout plan, begin by drawing a line down the centre of the board. We will first work on section A, or the left side of the board. Make a mark two inches from the end and draw a line across at right angles. Now mark off the designated area and spacing of the first 19 nails as follows: 18 of these nails form two rows of 9 nails. The two rows are spaced one inch apart with each nail a quarter inch apart. The offset nail is spaced one inch from and in line with nail ‘A’. You can now use the file to make the shallow cutting groove. The groove ends just past nails ‘Q’ and ‘R’.
- Use the extra nail and punch ‘pilot’ holes with the hammer into the areas marked for the nails of section A. With the hacksaw, make an angled cut of about 45 degrees between the offset nail and nail ‘A’. You can make this cut about half an inch deep.With the cut completed, carefully and as straight as possible, secure the 19 nails into the board with the hammer. The nails should protrude half an inch. Refer to Fig.1 and mark off two lines on the board, nine inches apart. All work on section A is now complete.
- Measure from the line you made across the board (which should be between nails ‘A’ and ‘B’) all the distances indicated on Section B i.e.: marks 35" to 42".
NOTE: Take care to measure these distances accurately. Do the same as with section A, prepunching and securing each nail half an inch apart as indicated on the layout. Lastly, using a permanent marker, inscribe all the markings on the board for future reference when making different string lengths.
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Understanding Cordage and Reverse Twisting
The principles and applications of cordage have been man's companion for a very long time. One wonders whether it was a calculated invention resulting from necessity and engineered to perfection over time, or was reverse-twisted cordage accidentally discovered?
Twine, cord and rope have become such an inconspicuous part of our world today, and are hardly even noticed. Imagine buying a new pair of hiking boots without shoelaces? Ever gone camping without any rope? Be it hunting, camping, fishing or hiking, many facets of outdoor life would be quite chaotic without these essentials. Would I be content without a string on my bow? I'm "afrayd not!"
How does reverse twisting work? To understand how cordage holds together without unravelling, try the following: take a bundle of fibres about 12 inches long and 1/8-inch thick. Anything will do, horse's hair, sisal, even unravelled post-office twine used for parcels.
Pinch one end and begin twisting the other until the fibres begin to shorten and almost kink. Now quickly bring the two ends together while someone else secures the mid-section of the length. Let go at the middle and observe what happens - your single-ply cord winds up against itself in a reversed twist, forming a crude two-ply rope.
Simple cordage is formed by twisting fibres into three basic shapes (illustration 2).
- Single-ply: fibres are twisted one direction, yielding a single ply of cord.
- Double-ply: two single-ply bundles reverse-twisted together.
- Three-ply: Three single-ply bundles are twisted and reverse-twisted together, yielding a slightly more complex cord.
Understanding how cordage is shaped makes it easier to understand the craft when going into your homemade bowstrings. Don't expect your first one to be a work of art, it takes a couple of strings to grow accustomed to the technique. But in any case, see it as a character builder.
Laying out the bowstring
For your first time bowstring we will look at forming the Flemish splices with two plies of string material. Using two plies still makes a very durable string, but it also helps to keep track of where you are going. As your dexterity reaches a level equal to that of an octopus making three-ply splices will be a breeze. For this purpose we will use Dacron B50 for our string. There is a limited range of colours available in Dacron, making it possible to blend contrasting colours in a string. You can purchase Dacron in spools of a quarter pound or one pound. Unless you are planning to make many bowstrings, two quarter pound spools of different colours will probably last as long as it takes to master the Flemish language!
Tools and Materials
- Your string jig
- Dacron B50
- Razor-sharp knife
- Some beeswax
Begin by laying the string jig on a table or workbench with section A to the left and section B to the right. Most bows will have the bow length inscribed somewhere on the limbs or handle. You will need to know the bow length before you can start the layout on the jig. Using this jig will enable you to make strings for bow lengths ranging from 58 inches to 72 inches. In this case we will make a string for a 60-pound bow of 64 inches long.
Tie a knot into the end of the Dacron strand and slip the strand into the slot, cut into the side of the jig. Pull gently until the knot jams in the slot (See illustration 1). By unrolling Dacron from the spool, hook the strand around the back of the offset nail, diagonally towards and around the back of nail B and down and around anchor nail, 38 inches (see illustrations 1 and 2). Come all the way back from 38 inches going over nails A and B. Continue to 38 inches coming back over nails C and D, 38 inches then nails E and F. Carry on until you're just past nails 0 and P and stop unwinding.
During the whole winding process, make sure that:
- the tension on all the strands is even,
- each passing of Dacron over nails A to B and around anchor nail 38 inches is evenly spaced with no strands crossing each other (see illustration 2).
You now have Dacron winded successively between nails A to B following in straight lines of strands down to and around anchor nail 38 inches.
After the pass over nails 0 and P, unwind another 6 inches of Dacron from the spool and, using your thumb, hold it down with the other strands. Now use the razor knife to make one even cut by running the blade down the cutting groove (illustration 3).
Carefully lift the cut strands from your jig and set aside the Dacron spool. You now have in your left hand a long length of 8 Dacron strands with both ends staggered or tapered. At this stage, make sure your workshop's floor is clean, as the strands are already pre-waxed. Any sand or dirt will cling to your Dacron strands like that "woolblanket" saying.
By studying illustration 4, roughly measure 16 inches from the tapered ends and wind the whole bundle of strands twice around the index finger of your left hand. Using the beeswax, liberally wax this 16-inch section towards the tapered ends. For now, wax only this end.
You now have two bundles of Dacron strands, each consisting of eight strands to make a 16-strand Flemish splice bowstring.
Lay both bundles side by side with their tapered ends in line with each other. Study illustration 5 and measure from the ends the 9 inches marked off on your jig. On this 9-inch marker, pinch the two plies together using your thumb and index finger.
Still maintaining the pinch, begin twisting the ply furthest from you in a clockwise direction. The twisting is done about an inch away from the pinched fingers. Twist the ply until just before the strands feel like kinking or bundling up (this twisting is done in a rolling motion between the thumb and the ends-index fingers of the right hand).
Maintain this tight twist and without letting it unwind, bring this ply over the other untwisted ply towards you. Do exactly the same with the other ply — twisting it clockwise, and then bringing it towards you (illustrations 6 and 7).
As you proceed twisting, simply advance your pinch, thus preventing the twists from coming adrift. Continue twisting and reverse twisting until you have enough 2-ply cordage to fit loosely around your bow's upper limb (illustrations 8 and 9).
Before we go on, study the rope-like structure you have just formed. Make sure there are no uneven twists, or that one ply is thicker than the other (illustrations 10 and 11).
If there are any problems, rather unravel your plies and strands now and correct it by maintaining even twisting-tension throughout.
You are now ready to form the upper limb's splice. Study illustration 12. Bring the two ends of the remaining untwisted plies over and lay them onto the string's main body to form the upper loop. The two shorter ends of remaining untwisted plies are lying parallel and aside the two plies of the untwisted main string body.
Where the 2-ply cord and string's main body intersect, pinch this area again and proceed to reverse twist. You will note that the two plies you are now shaping are somewhat thicker than the loop itself. Carry on twisting until the tapered ends of the strands you've cut on the jig blend nicely into the string's main body (illustration 13).
As you form the splice while twisting, the main body of the string will tend to follow the direction of the twists, making you wince in anticipation of the coming crow's nest. This poses no problem. With your right hand simply gently unravel or part the two plies' strands while keeping the pinch with your left hand. This is why you did not wax both ends when forming the upper loop (top) eight strands at the start.
In forming the second, smaller lower loop, it is handy to have a hook or peg of sorts secured in the wall or ceiling for attached to one of the loop ends. This gives you enough room to work and also prevents pre-waxed Dacron from getting fouled on the floor.
By looking at illustration 14, a paperclip is placed over the area where the splice ends, preventing it from unravelling as you proceed. With the upper loop suspended from the ceiling, gently unravel each ply of eight strands one at a time, right down to their unwaxed tapered ends. Once one ply's strands are unravelled, make absolutely sure all the strands are lying parallel to each other with no kinks, knots or unevenness along their entire length.
Once this is done, wax these ends the same way as in illustration 4. This process takes time, but it ensures not only a round string once it is twisted, but also guarantees an even tension workload on all 16 strands.
NOTE: Take care during this stage not to put too much strain on the upper splice hanging from the ceiling hook.
Remove the upper loop from the ceiling and place the whole wiring on your bench or table, both plies lying side by side. Again using the nine-inch mark on the jig, measure off and begin reverse twisting the smaller, lower string loop. This loop only needs to be big enough to fit snugly over your bow's lower sting loop. Again, measure as you proceed before forming the splice. With the second loop and splice completed, gently unravel the strands of the main string body. With both loops finished (illustration 15) you now have to apply the twists to the loose strands of the main body.
Place the upper loop again over the ceiling hook. Put mild tension on the string by pulling from the smaller loop. It is a good idea to place a piece of arrow shaft or a screwdriver through this loop to serve as a handle. Gently wax the string's main body.
While still maintaining mild tension, start twisting the string in the same direction of the Flemish splice, i.e. clockwise. Count 15 twists and using a piece of leather, firmly rub the string, creating friction and melting the beeswax. At this stage you may apply considerable tension to the string by pulling from the smaller loop.
Apply another 10 twists to the string, string it on the bow and measure the brace height. By twisting or untwisting the string from the smaller loop the brace height can be adjusted to your preferred height.
If a bowstring is too long, resulting in a too low brace height, it's not a good idea to excessively twist the string. This not only weakens the string, but also creates a string with stretch, as a bow's limbs travel from full draw to the point where the arrow leaves.
The string (brace height) - it is here where the string will stretch, not at a full draw, resulting in inefficient energy transfer and weaker cast. So if your string resembles a bungee rope after many twists, rather unravel the spice of one end and shorten it somewhat by forming a new splice.
NOTE:
In most cases, selfbows require a much lower brace height. Most laminated recurves have higher brace heights than laminated longbows. Using the nine-inch mark on your jig as a guideline would be best suitable for bows, favouring a higher brace height to begin with. In addition, one could make the second loop's splice eight inches long for bows favouring a lower brace height.
Serving the Bowstring (Part 4)
"Serving" is the term used for wrapping a thin thread of cotton, flax, braided nylon or monofilament around the bowstring's central part.
Its primary function is to protect the nocking area from wear. It thickens the bowstring slightly to ensure a proper fit of the arrow nock and, being slightly thicker is a bit more merciful on the fingers.
Serving material is purchased on a small spool and is applied to the bowstring either by hand or by using a bobbin-like tool in conjunction with the spool, called a serving tool.
Serving is done as follows:
Place your bow on your lap or preferably in a vice with padded leather jaws. Position the bow so that the upper tip is on your left and the lower tip on your right; in other words, position the bow so that the arrow plate and shelf face towards you.
The brace height at this stage should be roughly 10 twists less than what it usually would be.
The point where the serving is started should be two inches above the arrow rest, and is finished six inches below the rest.
Start serving by laying out about 4 inches of thread on tin-string, taking six turns back over the 4 inches of thread, towards the lower limb.
NOTE:
The direction of the turns is towards you (illustrations 16 and 17). Take up the slack on the spool until the frame of the server along with the "V'' groove fits snugly against the bowstring. As per illustration 18, pull the excess thread towards your right until it jams, then snip it off.
Proceed to serve the string as follows: by using the centrifugal force of the server, crank the bowstring in a side-to-side rhythm, causing the server to spin rapidly towards you around the string, feeding out the thread from the spool and securely wrapping it around the string.
Using this method serves a string in roughly 40 seconds, as opposed to doing it "manually" by spinning the server by hand. The trick is to get the correct tension adjustment on the spool.
To end off the serving, run about 12 inches of thread off the spool and cut, putting the server aside. Now form a large loop as in illustration 20 and wrap out 6 to 10 turns within this loop towards the upper tip, or towards your left (illustration 21).
This done, set aside the excess thread, also towards your left. Now begin winding the loop around the string until the 6-10 wraps you've made are played out, leaving only a loop and the excess thread you've set aside (illustrations 22 and 23).
Finally, pull the excess thread and the loop will disappear underneath the 6-10 wraps you have made. Snip off the extra thread. All that's left now is to add your nocking point. Before adjusting your nock point, get the string to the correct brace height by again twisting the unhooked lower loop clockwise. Getting the string only to correct brace height at this stage, after the serving is done, helps to tighten the serving even more around the bowstring. For this reason you've also spun the server towards you.
To make a nock point
Using a marker pen, make a temporary mark where your preferred nocking point will be. Take the bow outside and shoot it a couple of times. If there is any stretch in the string, this little shooting usually helps to settle in. Adjust the brace height if necessary and add a nock point using dental floss sealed in superglue. This yields a permanent non-slip nock point.
With Dacron's high breaking strength per strand, too many strands per string is more of a detriment than anything else, causing a too high string mass, thus robbing cast or energy from your bow.
In contrast, a very thin, light string may yield faster arrow speeds, but is noisier and less durable in hunting conditions, not to mention aching fingers.
Finding a good balance is more a matter of personal preference than carved-in-stone rules, but the small cost of losing a couple of so-called feet per second is not as high as compared to a broken string in mm, maybe resulting in a damaged or even broken bow.
These are some guidelines to help you choose the amount of strands per string versus draw weights:
Dacron B50 8-10 strands - 20-25 lb
8-10 strands - 25-30 lbs
12 strands - 30-40 lbs
12-14 strands - 40-50 lbs
14-16 strands - 50-60 lbs
16 strands - 60-70 lbs
16 strands - 70-80 lbs
Thinner strings may need to be thickened somewhat at the nocking point. Use a few wraps of dental floss as a remedy, or alternatively apply one more layer of serving with the serving tool.
Making string silencers
Modern string silencers really serve their purpose well. They dampen the string "twang" under hunting conditions, decreasing the chances of an animal jumping the string.
Most of the time they also come nicely wrapped made by some factory, at a price.
Modern "string silencers" are also ugly, despicable things, however. They serve no focal point of attraction on any bow, and deserve no further mention at all.
Natural string silencers serve both a practical purpose and of course, beauty. This is how you make them:
In illustrations 25-27, strips of Caracal or "Rooikat", directly translated: "Redcat" have been used. Any thin skinned, fury animal skin can serve the purpose. Cut the strips half an inch wide by five and a half inches long using a pair of sharp scissors.
Shake the excess fur off the strip, as any loose fur will stick to your newly waxed string.
At a point halfway between the string nock and serving, on both sides of the string, do the following:
Unstring your bow. At the above mentioned point part the two plies of your bowstring and insert about a quarter inch of fur, flesh side down, into the split. Close the split in the string, then wrap the fur around the string in the same direction as the string's twists until about another quarter inch is left to tuck back into another split you've made.
NOTE: If you wrap the fur strips in the wrong direction, they will tend to untwist should you at any point pull the string or adjust the brace height.
Once both silencers are on, string your bow and very gently pluck the bowstring. The fur will now "puff" outwards, creating a unique appearance to your whole bow.
In the 18th century, true men like Maurice and Will Thompson hunted with the wooden longbow because their right to own and use arms was "rightfully" denied. Their success with wooden bows, ironically nowadays called "primitive bows", can be viewed today by all those interested in true archery; reflected in Maurice's hearty poems and writings.
In the 20th century, a man with a heart as big as the wild country in which he thrived, only spoke his mind, trying to express the true sense of traditional values, self-reliance and hardiness. But seen by many as unkind, Jay Massey's name will forever follow them, as they hunt.
Now in the 21st century, it seems that bad things have more "rights" than good. At the rate of ever-increasing "animal rights", it would probably soon be "wrong" to step on the grass stalks they eat, let alone hunt in a true way with a bow and arrow. Maybe the grass stalks have feelings too, or is it that the animals have "right" of way to them? Something’s wrong here, right?
Perhaps we ought to learn some lessons from archery's past and apply them to today. Perhaps merely trying to make your own bowstring will kindle a free-spirited approach in you too.
"Things which are truly worthwhile do not usually come easily, and to strive toward them is to gain strength of character." — Jay Massey
