Brace Height

[Brandi]

So on my journey to get paracord silencers to stay on my string I learned I was doing something wrong.  Martin recommends 6.75" - 7.25" brace height for my bow which I thought I had handled.  I don't know why I thought brace height was measured from string to rest but that's what I was doing.  Today I learned it's from string to deepest part of the grip.  So I was off by .50".  To get to 6.75" I had to add quite a bit of twist.   Hopefully it'll hold the silencers in without tying them because I don't have any serving string or anything similar right now.  If this doesn't hold them I'll have to buy some serving string I guess.

About to go out and see if having the correct brace height makes my shooting better or worse.  Just waiting on some pain meds to kick in because I hurt myself unstringing, twisting, stringing, measuring, unstringing, twisting, stringing...wash, rinse, repeat.  Ironically the bow stringer became impossible to use because it was so hard to pull hard enough and I had to revert to the leg through method to get it done.

I guess we'll see in about 5 minutes.  Hopefully I'm not too gimped to shoot because I'm super curious to see if the change actually changes anything or if it's unnoticeable. 

[Orion]

Raising the brace height will increase the draw weight a tad (1/2 inch probably a half pound or so increase at your draw weight), but you may not notice it.  It should also reduce hand shock at the end of the shot, but that, too, doesn't always occur.  All in all, should be pretty much the same. 

You can tie on the sileners withjust about anything.  Doesn't have to be serving material. Stout sewing thread, an internal thread from paracord, very small zip tie (cut off the excess) etc.

[Brandi]

Yup, I didn't really notice much difference other than being much quieter with the silencers installed.  They did survive, or at least most of them did.  I tried tying them in with the string from inside the paracord but they broke within a couple shots.  I'll have to look around for something stronger. 

[Noah70]

Brandi , I use SpiderWire fishing string (the braided type) to tie on silencers like Cat Whiskers or the paracord.  I think its about 40# test, so thin it’ll cut your skin if you pull too hard, and incredibly strong. Use a constrictor knot, and burn the ends to lock it.

[Brandi]

Brandi , I use SpiderWire fishing string (the braided type) to tie on silencers like Cat Whiskers or the paracord.  I think its about 40# test, so thin it’ll cut your skin if you pull too hard, and incredibly strong. Use a constrictor knot, and burn the ends to lock it.

That's exactly what I was thinking about using because I have a spool of it in my survival pack.  It's extremely hard to get a knot to hold with it. I don't remember what knot I used to use with it.  I'll look up a constrictor knot. Thanks.

[bowmaster12]

Dental floss workes great for tieing the silincers in

[The Whittler]

2nd dental floss I would think everyone has some. Raising your brace height dose not change your poundage so don't worry about that.

[Brandi]

I never even considered dental floss, thanks.  Does the minty stuff work better than the unflavored? 

[Bowguy67]

Am I missing something? No need to tie, just split string and set between. It’s all I ever do, have a Bighorn since the 80s. Never changed a thing til this year just because I wanted to make a string for it. Used the same silencers on new string. Yes they’re glued to a leather strip but the wool ones I got at ETAR this year aren’t and not much more than pinched together to be inserted in the string. I don’t think I’d even worry about it. Split the string, wax it so it’s sticky, insert your silencer and twist up. It’ll frizz after shooting and I don’t think ever come out. Be honest I’d even skip the extra wax step.

[Bowguy67]

This is kinda what I’m saying, splitting string

[Wild Bill MCP 808]

Good reviews by all thanks for posting.

[Brandi]

Am I missing something? No need to tie, just split string and set between. It’s all I ever do, have a Bighorn since the 80s. Never changed a thing til this year just because I wanted to make a string for it. Used the same silencers on new string. Yes they’re glued to a leather strip but the wool ones I got at ETAR this year aren’t and not much more than pinched together to be inserted in the string. I don’t think I’d even worry about it. Split the string, wax it so it’s sticky, insert your silencer and twist up. It’ll frizz after shooting and I don’t think ever come out. Be honest I’d even skip the extra wax step.

You're not missing anything other than it didn't work.  I watched that video you posted, along with a few more, before starting. I split the string as shown.  After 36 arrows I had one piece of paracord left on the top and two on the bottom.  One of the two on the bottom was literally hanging on by a thread.  The ones left on the top and the bottom were on their way out and had to be pulled back through to center them. 

Not sure what to tell you other than for whatever reason they just don't want to hang in there on their own.  I'll have to find my tube of Tex-tite, I seem to have misplaced it in the move, and wax the strings again.

My mom died on Christmas day so it'll probably be a little time before I update on the progress. 

[Bowguy67]

Sorry to hear bout your mom. Terrible.
Sounds you need twists. Was string untwisted?

[Brandi]

Thanks, it was about as bad a Christmas as you can imagine.  She was admitted into the hospital a couple days before Christmas, diagnosed with late stage cancer and gone on Christmas day.  We didn't have time to even process what was happening.  Still trying to come to grips with it.

The string originally was untwisted.  Even with all the twist I put into it to reach the correct brace height the paracord wouldn't stay in past 30 - 40 arrows.  Probably needs wax, the string isn't very sticky.