Making a flemish twist string for a horsebow...

[jhansen]

Awhile back I posted a question asking if anyone had made a flemish twist string for a Saluki Ibex.  It seems that no one had and the best answer I got was a suggestion to make an endless loop string.  I decided it was time to waste some B-50 and figure out a formula for flemish twist on bows with siyahs.  What follows is how I made the string to fit my 58" Ibex.

The original endless loop string was 53" long and had 4" loops.  I was going to do a two-bundle flemish twist.  By trial and error I learned that I needed to allow 16" per end to form the 4" loops.  Each bundle needed to be 78" long.  

I made a new mark on my string jig at 16".  Then I created and waxed two 78" bundles of B-50.  I put one end of each bundle on the 16" mark held them with my thumb while the other hand pulled the bundles back to the end of the jig and grasped them.  Then I twisted the two bundles for 8" before bending in half and finishing out the loop.  I did the same for the loop on the opposite end of the string.  I hooked one loop over a peg, stretched the string, and gave it 15 full turns in the same direction as the rest of the twists.

The Ibex has a brace height of 6.5"-7".  When first strung the new string gave me a height of 7.25".  After sitting strung overnight the height had settled to a hair under 7".  After shooting a few dozen arrows I had to add a couple of twists to being things back up due to string stretch.  I've noticed that the bow seems quieter than it was with the endless loop string and if it lost any arrow speed I can't detect it.

I hope this is of value to someone.  If your horsebow is longer or shorter than mine you can just add or subtract accordingly.

John

[Gray Buffalo]

Thanks for the info. My brother has a horse bow and i think i will make him a string  

[Mechslasher]

i'm not a 100% sure but i don't think flemish twist strings should be used on horse bows.  this is because they will twist the syahs during the draw.

[LongStick64]

Give Frank Bullitt a member here a line, he's made strings for a Turk for me.