String Stretch

Rob, if I understand you correctly, the Dacron will "take a set" either way?  More important ly, is the "beeswax" method mentioned above detrimental to the string?

[LBR]

Tony, I don't know what temperature is the max, but I can probably find out.  I have been told of instances where burnishing with leather has melted strands.  You can contact BCY directly about this if you prefer.  Normally I "could" be wrong, but in this instance saying Dacron can be damaged with heat is like saying gas can catch on fire.  Not much chance of screwing that one up.  

All current modern string materials are, basically, plastic fibers (some blended with LCP).  Plastic melts when you get it too hot.  The hotter it gets, the more pliable it becomes.  That's why Dacron and 100% HMPE strings tend to "creep" in hot weather.

Rob is spot-on.  String wax is a lubricant, and if anything saturating string material with wax will cause it to settle a bit more, as the excess gets squeezed out.

Bee's wax hardens when cooled.  At best, it's going to get shot out of the string in short order, and heating may remove the factory "wax" (normally silicon based, so it absorbs better).  If anything, the heating could cause the string to wear faster due to the silicon wax being melted out (much lower melting point than bee's wax).

I know the question was asked of Rob, but here's my input.  When/where Dacron will "take a set" depends on a few variables.  Under the right (wrong?) conditions, it can keep on stretching until it breaks (high temps, low strand count, heavy load).  Or, under the "right" conditions, it can settle in (enough strands, light enough load, temps not too high).

[Rob DiStefano]

a polyester bowstring will reach a limit of stretch when under tension (braced bow).  relieve that tension (unbraced bow), and its rubber band effect will shorten its loop-to-loop length.  brace the bow with it and it will come back close to its stretched out brace height, but will probably change yet again after a bit if shooting.  

this is why a search for a more non-elastic string began back in the late 60's and the "answer" was kevlar (NOT!!), which had near zero stretch and as a result it shattered risers and busted limbs big time.  the development of HMPE (polyethylene) bowstrings has been the biggest boon to trad bowhunters, where you get durability and low stretch that will, over time, take a true "set" but still offer a modicum of spring during the shot to protect the limbs.

rubbing in a bit of beeswax or paraffin wax or combination of both (i have my killer "secret sauce" string wax    ) with a piece of leather or paper is all that's needed to melt the wax into the string fibers.  don't cook yer bowstrings!

left out of all of the above is strand count.  a low strand count dacron string makes no practical bowhunting sense.  in fact, low strand count of ANY type of string for a trad hunting bow offers no advantage to the bowhunter and IMHO is a disadvantage in durability.  here we go, back to common sense traditional bowhunting.      

[scrub-buster]

I have 2 heavy duty shelf angle brackets mounted on a 2x4.  One is adjustable for different lengths.  When I make a new string I wax the strands before twisting it up.  Then I put it on my jig and stretch it tighter than it would be on a bow.  I let it set over night.  The next day the excess wax is squeezed out of the string.  It works great for me and my strings are stable when I put them on a bow.

I use D97, 452x, 8190, and FF.  I don't think I'm stretching the fibers very much at all.  I think it is tightening up all the twists and locking them in place.

[black velvet]

X2 what David Mitchell said.

[LBR]

FWIW, the melting point of B-55 polyester is 500 degrees (the point where it becomes liquid).  Not sure at what point it will start to damage the fibers, but I know it's much less than that.  B-50 probably has a similar melting point.