Making A Bow Stringer

[Longcruise]

There's probably more ways to make a bow stringer than we know, but this is my method.  It was requested yesterday on another thread that I show how this is done.  I didn't conceive of this method.  It was taught to me by another archer.  Just about everything I know was taught to me by someone else!   

I'm going to start this with some pictures of the patterns used.  The dimensions are marked on them so you can easily scale these out for your own use.

Notice that these are almost identical.  The smaller one is for the top end of the bow and the larger for the bottom end.

Here's the rest of what you need:
1.  A piece of leather about 3 to 4 oz.  Picture below translates oz to Bowyer speak.
2.  A punch at least a 1/4" but if bigger, not by much
3.  A hammer for the punch
4.  A work surface such as an old plastic cutting board or a piece of hardwood.
5.  A razor knife (box cutter)
6.  A Pencil (I used a pen for better visibility in the pictures)

If you don't have leather laying around, get a piece of oil tanned leather from any supplier.  Hobby Lobby, Tandy, etc.  I'm using veg tanned leather here and will oil it but it's just that much simpler to get oil tanned right off.  Leather doesn't have to be as heavy as 3 to 4 oz either.  Leather garments and purses at the thrift store will be economical and will work.

So, lay out the pattern on the leather.  Punch the holes through the pattern to make it easy to mark the punch points to the leather.

Cut it out with the razor knife.  Looks like the picture below.  Note the two pen lines on the leather.  Those need to be carefully cut along with the razor knife.  Dimensions are on the patterns.

Next I oiled the leather.  Here's an economy measure for you if you are using un oiled leather.  Oil it with kitchen vegetable oil.  You don't need neatsfoot oil.  If you are a culinary snob, use olive oil! 

Here are the oiled pieces along with a hank of paracord.  You don't need this heavy duty cord though the smaller diameter will work fine.

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Ok, that's makes six pics so I'll add another post to this.

[Longcruise]

This next series of pictures shows how to join the cord to the leather fitting.  It's a little complicated (at least for me  )  .

More pics next post.

[Longcruise]

So, that's the big end or the one for the bottom limb tip.  The other end is made the same way.  It's just smaller to allow working the string loop in and out of the nocks.

[Longcruise]

So that's it.  Hope it's clear enough.  It's easy once you get the hang of it.  It took about ten minutes to make the stringer from start to finish.  Not near as long as it took to post it.   

[Pine]

Very nice and that is my favorite style of stringer.
Thanks for sharing.   

[Mad Max]

Nice

[kennym]

Great job !! This should be moved into the tips thread ..

[Roy from Pa]

Thanks Mike, very well done.

I made one today also, after much thought, I figured it would be wise to have the stringer rope run across the top of the limb tip instead of all the weight being applied to the leather only.

Got me as sweet piece of 12" x 24" x 5/32nd thick leather and some 3/16th" nylon rope and tried it.

This is the first one I made, needs the corners cut at an angle or rounded to shape it up a tad but works great.

This one is for the bottom limb, I made the top limb a tad different and smaller, forgot pichers..

The limb tips ride inside the rope on the sides too.

[Roy from Pa]

Kennedy, I put a link to this thread in the tips thread sticked at the top..

[EvilDogBeast]

This one is for the bottom limb, I made the top limb a tad different and smaller, forgot pichers..

Guess you never made it then    

[Roy from Pa]

Sure make an old man walk 100 hundred yards to take a picture:)

[kennym]

He prob sent Chris anyway , she has to string his bow fer him...

Good thinkin on pasting that up there...

[Roy from Pa]

Wuz yer idear dude..

[kennym]

 

[onetone]

Nice work and the stringer looks really durable. I am wondering if the stringer will work on a RC bow that has small tips above the string notches?

[Roy from Pa]

No it wouldn't.

You would need to make a very small end for the top and that could be dangerous..

But you could make the top end so it slides down the bow limb a few inches like the ones they sell that have that rubber piece that slides down the limb.

[Flem]

Nice stringers guy's!  I've never seen one like that, might have to make one to check it out.

[Roy from Pa]

They are easy to make.

The one pictured above is the first time I've made one like that.

It needs narrowed a bit and the corners trimmed off to make it look sleeker:)

What I like about this style is the stringer rope completely encapsulates the tip.

[Longcruise]

Nice work and the stringer looks really durable. I am wondering if the stringer will work on a RC bow that has small tips above the string notches?

The one I illustrated will work for those.

[Mark R]

Thanks Longcruise I think, just made 3 and I already have a couple. I use a piece of rubber with a loop in the string for the top, a cheap flip flop will work for that.