How to Make a Bowstring

By trial and error, which process extended over a long period of time, we evolved a process of making double looped strings that seems simple enough to him. It may be, however, that the tyro will think otherwise before he"gets his hand in." There are two materials that make good strings; these are linen and Florissant. Linen needs no definition as it has been staple fibre for centuries. Florissant is a rather recent creation,being a product of rayon. There are differences of opinions,among experts, as to which makes the better string; the verdict seems to be that a linen string is easier to make while Florissant string may last longer. The writer advises the be-g inner to work with linen first. The details of making are the same with either product.

A double looped string is, more or less, tailor made to fit given bow. Since the length of a string cannot be changeover 1/2 inch or so after it is made, it follows that measurements must be pre-determined and accurate. It is, therefore,necessary to have some kind of a device that will assure a con-st ant measure of accuracy; the string board meets these requirements. See Fig. 42. A string board is very simple to make; all that is required is a board 5 inches wide and 29 inches long, one small cotter pin and a few headless nails. The board should be of a close grain wood such as poplar, birch or mahogany. It should be dressed and sanded smooth; the corners and edges should be rounded.

Draw a center line down the board. Set dividers at 1/4inches; place one point on the center line, at one end of the board, mark positions on both sides of the center lines landmark them A and B. Do the same at the other end of the board and mark them C and D. Place a square 21/2 inches from the end of the board and draw a line across it; do the sam eat the other end of the board. You now have laid out rectangle 2 1/2 inches wide and 24 inches long on the board.

Figure 49. The String Board

Set the dividers at .4 inches. Begin at point A and mark positions down the left line until 13 have been so marked;do the same, beginning at point B, with the other side. Select drill a little smaller that the headless nails and drill holes1/2 inch deep down each line at the marked positions—26holes in all. Drive cotter pin at point A, cut off the head, and see that the slot points across the board. The reason for the cotter pin is that it makes a tension clamp to hold the thread;the thread may be pushed into the slot, an operation that does away with tying the thread at that point. Drive headless nail sin the drilled holes. See that the nails stand up straight and that they are of a uniform height—5/8 to 3/4 of an inch. Drive headless nails at point C and D. From where center line crosses line D-C, measure up the board 133/4 inches and mark this position. Make a notation on the board with a pencil,5 feet 8 inches point E. Set the dividers at 1/2 inch. Begin at point E (the 5 feet 8 inches position) and mark points up and down the board and drill at these positions—along the centerline. Lay out and mark the lines and numerals with ink as appears at the top of the sketch. Do the same at the lowe rend of the board. Make a cut out on left side of board as shown in sketch. The cut out is for the purpose of making it more convenient to get the finger under the threads at this point. Clean off board and varnish. When the varnish is dry, the board is ready to use.

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