Carman Stables Archery

Target Archery The most common questions answered.

Contents

1. Target Archery Equipment
2. Competition Forms
3. Tuning
4. Bowstrings
5. Arrows

Equipment:

In this section I will deal mainly with the type of equipment one would use for a FITA tournament.

Bow:

Unlike the "classical" english longbow which is D shaped when strung, the ends of the limbs of a recurve bend forward again. The reason for this shape is mainly increased efficiency of the bow. Basically there are still three different kinds of recurve bows on the market:

• the one-piece wood fibreglass laminated bows
• take downs (i.e. when unstrung one can disassemble the limbs from the riser section) with wooden risers
• take downs with metal risers (either cast or machined), the material used is for example a magnesium alloy for the cast ones and an aluminum alloy for the machined ones

... there have been rumors about experimental risers made out of carbon or a carbon composite, but there is already at least one on the market which is a wood/carbon fibre laminated riser with a carbon fibre wrapping called "Paragon" by KG Archery

The limbs are usually:

• laminated wood and fibreglass (all manufacturers)
• laminated wood and fibreglass and some carbon fibre layers (many manufacturers)
• carbon fibres and a core made out of some hard foam (e.g. "Syntactic Foam" in the "Carbon Plus" limbs from Hoyt) or ceramics (e.g. in the "Ceramics Carbon" limbs by Yamaha)

For competitions a metal riser with either of the three types of limbs is the most common setup. For women the average draw weight at full draw ranges from about 28 lbs to about 36 lbs, for men from about 35 to 45 lbs. The draw weight printed on the limbs is the draw weight at a drawlenght of 26.25" to the pivot point (i.e. the deepest point in the grip) or the draw weight at a length of 28" to the back of the riser. These two ways of measuring the draw weight of the bow give approximately the same numbers. To determine ones actual draw weight add or subtract 2 lbs for each inch more or less respectively (for more than 40 lbs add or subtract 3 lbs).

Compound bows:

For FITA tournaments there are only three restrictions:

• peak weight should not exceed 60 lbs (BTW. at the indoor W.C. the usual weight was in the 40 - 45 lbs range)
• the distance between arrow rest and pivot point should not exceed 6 cm (approx. 2.36 "), so there are no huge overdraws...
• electric or electronic equipment is not allowed...

Arrows:

Until the mid eighties the most commonly used arrows were made out of aluminum tubes (mainly "XX75" and "X7" by Easton). In order to get flatter trajectories (i.e. to speed up the arrows) there have been two new types of shaft material: either a full carbon arrow (e.g. "Diva" by Beman or "Exacta" by AFC) or an aluminum carbon compound (e.g. "ACE" and "ACC/ACH" by Easton), with a very thin Al-tube inside and some layers of carbon fibres on the outside. These carbon arrows and especially the aluminum carbon arrows are extremely light so that shooting these arrows is almost like dry-firing the bow. There are also some aluminum ultralights, which are large diameter Al arrows with very thin walls (in the bicycle speak this would be called on oversized tube ;-), nice for indoors as they get more linecutters... Still these ultralights are a bit heavier than the carbons.

Since the stress on the bow will be so high it is not recommended shooting (aluminum-)carbons with bows where the riser section is made out of wood. Even older recurves with metal risers could develop cracks in the riser section, therefore some manufacturers reinforced their risers or changed their production line by introducing new models. However the main reason for breaking are the new string materials (see also below).

Still all these types of arrows (Al, C, Al-C) are widely in use. The advantage of Al arrows is that even if one misses and hits something else (e.g. a stone) they just bend, it is relatively easy to straighten them again. Ultralight Al arrows can also be straightend, but unfortunately they are very prone to denting due to their very thin wall (in comparison to their diameter). For (Al-)C arrows however only two states are known: perfect or broken (Ok, for some carbon arrows there is a state inbetween, where one can twist the arrow along the main axis, but will have difficulties hitting the target with this arrow, which will last only for a few shots more until it breaks anyway).

Nowadays the (Al-)C arrows are the most common used for outdoor shooting. Indoors it's rather a matter of taste: large diameter Al arrows give more linecutters, small diameter (Al-)C arrows don't fill up the ten ;-).

(BTW. at the 1993 FITA indoor world championships one of the contestants in the compound class shot Al-C arrows for the qualification (three arrows on the same target face at a time) and Al arrows for the finals (one arrow per target face centre (they shot on the so called Vegas face) at a time)).

Fletching and nocks For fletching there are two options: either plastic vanes or real feathers. I would not recommend using real feathers outside, since they suffer very much from moisture. For lightweight arrows ((Al-)C) it is generally recommended to use very light and small vanes. Their angle of attack should be very small (0.5 to 2 degrees) just to ensure that the air flow comes to the same side on each vane.

There are two different ways of attaching nocks to the arrow: either one puts the nock onto the cone at the end of the arrow (most Al and with a special adaptor also for the "Divas") or one uses insert type nocks ("ACE", "ACC/ACH", Al with either "Uni-Bushing" or the cone cut off, for the "Exacta" and the "Divas" the shaft is inserted into the nock...).

NEVER TRY TO SHOOT AN ARROW WITH A DAMAGED NOCK

Now to the controversial subject of glueing nocks: insert type nocks (like the Easton ACE nocks or the Beiter nocks) could be shot without glueing them to the arrow, one might like to use a little glue to prevent them from rotating within the arrow tube. The other type of nocks (like the "Bjorn nocks" for example) are usually glued to the arrow. Some people only push them very hard onto the cone and twist them - if one has glued a nock onto the cone before this method will not work since the rough structure of the cone is now filled with the remains of the glue.

Personally I feel a little uneasy (to say at least) about this technique and recommend that (at least the not so experienced) archers should glue the nocks. But glueing should also be done very carefully: one should only use glue with non-aggressive solvent. The solvent of many glues causes structural damage to the nocks (for non opaque nocks one can see this with a magnifying glass, if the structure is damaged one will see many tiny little lines (fractures!)).

Strings:

There are three different string materials available:

• Dacron: has more stretch than the other two materials, is recommended for bows with wooden risers and older bows, since the other materials might put too much stress on the bow (see also below). The disadvantage of Dacron strings is that the fibres don't like too much rubbing on each other, so that one should not drill the string too much (around 10 turns). These strings last very long and are still in common use on compound bows (with (steel-)cables).
• Aramid fibres (Kevlar): this has been the top choice for archers until the early eighties. It has very little stretch thus giving the arrow a flatter trajectory. Their disadvantage is that these fibres cannot take much shear so that these strings could break after a few arrows (usually they break just below the nocking point, where one nocks the arrow), some peolpe claim that this might be an advantage since then you are forced to replace an old string... ;-) Also aramid fibres are very suceptible to moisture, so these strings have to waxed carefully.
• Polyethylene fibres (Fastflight, Dyneema): this has been the latest addition to the selection of materials. Strings last at least as long as the ones made out of Dacron, moisture isn't a problem and one can drill the string as much as one likes. Also this material is very light and has even less stretch than Kevlar. Fastflight and Dyneema have slightly different characteristics, thus giving the archer a broader choice for tuning. There is at least one cable/string system for compounds which is made out of Fastflight.

One note about string materials:

Due to the low stretch of Fastflight, Dyneema and Kevlar most manufacturers do not recommend shooting these strings with bows with wooden risers, they could just break. If the bow is not tuned properly, shot with carbons and these string materials even new (high quality) limbs can be damaged after a short time - so if one wants to use these new string materials, check whether the bow is up to this stuff or stay with Dacron. As a rule of thumb: any bow currently in production, which does not have a wooden riser could be shot with these materials, bows from the pre-carbon and Fastflight era should be shot with dacron (or maybe Kevlar, if they are up to it).

Stabilizers:

Stabilizers should steady the bow when shooting. They are made out of the same materials as arrows. A popular setup would be: long rod, v-bar, two short rods and a v-bar extender, sometimes there will be an additional short rod on the upper part of the riser section. View from above:

/short rod

/

long rod | ###

===============|==### riser and between v-bar and riser the

| ### v-bar extender

v-bar \

\

Some newer stabilizing systems do not require the use of Torque Flight Compensators (TFCs) for the short rods. And it is questionable whether one needs TFCs at all, except for adding weight...

Miscellanous:

There are sights (but no peep sights), cushion plungers (to fine tune the proper arrow to ones personal setup), clickers (or mirrors) to control ones draw length, arrow rests (flipper type most common), tabs (to protect your fingers), arm guards (to protect you bow arm).

>>>>> Maybe I'll elaborate on this stuff in the next version <<<<<<

Beginners equipment: From time to time someone asks about the equipment one should buy as a beginner. There is a very short answer: NOTHING If one really wants to start with archery the most sensible thing is to join a local archery club. If they are any good then they should have some beginners equipment for the first few lessons. Then they will assist you in either lending a beginners bow or buying an used one. Since you won't be able to handle the drawing weights an experienced archer will use. A beginner should start with about 20 to 25 lbs (mileage may vary).

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Competitions:

Target:

The target face consists of ten rings made out of five different colours The scoring is 10,9 (gold), 8,7 (red), 6,5 (blue), 4,3 (black), 2,1 (white) from inner to outer. The rings all have the same thickness (except for the compound competitions where the ten is made smaller). Some rounds also use the so called 5 zone scoring which counts all of the gold as 9, the red as 7, the blue as 5, the black as 3 and the white as 1. The FITA awards so called stars if an archer reaches or exceeds a certain score at an official FITA tournament for the first time; they are:

• 1000 (only a star - should be possible if one is really serious about archery)
• 1100 (star on black badge - also possible with lots of practise...)
• 1200 (star on blue badge - that's what most FITA archers (including me) are dreaming about ;-)
• 1300 (star on red badge - worldclass)
• 1400 (Congratulations! Either you have made some mistake in your score, or you have set a new world record! Maybe the ladies might be able to shoot more than 1400 by the end of the millenium...)

Rounds

Tables give number of arrows on each distance

Outdoor - metric rounds (10 zone scoring)

Indoor (10 zone scoring)

Outdoor - GNAS rounds (5 zone scoring)

Shot on a 122 cm face.

Indoor rounds - specials

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Tuning

1. 1. walk back tuning (should be valid for all types of bows and shooting styles)
2. 1. cushion plunger tuning (only for bows with a cushion plunger)
3. 1. paper tuning

Walk back tuning

Most of the stuff should be valid for all types of bows (longbow, target recurve, compound), all types of arrows with target or field points or broadheads and for finger as well as for mechanical release shooters. It is assumed that one starts with an arrow which is not totally wrong for the bow (look into the arrow selection charts of the manufacturers!) Everthing else like the string length for example should be set to a reasonable value (maybe you use the recommended values from the manufacturer...). If you don't have a cushion plunger just ignore the remarks about the plunger. If you have an adjustable rest you can apply the remarks for the plunger.

While the paper tuning test might help you to tune your compound shot with a mechnical release it might be somewhat misleading when used only for a single distance as all other single distance "tuning" methods. All those methods have a major drawback: they will help you to setup your bow that it is tuned for this distance, but for any other distance it might be completely detuned. The method described here overcomes this drawback by shooting at different distances and works for all types of bows and shooting styles.

Preparation:

Get a ruler, a pen, a fletched arrow and an unfletched arrow (same spine, point, length, etc.) which are _PERFECTLY STRAIGHT_ (read: new arrows).

Make a target face which looks like this (take the back of the biggest target face available and make this drawing as big as possible):

|

|

|

|

|

|

------------#-----------

|

|

|

|

|

|

You should always aim at the # in the middle of this cross.

Now make several blank diagrams like this:

30m -------+----+----+------

| | |

27m -------+----+----+------

| | |

24m -------+----+----+------

| | |

21m -------+----+----+------

| | |

18m -------+----+----+------

| | |

15m -------+----+----+------

| | |

12m -------+----+----+------

| | |

9m -------+----+----+------

| | |

6m -------+----+----+------

| | |

3m -------+----+----+------

-7 0 7

The x axis gives the distance in cm of the arrow from the horizontal or vertical (this depends from what you are tuning) centerline.

Set the sight to approximately 30m (if you are a barebow archer, just remember to aim always in the same way as if the target were 30m away - regardless how far it is away).

Everything which I describe is valid for a right hand archer (the arrow is on the left side of the bow if one looks from behind) - for a left handarcher it is the opposite...

Step 1 (coarse adjustment):

Set your cushion plunger (or Berger button) head so that the arrow is exactly in the centre, the pressure of the spring should also be set to an intermediate value. Set the aim so that it is also at the centre (horizontal). Set the aim vertically to 30m.

Shoot a few fletched arrows at the target and look where the group goes. If it is left from the centre increase the spring tension, if right decrease the tension. Repeat this procedure until the group is at the centre.

The spring tension should be in the intermediate region. If it is much too weak the arrow is way to stiff, if it is much too strong the arrow might be not stiff enough, in this case you could try moving the position of the cushion plunger head a little bit left and decrease the tension, then repeat step 1 until the group is in the centre.

Step 2 (arrow selection):

Shoot a fletched and an unfletched arrow at all the distances marked on the chart. You should always aim at the same point. Measure the HORIZONTAL distance from the VERTICAL centre line and mark these values in your chart. Now connect the points for the fletched arrow and connect the points for the unfletched arrow.

The line for the fletched arrow should always be near the 0 line (if not, look at step 4). Now look at the line for the unfletched arrow. If the arrow is ok, it should be more or less parallel to the line for the fletched arrow and you are done with the tuning.

Here are a few deviation patterns:

O denotes the unfletched arrow

X denotes the fletched arrow

* denotes both on the same spot

30m -------+----X----+------

| | |

27m -------+---X+----+------

| | |

24m -------+---X+----+------

| | |

21m -------+----+-X--+------

| | |

18m -------+----+X---+------O

| | |

15m -------+----+-X-O+------

| | |

12m -------+---XO----+------

| | |

9m -------+--OX+----+------

| | |

6m -------+-OX-+----+------

| | |

3m -------+--*-+----+------

-7 0 7

It starts to deviate at distances less than 15m:

This means the arrow is not stiff enough - get the next stiffer one.If it deviates to the left, it is too stiff - get the next less stiff one.

30m -------+----X----+------

| | |

27m -------+---X+----+-----O

| | |

24m -------+--X-+---O+------

| | |

21m -------+----*----+------

| | |

18m -------+-O--+-X--+------

| | |

15m -------O----X----+------

| | |

12m ------O+-X--+----+------

| | |

9m -------O--X-+----+------

| | |

6m -------+-OX-+----+------

| | |

3m -------+--OX+----+------

-7 0 7

It starts to deviate at distances greater than 15m:

The arrow is not stiff enough - cut it a little and/or get a lighter point. If it deviates to the left, it is too stiff - get a heavier point and/or choose a longer one.

If both lines intersect: your setup of the cushion plunger is wrong...

30m -------+---X+O---+------

| | |

27m -------+----*----+------

| | |

24m -------+---OX----+-----

| | |

21m -------+--OX+----+------

| | |

18m -------+---XO----+------

| | |

15m -------+----XO---+------

| | |

12m -------+----OX---+------

| | |

9m -------+---X+O---+------

| | |

6m -------+----XO---+------

| | |

3m -------+----+*---+------

-7 0 7

The setup is OK.

30m -------+----+X--O+------

| | |

27m -------+--X-+--O-+------

| | |

24m -------+OX--+----+------

| | |

21m -------+----+-X-O+------

| | |

18m -------+--X-+O---+------

| | |

15m -------+--O-X----+------

| | |

12m -------+----+-XO-+------

| | |

9m -------+--OX+----+------

| | |

6m -------+---O+X---+------

| | |

3m -------+---X+O---+------

-7 0 7

Although within the tolerances, you might want to change something in your setup: use a heavier arrow, adjust the cushion plunger, change the string length, change the stabilization...

Step 3 (nocking point):

Shoot a fletched and an unfletched arrow at all the distances marked on the chart - just like in step 2. But now measure the vertical distance from the HORIZONTAL centre line and mark these values in your chart.

How to interpret the curves:

30m -------+----+X--O+------

| | |

27m -------+--X-+--O-+------

| | |

24m -------+OX--+----+------

| | |

21m -------+----+-X-O+------

| | |

18m -------+--X-+O---+------

| | |

15m -------+--O-X----+------

| | |

12m -------+----+-XO-+------

| | |

9m -------+--OX+----+------

| | |

6m -------+---O+X---+------

| | |

3m -------+---X+O---+------

-7 0 7

Both curves are parallel - the nocking point is OK.

30m -------+----+--X-+------

| | |

27m -------+----X----+------

| | |

24m -------+-X--+----+------

| | |

21m ------X+----+----+--O---

| | |

18m -----X-+----+--O-+------

| | |

15m ------X+----+O---+------

| | |

12m -------X----O----+------

| | |

9m -------+-X--+O---+------

| | |

6m -------+---X+-O--+------

| | |

3m -------+----+X-O-+------

-7 0 7

The nocking point is too high.

30m -------+----+---X+------

| | |

27m -------+----X----+------

| | |

24m -------+-X--+----+------

| | |

21m -------X----+----+------

| | |

18m O ------X+----+----+------

| | |

15m --O---X+----+----+------

| | |

12m -----O-X----+----+------

| | |

9m -------+OX--+----+------

| | |

6m -------+--OX+----+------

| | |

3m -------+----OX---+------

-7 0 7

Cushion plunger tuning

This step can be skipped if you everything went fine with the method of section A. It also can be used for a quick retuning of the bow.

Here you only need to use fletched arrows. Shoot the arrows at the different distances and measure the HORIZONTAL deviation from the VERTICAL line. Fill these points into your chart.

Everything is for a right handed archer, left handed archers should invert all advice.

1. Setting the position of the head (I hope that this is the right term!!!):

If it looks like this:

30m X

X

X

X

X

X

X

3m X

move the head of the plunger a little in the right direction until it becomes a straight line. If the curve is oriented in the other direction move the head of the plunger a little to the left. Repeat this procedure until you get a straight line.

1. Setting the spring tension:

If the line looks like this:

30m X

X

X

X

X

X

X

3m X

decrease the spring tension until the line is perfectly vertical. If the line is oriented in the other direction increase the spring tension...

Paper tuning

Preparation:

Put a sheet of paper into frame and fix this frame in front of sufficient back stop - but far enough away so that the arrow can pass through completly.

Now start at about 1m (0.9m = 1 yard) distance from the paper and shoot your arrow at the paper.

Inspect the hole it made, the advice given is for a right handed archer, the left handed ones should invert the advice where appropiate:

1. #

*

*

*

*

*

#

/ \ <- these are the vanes

/ \

/ \

your nocking point is too low

1. \ /

\ /

\ /

#

*

*

*

*

*

#

your nocking point is too high

1. \

\

#******#

/

/

either the arrow is too soft, or the spring tension of the cushion-plunger should be increased (left handed archers)

1. /

/

#******#

\

\

either the arrow is too stiff, or the spring tension of the cushion-plunger should be decreased

Of course any combination of 1 and 2 can occur.

Repeat until the hole looks like this:

\ /

\ /

\ /

#

|

|

|

Now the arrow is perfect for this distance.

This test should be repeated in about 1m steps until 5m distance from the paper. If everything is ok, repeat these tests on a larger distance - until you find the best compromise.

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Traditional Bowstring making

The majority of the following is intended for the fabrication of an 'endless string' style of bowstring, however a 'flemish' type bowstring is more appropriate and authentic for traditional bows (longbow and flatbows) and details for this have been appended at the end.

The flemish style does *not* need a string jig at all.

The bowstring jig

Some form of device is required to hold the bowstring in place as it is being made. This can be from as simple as a length of wood with 2 nails in it at the required distance, to a more adjustable device designed for making different length strings.

A simple jig

This can be made from a single straight piece of wood, slightly longer then the required bowstring, with 2 nails driven in with the distance between them being the required length of the bowstring. The bowstring is then made by looping around the nails. By driving in more nails, bowstrings of different lengths can be made, but it can get messy trying to work around multiple nails.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

| N N |

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

(N = nail, dowel, or heavy pin)

a slight variation

if you don't have a piece of wood long enough, the same can be achieved by going up one side and down the other e.g

=========================================================================

| ------------------- |

| B M M M M N| |

| | |

| A N| |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------- |

=========================================================================

(A,B,M,N are all nails, dowels or heavy pins)

Here, the string starts at A, goes right up one side, around the top, loops around B and then back to A once more, with the complete bowstring length being the distance A->top->B.

Having multiple pins (M) means that strings of different lengths can be made, just use the pin at the correct distance from A.

A fully adjustable stringmakers jig

It is not really necessary to go to this extent unless you expect to need to make a number of strings of different lengths. If you are only making strings for your own bow, one of the simpler styles will be enough

This is made in 3 pieces and allows strings of anywhere between about 2.1m (83") down to about 30"

main section.

about a 2 meter length of 100x200 (6' of 4"x2") timber or similar length of steel, aluminum etc

=========================================================================

| ----------------------------------------------- |

| O |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| |

| ----------------------------------------------- |

=========================================================================

Cut, drill or rout out a slot (as marked by XXX) for 1/2 of the length. This goes right through the wood and provides a slot for the adjustable part of the jig to slide up and down. Drill a hole in the other end (the O ) this will be the fixed end.

crosspiece sections (2 of these)

a 300 mm piece of 100x50 (12" of 2"x1")

===================================

| |

| N O N |

| |

===================================

N = Nails, pins or vertical dowels (these are for the string to loop around)

O = hole in the middle (end pins are equidistant from the central hole)

These are then put together with a bolt long enough to slide through the main body, and the crosspieces, and with a butterfly nut on the top to allow easy loosening and tightening.

Assembly

--- ---

|N| |N|

| | | |

--| |-----------------------------------------| |---------

| |O| XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|O|XXXXXXX |

--| |-----------------------------------------| |---------

| | | |

|N| |N|

--- ---

fixed end adjustable end

(rotates only) (slides and rotates)

With this, the crosspieces are turned parallel to the main board to set the required string length (measuring from the outermost pins), then, after the required threads have been wound on, turned at right angles (as in above diagram) for ease of work. The adjustable end slides backwards and forwards in the slot to the required location, then the nuts are tightened to hold it in the correct location (butterfly nuts are easiest and fastest).

Stringmaking Materials.

Many meters/yards of the required thread for the string, lesser quantities of lighter thread for the string servings, wax for waterproofing/lubricating.

The requirement here is to make a string that is strong enough to withstand the massive stresses developed by firing arrows, to make the string as light as possible, and also not too bulky. A bowstring that snaps during use is putting the whole bow at risk of blowing apart, as there is no longer anything to absorb the shocks of the bow straightening.

Any string made heavier than suggested here will be stronger than required, and hence less likely to break in normal use, however the extra mass will slow the release slightly, giving a slight *decrease* in arrow speed. A string made lighter will be proportionally weaker, increasing the risk of accidental breakage, however the reduced mass of the string will actually allow a slight *increase* in arrow speed.

(Many of those trying for flight distance records bring their strings down as low as possible to try to gain all the speed possible, and a much higher risk of the whole thing blowing apart on them).

A string made too bulky may have difficulty in fitting your arrow nocks, requiring these to be replaced/altered.

Thread used can be almost any type as long as it has not got too much stretch. Linen thread, silk, etc, all make strong strings with limited stretch. Some of the modern artificial fibres are more preferred as they are even lighter with almost no stretch.

One warning here - many people prefer to *not* use fastflight etc with traditional style self-bows. As these materials have almost no stretch at all, this means that they have no give when the string reaches the end of its movement after firing an arrow, hence all the jarring of the final release is passed directly to the wood of the bow itself. It is often preferred to use a natural fibre thread with a small amount of give so that the final jar is absorbed by the bowstring, rather than the bow. Mileage here may vary, and this may also be a problem with modern fibreglass laminated recurves etc which may or *may not* be designed for the use of fastflight. Many bowyers will void their guarantee if fastflight is used, so check first with the manufacturer/dealer.

String Length

The best way to select this is to use an old bowstring if you have one and adjust slightly depending on the materials used. For example, if the previous string was made of linen thread, it has probably already stretched by about 1-2%, so decrease the required length of the *new* string by a factor of 1-2% unless it has already been adjusted (by winding etc) to the required length. Modern materials such as 'fastflight' etc have almost no stretch in them, so new strings can be made to exactly the same length as the old ones. Some other materials used eg nylon, may have ludicrous amounts of stretch, so throw it away and start from the beginning.

If there is no old string to work from, a general rule of thumb is to measure the distance on the bow from nock to nock and reduce this by about 75 mm (3"). This will give a close string, but is likely to need shortening by twisting when stringing the bow to give a decent brace height. (The brace height is the distance between the inside of the grip and the bowstring when the bow is strung/braced) Once you have the bow braced to the correct height for your style (opinions differ on the best brace height, this can be anywhere between 100-200mm (4-8 inches) but is usually around 150mm (6")), measure the nock-to-nock distance, and this will be the correct string length for future reference.

Measuring the breaking strain of your thread

The draw weight of the bow should be known, and the breaking strain of the thread used measured. This can be achieved using either a spring balance or your bathroom scales. Using the spring balance, loop the thread around the end of the spring balance (do not knot it in place as the knot creates a weakness in the thread, just loop it around several times so that the pull on the string tightens the loop and holds it in place), lay out a length of 700mm (30") or so and loop the other end around a smooth handle of wood, pipe etc. Then slowly and steadily pull on the handle end, watching the spring balance all the time until the string snaps, recording the strain on the balance at the time of breaking. The same thing can be done using your bathroom scales. A vertical pole is placed on the bathroom scale and the thread anchored across the top of this (looping it around and then across the top) and the other end down around a smooth handle. Drawing down on the string pushes down on the scales and again the strain is recorded at the point of the thread breaking.

Making the actual string

The breaking strain of the new string should be calculated to be 4-5 times the draw weight of the bow (opinions vary here and what ratio you use depends on how cautious you choose to be, using < 4x will risk getting close to snapping point when the string is under strain but may increase arrow speed slightly, using > 5x is probably making the string much stronger, but also much heavier and bulkier, with some losses in arrow speed).

Divide the breaking strain of your thread into this total, and this will tell you the number of strands required. eg

If the draw weight of the bow is 40lbs, the required string breaking strain will be 4x40 = 160 lbs.

A linen thread will often have a breaking strain of something around 10 lbs. Hence, the number of strands required for this bowstring using this linen thread will be

(draw weight of the bow) x 4)/(thread breaking strain)

(40x4)/10

160/10

16 strands of thread. (using an endless string, as in this guide, this will be 8 complete loops of threads, where each loop goes from end-to-end and back again around the jig) Where this calculation does not work out to a whole number or an even number, round this up to the next highest even number of threads. A slightly higher breaking strain is safer than a slightly reduced breaking strain.

One thing that should be kept in mind is that it is very important to separate the threads into smaller groupings. Specifically, trying to keep the bundles of threads to about 4-7 threads per bundle should maximize their strength, larger groupings of thread bundles will actually weaken the cumulative effect.

The Bowyers Bible vol II states this (and has some really good discussion on it), but several of the other sources I've used don't. I've never hit this particular problem before, but I usually use Linen thread.

Take your string jig, set it for the correct string length (as above), then tie one end of your thread to the nail/pin at one end and loop the thread around the pins the required number of times, maintaining a constant tension on the thread at all times so as to keep it uniformly stressed. When the last loop is completed, untie the initial end from around the starting pin and tie the two ends of thread together, maintaining the uniform tension and keeping the knot near the nail. This gives a single, endless string where the stresses of use will be spread uniformly across all threads.

If you have the adjustable string jig, at this point the arms can be loosened and turned at right angles. allowing the string to be worked on more easily during the serving.

Serving the bowstring

Serving the string is the process of rolling the bowstring in other thread to protect it around those areas where it receives most wear, namely around both bow nocks and where the arrow nock rests on the string. As these servings show signs of wear, they may be stripped off and the string re-served, extending its life significantly. The serving thread may be the same or lighter than the main bowstring threads, its function is intended more to resist chafing rather than a need for great strength, I usually use a medium weight cotton here (usually of a contrasting color to add a bit of interest :-)

The following diagram shows the strings where they loop around the end pins where X = pin, =# is the bowstring threads, ^<v are arrowheads indicating the area concerned

----------------------------------

vvvvvvv |

==============================#< |

X#< |

==============================#< |

^^^^^^^ |

----------------------------------

Initially, the end of the serving thread is laid along the bowstring for an inch or two in the direction the thread is to be wound, then the main spool is wrapped around the complete bowstring (over the laid down end), continuing to wind the serving around the bowstring and over the laid down end to anchor it in place. The serving thread is continually wrapped around and around the bowstring thread, each new thread immediately beside the previous one, building up a continuous layer of thread until the serving runs for a length of 100-125 mm (4-5 inches) along each end of the bowstring. (as marked by the arrowheads in the previous diagram).

NB. It is usually easier to slide the complete string around the pegs for several inches/cm to allow you to work on the side rather than against the pegs at the end.

Ensure that the knot which joins the two ends of the bowstring thread is within this area of serving, as it helps to protect and reinforce the knot area (nearly always a slightly weaker portion of the bowstring).

Finishing the serving

To finish the serving, we must anchor the serving thread in place in such a way as to ensure that any resulting knot is unlikely to break or be caught in anything, or to come undone or loosen the serving at all. The best way to do this is by having the end of the thread running *back* underneath the last few windings of serving thread, such that when the thread is pulled tight, the end is anchored tightly underneath, held in place by the serving itself and not knotted. To accomplish this, wind another 300mm (12") of thread from your winding spool and cut the thread, leaving this length attached to the serving. This thread is then carried along the unserved bowstring for several inches and then looped loosely *backwards* around the bowstring, back towards the serving 10-15 times, and the end laid underneath the serving thread. The idea is that as the serving is continued, the loop of thread and the reversed windings *unwind*, and the end of the thread is trapped underneath the continued serving.

NB - if the reversed windings are winding up rather than *unwinding* then the reversed windings have been wound in the wrong direction.

loop of -> ___________ ______ <- end of serving thread

serving thread / \ /

/ X

unserved bowstring-> =====|/=/=/=/=/=/=/=############ <- served bowstring

reversed

windings

Once all the reversed windings have been used up, the end of the serving thread is pulled tight, which draws the final loop back underneath the servings and anchors it in place, then the loose end of thread is cut off. This leaves both ends being self anchoring with no knots, slackness etc.

______ <- end of serving thread

final loop __ /

of thread \/ /

unserved bowstring-> ===========#####################

<- served bowstring

Serving the bow nock loops

Once the main bowstring has been served, the loop needs to be formed. This is also held by a serving, as in the diagram below. Once again, a serving is laid down and wound around the pairs of threads, drawing the two sides of the loop together into a single string. This will go mainly over the top of the existing preliminary serving and extend over the bowstring itself for a serving of 50-100mm (2-4 inches), performed in exactly the same manner as explained above. The size of the loop required will be dependant on the size of the nocks on your bow. They are intended to fit closely enough that there is no chance of them slipping out of the nocks when in use, but with enough extra room available that they can slide on and off easily when bracing the bow. If the nocks are wide, the loops will need to be larger, if the nocks are narrow, then the loops may be made smaller.

---------------------------------- ------------------------------

vvvvvvv | |

========================####### | #### |

X# | becomes ========######### X# |

========================####### | #### |

^^^^^^^ | |

---------------------------------- ------------------------------

Placing the arrow serving

By now, your nearly completed string should be as in the diagram below

### ###

#X #####=======================================#### X#

### ^^^^^^^^^ ###

(X = Pins, ### is the served string, === is the unserved string,

^^^ = area needing to be served)

Another serving, the same as the others, needs to be placed in the middle of the string to protect the region of the string where the arrow is nocked, where the archer's hand draws the string back and extend down far enough to protect the string from contact with the arm guard. Determine the nocking point (string position at right angles from the arrow rest on the bow if there is one, or the string position the arrow will be held at when drawing), go up about 75 mm (3 inches) from here, then mark the string and down about 200 mm (8 inches). This length of bowstring should now be served as before giving the following final result.

### ###

#X #####==============#########================#### X#

### ###

Fitting your string

You should now string your bow and measure the brace height (the distance between the string and the inside of the handle when strung). This needs to be deep enough so that the bowstring does not hit the bow hand after the release, usually about 150 mm (6"). If the brace height is too low, this implies that the string is too long. It may be shortened by up to about 35 mm (1.5") by removing the bowstring and tighten it by twisting the string several times then refitting it and measuring again.

A flemish string can be twisted far more than an endless loop type, so brace adjustment for this style of string has a much greater range. If the brace height is too high then the string is too short, and a longer one needs to be made.

Finishing touches.

Nocking point

Many archers also serve on a small serving of thread both immediately above and below the point that the arrow touches the string, thus providing a constant location for the arrow. Without this, the location where the arrow is nocked will vary up and down, giving a slight variation on each shot.

This small serving is usually several windings of thread and just held in place by glue. The approximate location is found by measuring out at right angles from the top of the arrow rest (if the bow has one) and then the correct location will be 1/4 to 1/2 inch above this. Each individual archer must determine his location for proper arrow flight. (This is tested during initial use of the bow, so the nocking point serving should only be placed after experimentation unless you have already worked this location out previously.)

Waterproofing/Lubricating the bowstring

This is fairly necessary with natural fibre bowstrings (silk, cotton, linen, hemp etc) and less necessary with artificial fibres such as 'Fastflight' etc. (The 'Fastflight' etc still needs the lubrication, but not as much waterproofing). The lubrication protects the individual strands of thread from abrading each other during normal usage.

The easiest means of waterproofing/lubrication is to rub a lump of beeswax back and forwards along the string until the string has built up a small layer of wax, then switch to a patch of leather or heavy cloth and rub backwards and forwards along the string, such that the friction of rubbing warms the wax and threads and rubs the wax deeper into the bowstring until nearly the whole string (and all the individual threads that make it up) are impregnated/coated with a fine layer of wax.

The 'Flemish' bowstring

The flemish style of bowstring was the style which tended to be used most often in European bows. Asian and Arabic bowstrings used a differant style totally but will work quite happily with either the Flemish or Enless strings.

The Flemish string usually had a single nock loop at one end and the other end without a loop in it. This free end was tied to the bow (use a timber hitch or similar) and the bow strung/unstrung by slipping the looped end on and off the nock.

Method

Measure the length of the bow, and add 450 mm (18") to this, this will be the length to which the strands will be cut.

Take the maximum draw weight of the bow required and multiply this by a factor of 5. (Everything I have read tends to require the bowstring for a Flemish string to be slightly heavier than a comparable 'endless' string which is usually worked to a factor of 4). Hence, a 50 lb bow will require a Flemish string of 250 lbs. Using the description in the 'endless string' section, measure the breaking strain of the material used (linen thread, silk, dacron etc). Divide the total stringweight by the breaking weight of the strands to work out the number of strands required. Hence, if the thread used has a 10 lb breaking strain, and we are making it for the above 50 lb bow, we will need 250/10 = 25 strands. Cut this number of strands to the length specified earlier (bow length + 18"). Holding this bundle of threads tightly , use a sharp, flat edged knife to scrape the top 75-125 mm (3-5") of the bundle of threads. This is intended to wear away part of the ends, giving them a slight taper so that the threads end at different places, rather than all at one place when braided into the line. Divide the strands into 2 bundles and wax the top (tapered) ends of both bundles thoroughly for about 250 mm (10") using a block of beeswax.

Optional reinforcing for the nock loop

Some stringers tend to do this, others don't. Take half again the number of strands (in the above example, another 12 strands = 6 strands for each bundle), cut these to about 450 mm (18"), taper them as above by scraping the ends, and lay them along the waxed portions of the bundles, waxing them into the main bundles thoroughly. This gives a greater number of threads around the nock, reinforcing the loop and reducing the chance of breakage here.

Braiding the string

Hold both bundles together in the left hand about 250 mm (10") from the ends with the short ends towards you. With the right hand, twist tightly towards the right the farthest of the two bundles and lay it over the other one towards you (towards the left). Take the 2nd group, twist them tightly to the right and lay them towards the left. Continue twisting to the right and turning over to the left each bundle of threads in turn until about 75-100mm (3-4") has been twisted for the loop. Turning this loop around, lay the one of the short bundles of thread along the main string and wax it thoroughly into one of the long bundles there. Repeat this with the second short bundle, giving a loop formed at the end of the string and both bundles of ends well waxed back into the main string. >From here, continue the process of twisting to the right and lay over to the left using the groups made of the short and long strands together. Gradually the tapered ends of thread will be braided into the main bowstring as the bundles of thread are braided together. Hopefully the tapering and twisting have been done smoothly and consistently. If so, the ends should disappear into the main string without trace. Once the ends are braided away, you should have a pair of bundles of thread with a single loop at one end. Wax all the remaining threads together for the rest of their length, stretch them to an even tension and twist the complete length of them to the left (anti-clockwise) about 30-40 turns.

Once the main length is twisted to within about 300mm (12") of the end, fold a piece of leather over the string and rub it rapidly up and down the full length of the string, allowing the heat from the friction to melt the wax, making it sink deeper into the full string. The bottom section is treated in a similar manner to the upper section, except no loop is (usually) formed. Divide the main string into 2 bundles as was done at the start and follow the above section 'Optional reinforcing for the nock loop' to add additional lengths of thread into each of the bundles of thread, laying the non-tapered ends even with the end of the string so that the tapered ends are further up the string. Now, as before, twist each bundle of threads to the right and lay it over it's companion to the left. Continue this twisting to the end of the string, which should completely hide the tapered ends of the added reinforcing threads. When the base of the string is reached, use thread to tie off the end of the completed bowstring (or place a small serving as detailed in the 'endless' string description).

Stringing the bow and serving the string

Slip the loop of the bowstring over the nock and down the limb of the bow and tie the free end of the string to the other nock using a timber hitch, bowline or similar non-stressing knot. Place the tip of the tied limb in the instep of your left foot, hold the grip of the bow in your left hand and draw it towards you while pushing the upper limb of the bow with your right hand until the loop can be slid into the nock. If the bow is braced too high, unstring in the same manner and shift the timber hitch knot, shortening or lengthening the bowstring until the correct braceheight is reached. Mark the location of the grip on the bowstring and unstring the bow. Place a serving along the area of string that matches the location of the grip (see 'Serving your bowstring' above). Make sure that the area of the serving where your fingers/tab will rest is not waxed too much, otherwise this can lead to the wax sticking and leading to a less clean 'loose'. This can be cleaned with a rag dipped in petrol and just wiped over the required area. After the string has been used to fire several arrows, it is likely to have stretched slightly and may require re-bracing to adjust back to the correct brace height. Once this initial stretch has occurred, it will remain that length permanently. This can be pre-stretched if you wish by placing the loop over a solid hook and stretching the string to close to the maximum breaking strain, e.g. a string intended to be 200 lb should be able to have a weight of 180 lb hung from it without problems which should soon remove any remaining stretch from the string.

Optional touches.

Variable colored strings can be made by using 2 different colored threads for each of the two bundles being braided. This gives an interesting contrast of color. Likewise, a different color can be used for the serving thread, again giving a nice contrasting effect. If you desire, the 'Flemish' string may have another loop braided into the other end by the same process as the main loop, however this is not recommended as the new string will usually stretch a small amount, and it is difficult to estimate the amount of stretch that will occur, hence requiring further adjustment by twisting of the string as the stretch occurs. Most of the original 'Flemish' strings were of the single loop style.

The serving can very easily be replaced. You'll need a serving tool (the Bjorn one is good), some serving (use whatever is currently on the bow - probably soft twist), and a wee bit of practice. The last item is the most important :-)

You'll probably find four types of serving available; soft twist, braided, monofilament, and FastFlite.

I would advise against using monofilament serving; it is very difficult to work with, and if it breaks, it can't be repared in the field (it instantly unravels all of the way). The good side of it is that monofilament serving gives a really clean loose for finger shooters.

Braided and soft twist are both quite easy to work. Braided is a bit more hard wearing, but is thinner and may crush strings (it's important not to do this if you use Kevlar strings). Both give a similar loose. I tend to use soft twist now, because it's slightly easier to work, and can be field repaired easily.

I've no experience with FastFlite or Kevlar servings, I can't comment on them.

Describing the process of serving is quite tricky without diagrams, but I'll try anyway:

Start by attaching the end of the serving thread to the bowstring at one end of the final position of the serving (this just makes it easier to wind over the tail in the next step). Stretch the thread out to the other end position of the final serving, and start winding it round the bowstring string, back over the tail you've stretched out. The initial part has to be done by hand, rather than using the serving tool. After about 3/4 of an inch, you can cut the tail that you're winding over, and remove the tail from the bowstring.

Crude ASCII diagram:

Serving tool end -----v _

\ / \

Tail of serving -------/-------\

Bowstring =========/========/============

\_/ \_/

You can now use the serving tool to do the body of the serving, but don't set the tension too tight or too loose; you should be able to pull the serving out from the serving tool with a small amount of force. You can also adjust the nock fit by adjusting the tension at this time. Serve up to about 3/4 inch from the end of the serving with the tool.

The final part is the most tricky; pull out the serving tool until you have about 15 inches of serving free between the served part of the bowstring and the serving tool, keeping the tension on the serving you've just done at all times. You now need to hold this free serving out in the middle, forming a loop, and start winding the serving tool around the bowstring, in the same direction as you were going, inside the loop. When you've done about 3/4 of an inch of serving inside the loop, pull the serving tool out away from the loop, leaving a tail of serving.

Crude ASCII diagram:

/ \

/ \

/ \ Loop of serving

/ \ v serving tool and tail of serving

Tail of serving / _ ___\______

Bowstring ======/=====/====\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\========

\_/ \_/

3/4 inch of turns ^

Part already served ^

You now need to wrap the loop of serving around the bowstring, over the tail of serving. As you do this, the innermost part of the loop will wind around the bowstring as the outermost part of the loop unwinds, until you have unwound all of the turns inside the loop, and you are left with a simple loop. Put the end of a pencil, or a marlin spike through this loop and keep it in tension. Take hold of the serving tool and pull the tail of serving; as you do this, the loop will shrink until it is all gone. Cut off the tail of the serving and you're done. (Phew!)

Some points:

The bowstring must be under tension (on the bow or a jig).

Leave a large enough loop to get the serving tool through; it doesn't matter if you waste a little serving. Similarly, leave a

large enough initial tail.

I would recommend that all archers, of whatever discipline, should learn to make and serve bowstrings, and set up and fletch arrows. Doing it yourself is the only way of ensuring consistency of quality, tension and length of bowstrings, and drag angles and weights of arrows.

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Arrows 

1. Cutting in nocks
2. Finishing
3. Fletching

Cutting in nocks.

Size of these is dependant on your string thickness. I start by marking the centre of the end of the shaft and marking at right angles to the line of the grain or growth rings across the end of the shaft.

Looking at a cross section of the end of the shaft :

Grain /-||-\

of /--||--\

shaft \--||--/

\-||-/

^^ = slot marked across at right angles to the growth rings

NB, this MUST be at right angles, otherwise the strain of firing the arrow will all come down in line with a single growth ring and the shaft is likely to split along the grain down this growth ring.

Then, using a fine saw or hacksaw (or 2 hacksaw blades taped together), saw the slot down for about 3/8" - 1/2". Carefully sand the inside of the slot and using a fine rats-tail file or fine sandpaper wrapped around a small nail etc, widen the base of the nock so that the bowstring just slides down the slot but sits comfortably in the wider hollow at the base.

e.g. looking at the nock from the side of the shaft

--| |--

| | | |

| | | |

| / \ |

| \_/ |

| |

| |

| |

This is exactly the same principle as modern snap-on nocks, and several of the races of early archers used this technique. If you want, you can reinforce the nock by cutting a narrow slice in the end of the shaft at right angles to this slot and gluing a sliver of horn, ivory etc in this such that the nock is cut through this as well, and the harder material of the horn helps to spread the impact of the bowstring against the inside of the nock on firing. Many of the English fletchers used this, as they needed to use everything they could to make shafts that could take the stresses of war use.

Finishing

Once the arrows are completed to having nocks cut in and being cut to length, a suitable finish can be applied in the form of a polyurethane, varnish etc. (Polyurethane is not 'period', many of the varnishes are more appropriate if this is required.) If these arrows are to be used for hunting a matt finish is recommended so that they will not reflect at all.

To ensure an even coating, they can be sprayed or just dipped into a narrow tube of whatever you want to use i.e take a 3' length of 3/4" pipe, cap one end, fill with varnish etc, lower arrow in until it has been completely covered, then hang somewhere to dry such that it has the air circulating but is not likely to be covered in dust etc before drying.

And extra rings of colour applied (usually just below the fletchings) to indicate ownership, and (if you want to get technical) the intended drawweight of the shafts using some form of colour code.

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