How to Make a Rawhide Bow String
Bowstrings can be made out of a variety of materials, however one durable and readily available material is rawhide. Rawhide is the treated and dried hide of an animal and is extremely tough with little stretch. These qualities make rawhide a useful candidate for making a bowstring, as you want as little stretch as possible in the string and durability for repeated shots. Once you have procured your rawhide, follow the steps below to build a long lasting, durable bowstring.
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Instructions
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Cut the piece of rawhide to a length twice that of your final bowstring length. Determine the length of your finished bowstring by subtracting 4 inches from the total length of the bow. Double this number and that is how much rawhide you will need.
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Soak the rawhide in cool water in the bowl for a few hours to get the rawhide pliable enough to work with. Fold the rawhide over in the middle and twist the end 5 to 6 times. Slide one of the ends of the strands through the small loop you made in the middle of the rawhide to form a large loop in the bowstring.
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3
Place the stick inside the large loop you just made and then hang the loop from a nail that you pounded into a tree. Tie the ends of the two strands of rawhide to the paint bucket and then twist the string tightly until the entire string is twisted, but not bunched. Allow the string to dry like this for 2 or 3 days.
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Rub beeswax on the string after the drying period and remove the paint bucket and stick from the ends. Your new string is now ready to mount on the bow of your choice.
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Tips & Warnings
You can lightly sand the entire bowstring before you apply the beeswax in order to even up its diameter make arrow releases more consistent.
