How to Make Archery Bow Strings

Making your own archery bow can be a really fun project and a great way to spend your free time. One of the most important and crucial elements of having a good archery bow is having a sturdy string to shoot your arrows with. Bow strings are made of fibers that are carefully intertwined into one cord that is then attached to the archery bow.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• String fiber Tape measure Beeswax

1. Decide how long and how thick your bow string needs to be. The typical archery bow has about 50 pounds of draw back, which requires a string made of at least 12 fibers. If your bow is heavier than that, simply add two to three more fibers for every 10 additional pounds.

2. Take your fibers and split them into two groups with six in each group and lay them down on a table with a flat top. Use your thumb and first finger to pinch the two groups of fibers together at one end. Make sure you are about two inches from the very end of the fibers.

3. Twist and braid the group of fibers on the right clockwise. Follow the same process for the other bundle of fibers.

4. Take the two braided fiber bundles and begin to braid them together in a clockwise motion. Once the two groups have been braided together you now have a corded bow string.

5. Tie small loops at both ends of the bow string. These loops will fit over the notches in your bow staff to complete your bow.

6. Coat the bow string in beeswax. This will seal all the fibers together as well as give it a slick surface to prevent the arrows from getting stuck in the fibers when in use.

Resources

• BCY Bow String Fibers
• Extreme Bow Strings
• Bowsrings Unlimited