# Survival > Primitive Skills & Technology >  making bow string

## williamblackraven

I want to be able to make bow string, or just cordage in general but i don't know what plant fibers would be the best/strongest to do so. I know how to use the twist away, pull over method and have used it with dental floss to make bow string before, (took a really long time). I live in central N.Y. and wondered if anyone here knew what plants would be the best to use, where to find them, etc. pics of the plant would be nice, but if you can just give me the names i can Google what they look like. thanks.

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## Rick

Don't need to googlefu it. It's here.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...atural+cordage

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...e-in-the-woods

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...atural+cordage

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## Thaddius Bickerton

Cherokee used to get a fox squirrel hide, and spiral cut it then twist it into a bow string.  Have to work the "stretch" out of it though.

For other options Id suggest Hemp, flax, wool perhaps.  I have read of flaxen and hempen strings in old documents at one time or another.

Cotton probably has to low a break strength to thickness.

I have found that "carpet yarns" make nice strings if you don't mind using more modern stuff.

I also have a spool of "yarn" that was used to weave carcass for making aircraft tires.  It is essentially a kevlar string and twists up into the equivilant of a great fast flight sting, but lacking any give at all would be very hard on a self bow.

Dacron makes up into nice flemish bow strings, and I have made a jig to make them, but I need to get some pics to show you.  or google fu should show a lot on making a flemish bow string.

Link to flemish bow string making here

I like flemish ones because throwing in a twist or three or removing them lets me adjust the fistmele and help me get the porposing out of my arrows.  Or at least it used to.  Can't much draw a bow anymore, the old body / mind betrays me.  /sigh.

I guess I may have to take up a cross bow just to get out and hunt.  (at least if I do I plan on building my own instead of buying one of those compound ones.  Right down to the sheeps foot cocking lever or windless.

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## A Curious Scout

Sinew would difinitely work. Nettles may work.

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## hunter63

> Sinew would difinitely work. Nettles may work.


Are you talking real sinew? or artificial?...........What kind of twist or weave do you use to make it long enough?

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## asemery

Two a strand codage can be made quickly with a hand drill.  
1.  For shorter lengths measure out strands from outstretched hand to chin.  These can be tied parallel (A), tied in a single loop (B), or interlocked loops (C).
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2.  Put the knotted end  of one loop over a "S" hook at a fixed point and the other over a "S" hook on your drill.
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3.   Turn handle CLOCKWISE until kink develops in strands when tension is released.  Put weight of some sort (just a few ounces) at midppoint of the twisting.  
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4.   Bring the drill "S" hook over to the fixed point.
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5.  Bring the weight down below the "S" hooks and release the weight.  .  It will twist around in a dramatic fashion. Very impressive for the kids.
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6.  Tie off the "S" hook ends.  Here are the finished cords in reverse order from above.
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  You can use this method for longer lengths.  Place the hand drill 2 1/4 times the length of the finished rope, string the threads you are using and twist CLOCKWISE.   When initial twisting is over place a fixed hook midway between the 2 "S" hooks.  This can be a cup hook screwed into a 2 x 4 and taped or weighted in place.   Place the twisted strands under the mid-point hook so they do not come out when you bring the drill "S" hook back to the starting point.  You can also have a friend hold the hand drill at this mid-point.  
I  made the twine pictured below from nylon sewing thread.
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  Put the drill hook at the mid-point and twist COUNTER-CLOCKWISE.  Tie off at the "S" hook end.
If you think a haand drill is modern technology use a wood spinner club.
One end of the twine is attached to a fixed point and the other end is attached to the notched end of the stick.  The dowel acts as a handle and the stick is swung around twisting the strands.  I call it a club because it really hurts if you hit your hand with the swinging stick.  Tony
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## Rick

Another great post. More rep your way.

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## asemery

Somehow this picture went missing from my post above. Here it it.  Tony
 You can use this method for longer lengths.  Place the hand drill 2 1/4 times the length of the finished rope, string the threads you are using and twist CLOCKWISE.   When initial twisting is over place a fixed hook midway between the 2 "S" hooks.  This can be a cup hook screwed into a 2 x 4 and taped or weighted in place.   Place the twisted strands under the mid-point hook so they do not come out when you bring the drill "S" hook back to the starting point.  You can also have a friend hold the hand drill at this mid-point.  
  Put the drill hook at the mid-point and twist COUNTER-CLOCKWISE.  Tie off at the "S" hook end.
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## crashdive123

Good stuff.  Good post.

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## king_nick102599

i have used baling twine before and it dose a really good job at not stretching. it dose stretch a little bit but its fine, but after you string it. wrap in around the string thats on the bow already and it will make it a lot better and a lot stronger also.

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## Roel

The inner bark of the linden tree is famous here in the Netherlands. I once was in Danmark and I made a bow string out of that bark. It was placed on a long bow from a guy from Sweden. A Danish guy did shoot the bow for more than one our and there was no damage to see on the string. I make all my bow strings from linden ever since.

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## canid

I wanted to add that natural fiber strings benefit greatly from a light (you really don't want to go heavy here or you approach the point of lubrication, defeating the purpose) waxing. It helps to avoid elongation by slippage under load which progressively weakens the string. Sufficient twist should prevent loosening while unloaded but they wax may help that also. It also helps prevent excessive moisture.

Great post asamery. Thanks for sharing.

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## bigbob

Milkweed and dogbane are really strong. Dogbane best. I made bow strings from both.

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## WalkingTree

In a pinch, I imagine that a person could use tree root for bow string. That stuff that is about a quarter of the diameter of your pinky finger or less that you find when you find some part of a tree's roots, trying to pull it up, and it pops out of the ground further and further along the ground like it doesn't want to break off. The smaller-gauge lengths. Great stuff for lashing too - often better than vine stuff to me.

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(the twisting of cordage) I want to add this only because it's a certain way to explain it, just for those coming in here to find out but aren't clear on it, because it's how I figured it out on my own once with plain string while making something else (not survival related). Even though this probably has already been worded this way elsewhere -

Imagine that you're twisting some string or cord. It's "springiness" or tension will make it want to untwist if left on it's own. Then imagine that when you twist 2 cords together around each other, there's nothing to keep them that way...they'll just loosen up if left on their own.

So, you're trying to use these two different tendencies to untwist against each other - individual cords twisted, and those cords twisted around each other. When you twist individual cords in one direction, then wrap those around each other in the other direction (clockwise versus counter clockwise), since they are around each other and so "grab" each other, the tension of the twisted individual cords trying to make them untwist themselves individually will try to increase the "twistedness" by which they are around each other. The individuals try to untwist in the direction that would twist them together. The one holds the other, and the other holds the one, so to speak. So it not only preserves both of the twisted states, but also keeps that tension that you built into the whole thing from the twisting.

The trick is in how you twist the individual ones then them around each other such that you don't end up untwisting the individual ones while wrapping them around each other. That's part of what the different methods of doing this are about. Any ole technique with your hands or contraption that does this that you could conjure up, will do it.

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