The Flemish Bowstring
Over the years the Flemish Bowstring has been used and manufactured by traditional archers the world over. Although there are several variations in its construction, the tapered loop Flemish Bowstring or Hand Laid Line as it is commonly called is superior for many reasons.
In this article I am going to pass along the skill set needed to manufacture the tapered loop Flemish Bowstring without the use of a pre-made jig or other tools. The advantage of making your bowstring in this fashion is the ability to make a string quickly in the field to get you back hunting as fast as possible.
First let’s talk about the materials needed to construct your bowstring. I use Dacron B50 waxed for my main body line. There are other materials available on the market that is suitable. Tensile strength will vary between the different materials, so be sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommended guidelines on the number of strands to use for your specific draw weight.
You will also need bowstring wax; this can be purchased from your local sporting goods store. Bowstring wax can easily be manufactured by using a 50/50 mix by volume of beeswax and petroleum jelly. Simply melt the desired amount of beeswax in a pan or can, add the petroleum jelly and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour the liquid wax mixture into Dixie cups or cupcake foils and allow to cool. Once they are completely cooled and solidified simply tear away the paper cup to expose your cake of bowstring wax.
You will need something to measure with such as a flexible measuring tape, a marker, and a small pair of scissors or knife. I also use a serving tool to make serving my bowstring easier but this is optional.
Fig. 1 Materials need for making your bowstring
Now that you have the materials needed you are ready to make
your bowstring. First you will need to determine how many strands will be
needed for your particular draw weight of bow.
40 to 50
pounds – 12 strands
51 to 70
pounds – 14 strands
71 to 80
pounds – 18 strands
NOTE: Above strand chart is for use with
Dacron B50 ONLY!
Next you will need to determine the length you will need to
cut your body line to make a string for your bow. If you have the old string
this is the length formula to use:
Measure the length of
the old string and add 14 inches.
So for example, if your old string is 68 inches long, add 14
inches giving you a final length of 82 inches. The addition of the 14 inches is
to allow enough length for your loops.
If you do not have the old string then this is the length
formula to use:
Measure your bow from
nock to nock and subtract five (5) inches.
Once the length is established, cut your strands and
separate them into two bundles, wax both ends of your bundles and you are ready
to start making your string.
I like to add loop reinforcement, by adding two (2) strands
of material a different color than the main body line to each bundle. These
strands should be eight (8) inches in length.
Measure eight (8) inches in on both bundles and make a mark
that is the indexing mark where you will start laying in your loop. This mark
serves another function as well, to aid in the event you need to make
adjustments to the finished string.
The technique used to lay in your loop is the reverse twist. Grasp both bundles at
your mark by pinching the two bundles between your thumb and forefinger. Using
the other hand twist the outside or top bundle in a clockwise direction (twisting
away from your body). Rotating the top bundle over the bottom bundle (towards
your body), the bottom bundle has now become the top bundle and vice versa.
Fig. 2 Twist the top bundle clockwise
Fig. 3 Rotating the top bundle over the bottom bundle
Continue repeating this process until you have enough
cordage for your desired loop size. Making your loop as small as possible but
fitting well in your string nocks.
Form the loop as shown in Fig. 4, grasp the bundles at the
base of the loop and twist the bundles together. Using the same technique as
described above start closing your loop with two or three twists as shown in
Fig. 5.
Fig. 4 Joining your bundles to form the loop
Fig. 5 Closing the loop
The technique you are going to use to form the taper in your
loop will involve throwing a short strand out on every twist. You will continue
to do this until you are just past the end of the doubled bundles see Fig. 6
and 7.
Fig. 6 Throwing your stands
Fig. 7 Finished loop before strands are trimmed
Once this is completed, using a small pair of scissors or a
sharp knife blade trim off all the short strands you have thrown and your loop
is completed.
Now repeat the process to form the loop on the opposite side
of your body line. Here is a tip, tie off the first loop at its base to prevent
any chance of it untwisting while you are making the second loop.
Once both loops are completed slide one loop over the upper
limb of your bow and twist the string counter clockwise (towards your body) 15
to 20 times. It is this twist in the body of the string that keeps your loops
from coming undone under the pressure and strain generated by the braced bow.
One advantage of the Flemish string is the length of the
string can be adjusted just simply by increasing or decreasing the amount of
twists in the string. For example; string your bow and check your brace height.
Note: Brace height is the distance
measured from the belly of the handle to the braced string (check manufacturer
recommendations). If your brace height is low, add a few twists until it is
correct; if it is too high then take some twists out (clockwise or away from
your body).
In Fig.8 you will see three loops. Loop
#1 is the loop we just completed using the “strand throwing” technique. Loop #2 was done using a Flemish Jig. Loop
#3 is a straight loop with no taper. As you can see by using this technique you
can easily make a string with tapered loops of the same quality as done using a
modern Flemish Jig.
Fig. 8 Strand
throwing, Flemish Jig, and non-tapered loops
The next and final step is to add serving to your bowstring.
Serving the string accomplishes multiple purposes; it adds some thickness to
your bowstring so the arrow nock fits tightly. It also aids in adding
protection from wear. This can be done by hand, but I recommend using a serving
tool. By using a serving tool you can get the serving much tighter and complete
the job faster and more efficiently.
Before you start you need to mark your serving area. Marks a
seven (7) inch area, four (4) inches below the arrow shelf and three (3) inches
above. An easy way to do this is to nock
an arrow, mark the spot where the arrow is nocked on the string and use that as
your center point.
To start serving, lay the tag end of the serving material on
the bowstring and wrap around it three or four turns (see Fig. 9).
Fig. 9 Starting the serving tool
Now take up the slack and using the wing nut adjust the
tension so it is snug. By rotating the serving tool around the string in a counterclockwise
direction (towards your body), your tool will start to move across the string
from left to right. If your serving is too loose, then tighten up the tension
on the serving tool as described above. Continue this process until you reach
the end (bottom mark) of your serving area. Now you need to reverse direction
of your serving tool so it will move from right to left to add your second
layer of serving. By picking up your serving tool and placing it on top of the
last part you served. By doing this the first layer of serving will guide your
tool back to where you started (See Fig. 10 and 11).
Fig. 10 Reversing the serving tool
Fig. 11 Serving the second layer
Once you have completed the second layer and are five (5) to
ten (10) turns from the end, place a short loop on the bowstring to use as a
tie off. Serve the remaining area over the tie off loop, and then cut the
serving tool free. Run the tail end through the loop and pull it through and
under to complete the serving process (see Fig. 12 and 13).
Fig. 13 The completed tie off.
Cut off the excess serving material, wax your serving with bowstring
wax and nock your arrow to mark the spot for your nocking point. Place the
nocking point on the bowstring in the same manner you did the serving but do it
by hand. Make your nocking point a different color than your serving for added visibility
(See Fig. 14).
Fig. 14 The finished Bowstring
Now you are ready to go out a shoot your bow and break in
your new bowstring. Remember, after you have shot your new bowstring a few times
to check your brace height and make adjustments if necessary.
I hope you enjoyed this article and remember: there is no
greater feeling in the world than ending the next successful hunt knowing you
made your equipment yourself.
Happy trails and good hunting!
Curtis Fidler
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