You can always buy a bowstring in a specialized store. But if you make a bow or crossbow with your own hands, it is logical to make it yourself. A good bowstring should be strong, durable, durable and have minimal stretch. There are enough materials in stores to make it, and some people even have them at home. You can wind a bowstring in an hour; if you have experience, half an hour is enough.
Bowstring thickness
It is important to find the optimal thickness of the bowstring. The tighter the bow, the larger the diameter it should have. But at the same time, you need to keep in mind that a thinner bowstring gives less vibration at the moment of shooting, which means the higher the accuracy of the hit. At the same time, a bowstring with a small diameter will cut your fingers. Therefore, you need to choose the optimal thickness.
If you want to make a bowstring to replace an old one that broke, it will be easier for you. It is enough to count the number of threads, buy similar material and make a new one from it. If you made the small arms yourself, the optimal thickness for it will have to be selected experimentally by trial and error.
Tools
The first step is to prepare the machine for winding the bowstring. To do this, just drive 2 nails into the board. They must be placed from each other at a distance that is equal to the length of the bowstring + 1 cm. A stool can also serve as a machine, which you simply need to turn upside down. But these options cannot be called the most successful.
To make winding the bowstring convenient, it is better to drill two holes in a board of suitable length and insert wooden sticks - dowels - into them. They are much thicker than nails, and the material will not slide along them, so winding the bowstring when using them requires minimal effort. Also, for its manufacture, a small diameter spool is useful, on which you can wind thread, wax, rubber glue and PVA.
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How to correctly calculate a bowstring: drawings with diagrams and examples of calculations
In order to decorate your home with a staircase structure, you first need to determine its height, number and dimensions of steps.
The optimal length of a self-made bowstring is varied and varies depending on the structural characteristics of the staircase being built, including height, number of flights, angle of inclination and total number of steps. For an object made of wood, the minimum width and thickness of the board used should be 300 and 50 mm, respectively, with a length of 150 to 600 cm.
The standard calculation formula includes the following data:
- step length - 600–650 mm;
- the slope angle of the flight of stairs is within 30–40°;
- minimum step depth - 280–300 mm;
- Optimal step heights are 150–200 mm.
At the very first stage of carrying out independent calculations, you need to determine the height of the structure by measuring the distance from the floor surface on the lower floor to a similar structure on the upper floor.
If the final coating is already ready, then everything is fine, but if not yet, then you will have to measure offhand, taking into account the approximate thickness of the future floor.
Calculation example:
- To the height of the structure being erected 250 cm, we add the thickness of the interfloor ceiling and floor covering 35 cm, we get a length of 285 cm.
- We select the average height of the risers (vertical elements of the staircase) - 17 cm (you can choose from the range of 15–20 cm).
- To calculate the number of steps, divide the height of the stairs by the height of the risers 285/17 = 16.76 pcs. Round up to 17 pcs.
Experts recommend making an odd number of steps, making the very first element of the rise lower. The length of the staircase structure being built should be calculated by multiplying the depth and the number of steps.
There are several options for attaching steps to the string
If the number of steps is 17–18 and the optimal step depth is 30 cm, the standard length will be 510–540 cm. In this case, preference should be given to a two-flight type of staircase with a 180° turn.
If necessary, calculations are performed using modern computer programs or online calculators.
Bow string
- making a bow string should begin by winding the thread, which acts as a base, onto nails or dowels. The optimal number of turns depends on the thickness of the material. So, in the case of thin nylon there can be 50 of them, and when using Kevlar - about 5;
- then you need to apply the first two windings about 10 cm long to the thread, which will fix the two ends of the bowstring base. The coils must be laid very tightly one to the other, and then coated with glue. Two windings can be made in the middle of the bowstring opposite each other (1), and then, when the glue dries, move them onto the dowels (2);
- after this, you need to apply two more windings on top of the first ones, connecting with them two bundles of string threads into one and thus making loops for attaching to the bow (3). You also need to make one winding in the center, on which the arrow will rest (4).
After this, the string can be tried on the bow. All its threads should be tensioned evenly . If some of them sag a little, this means that the placement of the fibers on the machine was uneven. In this case, it is better to make a new bowstring from scratch. If everything is in order, saturate it with glue.
Also, when winding, you can make a special socket for the arrow. In this case, the rate of fire will be maximum. If there is a socket, the arrow, when placed on the string, immediately falls in the center, and you can fire a shot. To make it, just put the winding in two tubercles. The arrow will be located between them. The distance between the tubercles should correspond to the diameter of the arrows.
At the moment of shooting, the bowstring can hit the hand quite hard. Therefore, for shooting it would be a good idea to purchase special guards for protection. They are especially useful if the bow string is made of Kevlar, Dacron or FastFight.
What is a bowstring and why is it needed?
Flights of stairs on bowstrings are more massive, but due to the design features they are easy to manufacture and absolutely safe to use
Bowstring is the main part of wooden self-supporting stairs or an element of a metal staircase frame, which has a functional and decorative value. A wide wooden sidewall hides the projections of all steps, thanks to which the railing posts can be arranged in any order.
This characteristic feature is the main difference between the bowstring and the so-called stringer, which does not provide the presence of a special protrusion above the surfaces of the sidewalls, masking part of the steps.
In appearance, the stair bowstring is a board of sufficient width with corners sawn in a diagonal direction. This design solution makes it possible to ensure that the level of the span and the floor coincide as a result of the horizontal arrangement of the element.
Most often, the construction of a staircase involves the use of a bowstring on both sides. Flights of stairs with a bowstring on both sides of the span effectively prevent excessive load on wall structures, have a positive effect on strength indicators and allow for uniform, minimal deformation processes.
Making a crossbow string
The string for a crossbow is made using the same technology as for a bow. Another option is to use a metal cable about 2 mm thick for this. Characteristic features of this material:
- metal cable is originally designed for static loads. With dynamic forces that occur during shooting, it collapses faster;
- over time, the cable will stretch, and the bowstring, accordingly, will become weaker;
- Also, over time, a worn metal cable can break, this happens in places of knots, kinks, and fastenings;
- the cable is much heavier than nylon, lavsan, kevlar and other synthetic materials, this affects the initial speed of the arrow, and also leads to an increase in the overall weight of the crossbow.
To secure a bowstring made of steel cable, it is enough to tie “oak loop” knots at its ends. Another option is to rivet the ends of the cable into a copper or brass tube. You should not connect the ends of a metal cable by soldering; this fastening method is not reliable enough.
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Attaching the cable to the crossbow takes very little time. But you need to keep in mind that a bowstring made of synthetic threads is in most cases preferable to a metal one.
Thus, making a good bowstring with your own hands is not at all difficult. You need to work without unnecessary haste, especially if you do not have much experience in this matter. Then you will get a perfectly working small arms that will serve you for a long time.
Choosing the optimal material for the bowstring
The classification of ladder strings, depending on the characteristics of the material used, is represented by traditional wooden and metal, plastic, bent-glued, as well as combined or composite structures. The most preferred material for making it yourself today is natural wood of various species.
Poorly dried wood threatens to ruin all the work - the stairs will be creaky and unsafe
The category of affordable and reliable options includes the use of softwood, including pine, as well as spruce and cedar. The main disadvantage of such a budget natural material is the gradual release of special resinous substances that can disrupt the process of painting the structure or make the varnish coating uneven and sloppy. A bowstring made of coniferous wood dries out and creaks a lot in a fairly short time, and elements of such a design can diverge and form noticeable cracks.
Deciduous wood, including oak, cherry, ash and beech, is the best option, and choosing a quality material will be the best guarantee of maintaining the external aesthetics and strength of the staircase structure for several decades.
The purchased board should not be too dry or too wet. Material with chips, cracks or numerous knots is unsuitable for use.
What can a bow string be made from?
First, you need to clarify what the bowstring is made of: nylon, lavsan, Kevlar, propylene thread or dacron are used. Synthetic fiber will be the basis for the bowstring, but it is not recommended to use twisted thread because it will stretch too much. Nylon, silk or nylon thread is used for winding.
Bowstring material
These materials can be easily purchased at any store that sells fishing equipment or sewing accessories. You need to choose really high-quality material. For example, when choosing a thread from lavsan, you need to pay attention to its marking: often mistakenly purchased thread is marked “LL”, which means linen-lavsan material, which is not suitable for making a bowstring. Kevlar can be obtained by unwinding the braid of a fiber optic cable.
When choosing a thread, you need to consider the following points: the thickness of the material must correspond to the technical characteristics of the tool. If the bow is tight, the string string should be thick. However, the thinner the thread, the less vibration it creates, creating the conditions for an accurate arrow hit. But at the same time, it should not be too thin so as not to cut your fingers when stretched.
Thus, a bow for role-playing games and training is made with weak limbs and a thinner string, and for hunting a more powerful weapon is made with a thick string made of non-stretch threads (Kevlar, Dacron).
In addition to threads, to make a string at home you will need: wax, PVA glue, rubber glue, and a tool for weaving a bowstring.
How to make a bowstring at home
In places where the string will be put on the bow, it is necessary to make a wear-resistant winding. To make these ears more convenient, you can use additional spacers for the installed sticks. Winding is carried out with tight turns, located as closely as possible to each other. Usually, those who make winding for the first time ignore this recommendation, as a result of which, when shooting, the turns begin to shift, then the thread wears out and breaks at the most unexpected moment.
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Next, you can start winding the bowstring at home:
- Using a winding device, a thread, previously coated with glue, is pulled onto the pins with a slight tension. For a thick thread, two turns are enough, for a thin thread you will need to make from ten to thirty turns, the main thing is that the diameter of the bowstring as a result is at least 2 mm.
- The ends of the threads are tied in a knot and sealed with glue. For nylon material you need to use rubber glue, and for Kevlar thread - PVA glue. Winding must be done before the glue on the base dries.
- Then, using a bobbin with thread, we begin to wrap the stretched threads in tight turns. When you have ten centimeters of winding, the threads are moved with sticks so that the wrapped part is at the ends of the future bowstring. Details can be seen in the photo.
- Having retreated about ten centimeters, we form loops, starting to wrap both parts of the thread wound around the pins together.
- After this, the middle of the bowstring is wrapped in a dense double layer, while coating the base. This part of the winding should be approximately 15 cm long.
- The ends of the thread must be well sealed to prevent unwinding.
