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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: msoulier on December 28, 2014, 06:31:00 PM

Title: alternatives to B-50 dacron
Post by: msoulier on December 28, 2014, 06:31:00 PM
Hi,

As B-50 Dacron is in the polyester family of materials, I am wondering if I can cheap out at times by using something like heavy polyester sewing thread. I can't find Dacron locally and end up ordering online, but sewing thread is easy for me to find.

Any experiences with alternatives for bowstring material?

Thanks,
Mike
Title: Re: alternatives to B-50 dacron
Post by: Pat B on December 28, 2014, 07:17:00 PM
B-50 is manufactured for bow string material but sewing thread is not. You could probably make a bow string from sewing thread but there would be a lot more "figuring out" than just buying a spool of B-50.
 Some folks use artificial sinew(waxed polyester) for bow strings but it has lots of stretch you have to deal with.
Title: Re: alternatives to B-50 dacron
Post by: fujimo on December 28, 2014, 08:31:00 PM
Mike, i too, am from up here...   :)  
one spool of thread goes a very long way, but might as while buy a couple while you are at it!
i am moving over to fast flight now!
Title: Re: alternatives to B-50 dacron
Post by: mike fisher on December 28, 2014, 10:04:00 PM
Hi  Mike, not a sponsor, nor affiliated but  www.archersnook.com, (http://www.archersnook.com,)  or some float fishing shops.Good Luck
Title: Re: alternatives to B-50 dacron
Post by: mikkekeswick on December 29, 2014, 01:40:00 AM
Braided fishing line will work too.
Title: Re: alternatives to B-50 dacron
Post by: mikkekeswick on December 29, 2014, 01:42:00 AM
Fastflight looks expensive but I think by the time you've actually made strings from it isn't much more expensive then B50.
It's more than twice as strong than B50 so you only need half as much and it lasts longer not to mention the strings are miles better and weigh half as much.....
Title: Re: alternatives to B-50 dacron
Post by: fujimo on December 29, 2014, 11:24:00 AM
x2 mike, thats why i am going to try it !
Title: Re: alternatives to B-50 dacron
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on December 29, 2014, 12:11:00 PM
Ive done the long math, FF is cheaper than B-Stretchy is. Mostly due to the fact you use half the strands in most instances and the spools hold much, much more footage. I have 4 spools of B-Junk in my shop, if I could ship it free to somebody, I would. Instead it just gets more and more dried out as the years past!