I have used B-50/B-55 for a long time and have been happy. But I hear all the talk about "new" stuff, FF and such. So I have been fooling around with some things. I have made strings from several different kinds but here is the question. I just made a D-97 string for my N.M. Whisper and I have adjusted the brace ht. 4 times because of the string stretching......does D-97 stretch that much?
How many strands of D-97?
For me it settles in way faster than B55 with very little stretch.
I find that D97 does stretch a bit more then other new materials.I do notice alot more stretching on my skinny 8 strand D97.I find that 12 strands doesn't stretch as much as the 8 strand.I would make up the 8 strand D97 about 3/4" to 1" shorter then normal to allow for the extra stretch.They seem to take alittle longer to settle in,but properly made with enough strands they hold pretty good after it settles in.I really like the new BCY-X material,quiet and doesn't stretch much if at all.Once I stretch it in on a bow it stays right there.The materials that are blended with alittle Vectran seems to not stretch very much.
D97 stretched too much for me and was also the loudest of all the high performance materials that I've tried to date. Therefore, I don't use it any more.
Dynaflight '97 doesn't stretch much compared to polyester (B-50 or B-55), but it has more stretch than 452X or BCY-X. Strand count makes a big difference.
I made it 14 strand and padded the loops. I have adjusted the brace 2 more times now.
Ron, do you pre-stretch your strings after you make them?
After I make a string I'll hook the top loop on a hook, pull the string tight with my hand and work a piece of soft leather up and down the string. This builds up heat, stretching the string and melting the wax into the bundle.
When I string the bow I place the bow across my knees, belly down and push evenly down on the limb tips. You can feel the string stretch when you do this.
I just string it and then rub the wax in as described, no pushing of the tips......I have to try that!
It's been so long since I made a string without pre-stretching it I couldn't say what is normal for one that wasn't pre-stretched...but I do know 14 strands of Dynaflight '97 won't (normally)stretch much at all unless it's a really heavy draw weight.
This is a 68" Northern Mist Whisper 45# @ 28", so not to heavy.
Ron, going from dacron to ah.p. material will be a learnining curve as far as dia. and strand length. The amount of twists and such, using the same setup on your jig as with dacrons!
You will be good, just pay attention to this with the new to you materials.
Oh, and you should be happy with the performance, quieter, softer at the shot, and using a heavier arrow for hunting!
Hey Ron, I make my own strings with D97 and when finished, I leave the bow strung overnight. This usually takes most of the stretch out, but adjusting the brace two or three times during the first lengthy shooting session seems normal to me. It will settle in after a short while. Good luck buddy.
14 strands should be very stable on a 45# bow. I used to use 12 on a 66@30.5. If it keeps moving, something is amiss.
It seems to have settled in...... I'll shoot it some and check it. Many thanks for the info :notworthy: :)
Maybe your loops are slipping? I'm assuming that you made a flemish twist string.
My jig is setup so I need 8.75" to form the loop on one end and tie back in for my asl bows. I've seen someone elses string slip when they did'nt have enough string left to tie back in securely.
Adjusting that much would seem to be a lot even for b50.