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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: JMM81 on January 23, 2018, 08:12:00 AM

Title: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: JMM81 on January 23, 2018, 08:12:00 AM
Hello ,
can I mix fiber type to make a bowstring?
See if this can have an impact on the sound (lower fiber for noise reduction?)
 for example: ASTRO + XS2
If yes, which fibers mix well together?

Or is it not advisable?

Because I use the whisper string bodnik .corde that makes my bow silent but has a tendency to lie .Don I try to make a performance rope but also silent.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: Pat B on January 23, 2018, 09:32:00 AM
I have mixed B-50 and B-55. My Treadway bow has FF type string mixed with B-50 I think. Not sure the brand type.
Chad(LBR) will probably chime in with an educated answer.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: Crooked Stic on January 23, 2018, 09:33:00 AM
You can pad the loops with a different material
. I would think different rates of stretch may be a problem in main part of the string,
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: DanielB89 on January 23, 2018, 09:51:00 AM
absolutely, you can mix materials.  Just be sure that you put enough strands of the material with the lesser stretch.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: old_goat2 on January 23, 2018, 10:16:00 AM
Seems to me it would be problematic to build for a non professional, different rates of stretch, different strand diameters. Seems like it would cause cabling and the string wouldn't be very round.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: Pat B on January 23, 2018, 11:35:00 AM
Like I said, my Treadway bow has a mix of materials. I'd have to say that Mike is a professional.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: old_goat2 on January 23, 2018, 12:11:00 PM
QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B:
Like I said, my Treadway bow has a mix of materials. I'd have to say that Mike is a professional.
Does he mix it through the length of the string or just pad the loops? Big difference. I know of people having trouble keeping the bundles the same length when twisting in the string because of a slight difference in diameter of two different colors of the same string material. I'm sure there's some tricks to overcome it, doubt the OP is at that level and I know I'm not!
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: Terry Lightle on January 23, 2018, 02:04:00 PM
May be ok,but not on my bow.Spooked about different amount of stretch,just my opinion.   .May be fine,but like I said above just a little spooked.
Terry
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: Pat B on January 23, 2018, 02:31:00 PM
Full length.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: A.S. on January 23, 2018, 03:07:00 PM
Mike Treadway has built B50/FF strings for many years.  I don't know which FF material he uses. I have never tried it, but have friends who have had them on his bows.

Some FF materials are so close, that mixing them would be possible......if that's all you have.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: JRY309 on January 23, 2018, 04:12:00 PM
I have been making my own bowstrings for my own bows for 20+ years.Me personally I wouldn't mix materials in the main body but have padded the loops with different materials.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: frank bullitt on January 23, 2018, 04:23:00 PM
Alot folks have, and do mix dacron/polyester with high performance materials.

As for mixing hp strings, I have a D97/Ultra Cam, string I have shot for over 3 years.  Not saying you should!
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: LBR on January 23, 2018, 07:40:00 PM
What it amounts to is the material with less stretch is going to carry the load, the other material is just a built-in dampener.  Mike has tried a few different materials.  He's got a lot of 8125 from me.  He puts and equal number of strands of each material in each bundle.

The only materials I'd mix like that (other than padding a loop) would be Dynaflight '97 and Dynaflight 10/Force 10.  The only reason I'd mix those two in the same string is because they are practically the same material...but then there's no point in mixing the two.

I remember a guy at the original Howard Hill shoot in Wilsonville, AL promoting a fast flight/B-50 mix string.  Never tried one, never had a reason to since.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: nineworlds9 on January 23, 2018, 08:03:00 PM
I wouldn't do it.  I'd spend more time tuning or finding effective silencers.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: ron w on January 23, 2018, 08:16:00 PM
Mike Treadway told me he did it full length many years ago. So I tried it and have had no issues. I like it for nock fit. Just a couple of strands 2-3 per bundle with your choice of FF material. Seems to work very well.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: Jasper2 on January 23, 2018, 09:19:00 PM
Treadway mixes FF and Dacron and I believe that the Shrew strings used to be mixed as well with 450+ and Dacron.  I've talked to Treadway at length about this as I'm sure many of you have if you've ever called him   :D   Guys that mix materials claim that it makes the bow quieter.  

I build my own strings and don't mix materials myself because I've done it and they are not any quieter to my ear so I see no need to mess with it.  If I gained something by doing it....I'd do it in a heartbeat!

For what it's worth, I've tried strings from the two guys that I mentioned above as well with the same results. Do your own testing if you can, your results may vary.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: mahantango on January 25, 2018, 08:20:00 PM
I'd listen to Chad on this. His answer reflects my thoughts exactly. Makes no sense to me.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: Fletcher on January 25, 2018, 09:51:00 PM
I wouldn't do it, the chance of a string failure isn't worth it to me.  I won't even mix engine oils.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: ron w on January 25, 2018, 10:10:00 PM
If you have a skinny string of some type of FF material.....how could adding a couple of strands of B-50 to each bundle make the string more likely to fail. The 8-10 strand of FF are doing the work and guys shoot them all the time. The B-50 is just going along for the ride.......and my nocks fit well. I do it all the time and I think Mike Treadway has a good handle on what's good and bad........just my thoughts.
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: BowDiddle on January 26, 2018, 10:46:00 AM
I had a well known (can't type in his name?) string builder build me a mixed material string a few years back.

I wanted an Ultracam/B50 combo string, and I wanted it that way to make the string quieter, and have better nock fit.

He warned/told me, that unless I was shooting fairly low draw weight as to not overload the strands of the B50, that it would not work as I expected it to, and tried to get me to let him just build me a good fastflight string.

Well, he was right. I was shooting 65#, and that mixed string made the bow crappy to shoot.

Luckily for me he sent an all ultracam string served for my nocks, and with silencers (for free mind you) along with the mixed string.

He sent a note along with the strings saying when I was convinced, to put the ultracam string on, and be happy, which I did, and was.

Pat
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: DanielB89 on January 26, 2018, 10:50:00 AM
Rick ****** ??
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: BowDiddle on January 26, 2018, 11:03:00 AM
QuoteOriginally posted by DanielB89:
Rick ****** ??
Well yes, the first name is Rick.
Not sure about the ******. LOL

Pat
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: Roadkill on January 28, 2018, 01:39:00 PM
Nock fit, just add a few strands under the serving.  Pad the loops.  No need for full length in my view as one can get results in other ways
Title: Re: Mix the materials for bowstring
Post by: mahantango on January 28, 2018, 03:33:00 PM
I just simply can't understand why you'd want to add a few strands of B50 to a low stretch string.