String Jig Design

carl7

New member
Been looking at jig designs and for me, who will make strings just for myself, the 2 post jig looks good, in terms of easier construction and making the string itself. Instead of the 4 posts, the 2 post version uses spreaders to do the end loop winding and servings, seems in a way to have advantages over the 4 post versions.

Anything I'm overlooking?

Thanks,
Carl
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
There's plenty of alternative designs knocking around on the web. I quite like some of the 3 post ones or the folded designs. Ultimately it doesn't master so long as you can produce consistent results on it.

Important points for string making:
It has to be nice and rigid. No point making something that turns banana shaped when you wind the string.
Adjustable is good. You'll probably want to fiddle with strong lengths.
Allow decent clearance for the serving tool. It makes things quicker.

I would personally favour a design which didn't make it too fiddly to do the end serving. Spreaders sound like a hassle, when you're trying to get a string done quickly.
 

carl7

New member
There's plenty of alternative designs knocking around on the web. I quite like some of the 3 post ones or the folded designs. Ultimately it doesn't master so long as you can produce consistent results on it.

Important points for string making:
It has to be nice and rigid. No point making something that turns banana shaped when you wind the string.
Adjustable is good. You'll probably want to fiddle with strong lengths.
Allow decent clearance for the serving tool. It makes things quicker.

I would personally favour a design which didn't make it too fiddly to do the end serving
. Spreaders sound like a hassle, when you're trying to get a string done quickly.
Rigid it will be, I have some 19mm (3/4") diameter steel rods.

Could be the spreaders, seems it may move around a bit under the movement of the serving bobbin.

Carl
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
I serve the end loops without any real problems on my two post jig.
The Friskney Bowmen website had a great set of pictures showing how that can be done, using the ends of the bowstring material for the loops and normal serving thread for the straight bits that contact the limbs.
I don't have a copy though and the set pics are no longer on there, sadly.
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Mine is made of two lengths of Dexion angle iron (the stuff used for building racking) it has holes along both faces ,so is infinitely adjustable.
I welded a couple of uprights and use fence wire tensioning bolts with the loops bent open to form hooks. This gives plenty of adustment/tensioming. To pull one half of the sting out of the way when serving the nock loop I just use a bent wire hook, pull it down and cplip it into a spare hole.
Move the string back round to put that nock serving at one end so that I can mark where the other loop serving needs to go using a bit of masking tape.
The Dexion was going spare at work... there's a lot of it about.
I'm all for building your own sytuff. Often it won't work quite right, but a few mods will put it right. You can spend money on commercial stuff that is rubbish and designed for cheapness/ease of manufacture... not repairability. (That's new cars too...)
There's a small pic of the MK1 at the bottom of the following linked blog post. It's since been modified, two be two shorter sections of similar length with a welded post at each end. The sections can be overlapped and held securely with just a single finger tight bolt. I clamp the whole thing in a my bench vice when using it. Two shorter lengths is better for storage.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/roys-bow-and-stringing-jig.html
Del
 

Bald Eagle

New member
If you go ahead and make one, spend a few extra quid on stainless rod, get someone to turn a groove near the ends to keep the string material in when making. The old jig in our club has mild steel posts an if you don't emery them before you mke a string you get rusty marks all over the ends!! I bought an extension for the new club jig, now I can make longbow and solo cam strings in one stretch!
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
I turned the ends of mine so I can slide on PTFE bobbins. That allows the string to slip round nicely and help with evening out the strand tensions.
 

carl7

New member
I just checked downstairs and there are lots of round rod that will work, even enough to make a four pole jig. One rod is a 3/4" drive socket extension 90cm long for trucks. Good thing about these extensions, they're nickel plated.

Yes Bald Eagle, I have a metal lathe so turning any profile on the rod ends will be no problem.

Carl
 

Bald Eagle

New member
Just a thought, if you have a lathe, drill the ends of the rod to about 3/4" and tap them out so you can fit an Allen bolt through a small diameter alloy shaft off cut, (about an inch long) Pass the bolt through this "protective sleeve" and screw it into the tops of the posts, this allows you to make smaller loops for compoud strings. I know you said you were only going to make strings for yourself, but when archers know you make strings you'll be inundated with orders!!!!
 
My string jig is really simple, base board and parallels of white oak dimensional lumber with 4 stainless coach bolt uprights.

Base has a hole at one end and holes every inch at the other extending to however long you want to make strings - the length between uprights on one of the parallels.

The two parallels are simply the same dimensional lumber, cut to length and drilled in the centre and at either end for the uprights, the uprights are then bolted in place with the coach bolt head at the top to stop the string slipping off before youve finished, the bolts you use to secure it have to be recessed into the board so it can be rotated to allow you to serve the strings together.

The coach bolts are M10 and are 200mm high, plenty of room to swing a serving jig under.

I use a set of washers between base and parallel, and also between parallel and wing nut to secure them.

If youre worried about it bending, just put a clamp at either end when you use it, but I've never had a problem with that when using 3/4" x 3 1/2" lumber.
 

carl7

New member
Good thoughts Bald Eagle and Kieran Little.

I was thinking today about materials and actually even galvanized steel, bronze, or copper water pipe can make the upright posts and there are lots of fittings that can be fit on those pipes, screwed, soldered, brazed, on the top end. There are flanges too that can be attached to a table or 2x4. I may just go this route instead of cutting, machining, welding, solid steel rods etc.

Just one trip to the local hardware should give you everything you need. You may even have all the stuff at home.

Carl
 

Bertybobby

New member
Mine is timber, two lengths of 3x2 from the builders merchant, with posts made from broomhandles with screws in.

3 post design.

Total cost about ?12.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
 

carl7

New member
Mine is timber, two lengths of 3x2 from the builders merchant, with posts made from broomhandles with screws in.

3 post design.

Total cost about ?12.
Yes Bertybobby simple does it, I like that. Another thought is using pipeclamp1.jpeg , I have over 75 of these from my woodworking business. Just clamp to a length of 2x4 and all I would need to make is the top portion that contacts the string.

Carl
 
To tension my strings I group the strand together once theyve been wound around the jig, wax and then use a small hook on a rod to pull them, this tensions all the strands in the string the same as they can slide around the other end. Meaning the strands will all be the same length and therefore under the same tension in the final string.

I then do the length of serving at one end, rotate the jig to serve the sides together and attach a very stiff bungee cord to pull the string into tension, then serve the sides together.

Repeat for the other end.

Leave on the jig and attach a bungee cord to each upright, I leave it for quarter hour like this before centre serving, or just put it on the bow for quarter hour if you can.
 

carl7

New member
Thanks Kieran Little, I'll certainly keep the even string tension in mind, I saw a video on the same subject yesterday stressing how important it is. They mentioned the sturdiness of the jig too in string evenness.

Carl
 
Very true, if your jig turns into a banana its not going to help because the strings will slide past each other, if your jig isnt up to it just chuck a clamp at both ends to hold it onto a solid work bench.
 
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