Making bowstrings

SidTheSloth · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:16 am

hi all
has anybody got any good ways to add a bowstring to a model's bow?

I'd probaly make it out of green stuff but it would have to be rediculously thin :roll:

any suggestions?

.:Gunslinger:. · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:57 am

Hi,

Ithere's a method which consists of melting a piece of plastic spue over a candle or a lighter until it's soft and than pull it with tweezer! This gives you relatively thin bowstrings

The method is a bit tricky at the beginning though, because you got to figure out when the plastic has reached the right consistency...it goes rather quickly from perfect consistence to burning which is bad! Always do this outside, the vapors from melting/burning plastic are toxic!

Here is a link to the original article (which is in German unfortunately, but the pictures explain the method quite well

) http://www.tabletop-hdr.de/tipps-und-tricks/bogensehnen-von-mike/

Monotone_Matt · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:02 am

I can speak and read perfect German if anyone needs a translation...

SidTheSloth · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:17 am

.:Gunslinger:. wrote:

Hi,

Ithere's a method which consists of melting a piece of plastic spue over a candle or a lighter until it's soft and than pull it with tweezer! This gives you relatively thin bowstrings

The method is a bit tricky at the beginning though, because you got to figure out when the plastic has reached the right consistency...it goes rather quickly from perfect consistence to burning which is bad! Always do this outside, the vapors from melting/burning plastic are toxic!

Here is a link to the original article (which is in German unfortunately, but the pictures explain the method quite well

) http://www.tabletop-hdr.de/tipps-und-tricks/bogensehnen-von-mike/

thanks for the link, gunslinger!

i will give that a go today

@monotone_matt: many thanks for the kind offer mate but google auto-translated it for me

Gene Parmesan · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:28 am

Try a steel guitar string gauge 008. You can buy them individually.

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:41 am

Or fuse wire

Monotone_Matt · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:58 am

:O i feel so obsolete!

Beowulf03809 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 2:39 pm

I've used thin thread early on and it came out ok. If I revisit this effort I'm going to go with guitar string or similar though, as long as I can pull it tight enough with the anchors used.

My issue with bowstrings is that (1) you need to make them amazingly tight for them to look realistic and (2) as soon as the bowstring is on now it seems to me it needs an arrow. A very fine hard wire is ok for an arrow but then it needs fletchings which is another effort...it starts to become a whole "give a mouse a cookie" situation (for those of you with small children).

For me, all this effort is fine a significant hero, but as a personal preference I believe the illusion of the pulled bow is better for the mass troops and lesser heroes and captains. Maybe if I didn't worry about the arrow I'd feel different.

Jobu · **Posted:** Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:20 pm

"give a mouse a cookie" situation (for those of you with small children).

That was hilarious, I totally get that.

On topic: have any of you tried very thin bristles of some sort? Like from cheap paint brushes? Or the long static grass?

woodelf · **Posted:** Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:54 pm

Hi
I put bowstrings in all my mini's I use transparent hemming thread, I use superglue to stick one end then stretch it tight and glue the other end. I still think even this is a little large!
However my wife has r e a l l y long hair, no I'm not going to pluck a hair from her head. But the next time she brushes her hair I will use one of the loose ones. So I'll try a strand of her hair and see how easy it is to work with. My only concern is that the strand might be really springy and difficult to work with, but I think it's worth a try I'll let you know how it goes.
Cheers
Woodelf

Beowulf03809 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:45 pm

I use thin brush bristles for antenna on (15mm) tanks. It's durable and really looks good for that. The issue I'd say is that it's not the right consistency to get the really tight pull you'll want on a bow string. Human hair sounds like an interesting idea and unless there's a brittleness issue you should be able to really get it tight. Your wife may start looking at you funny if you keep checking her brush every day so you may want to give her a heads-up...unless that will creep her out anyway.

theOneRider · **Posted:** Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:58 am

Nylon hemming thread is the best way to go. There are several different thicknesses available (I prefer a mid-range option) so it's easy to find one that you'll be satisfied with.
As for knocked arrows, I just straighten a staple. I haven't bothered much with fletching them, and haven't really been bothered by the absence. I'd imagine, though, that a thin superglue could be applied to the end you want fletched, followed by a small piece of paper. Simple enough.

Making bowstrings

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