Flemish String Jig Specs

Flemish bowstrings are popular in archery for strength and relative ease with which they can be made. Flemish bowstrings are made by combining two or three bundles tightly together without the use of a jig. However, a jig is useful in making many Flemish strings relatively quickly and uniformly. The dimensions and specifications for your Flemish string jig vary depending on the length of bowstring.

  1. The Board

    • The backbone of a Flemish string jig can be a simple piece of lumber. Thin, brittle or flexible wood will not work, so use a strong and durable piece of wood as your board. A piece of lumber two inches thick and four inches wide will work well in this capacity. You might also use a board that is three or two inches wide. The board's length varies according to the length of string you wish to make. It should be about two inches longer than the length of the longest bowstring you intend to make. So, if you create a 62-inch bowstring, use a board that is about 33 inches long.

    Top Nail Placement

    • The jig uses nails to hold the strands in place as you construct your bundles. At one end of the board, two columns of nails protrude from the board's surface. These columns begin one inch from the end of the board. The nails are evenly spaced, two per inch. The number of nails is the same in both columns, and is determined by the number of strands used in the bundle being made. For example, a 14 strand bundle requires seven nails in each column, beginning one inch from the end of the board and spaced evenly every 1/2-inch along the board's length. The columns are an equal distance from the board's center. By comparison, a 16 strand bundle requires eight nails in each column.

    Bottom Nail Placement

    • A pair of nails is spaced one inch from the board's opposite end. Each of these nails lines up with one of the columns. The bundle wraps around these nails as it is woven from the individual strands. An optional additional column of nails may extend away from this end along the board's center line, equally spaced, to wrap the strands around an additional point and produce a longer bundle.

    Cutting Groove

    • The cutting groove is an optional grove that runs down the center of the board. While it is not required, the cutting groove facilitates cutting the strands free from the nails once they are woven together into a bundle. The groove is not deep, and may be as shallow as one eighth of an inch. It extends past the two parallel columns of nails, but not far enough to interfere with the optional center column on the other end of the board.