How Do You String Your Bows ?

[Major Weenie]

Suppose this fits in Colonial,

Anyway, most of my example photos will have colonial figures.  OK, so for years I was unhappy with bowmen who just seemed to be waving sticks about.  So I tried some experiments with stringing their bows.  I've settled on jeweler's wire, and it looks OK, but I'm not really happy with the way I have to tie it to the end of the bows.  Any ideas from the LAF ?  Thanks.

[former user]

well, I simply don't

too thick

[Conquistador]

Yeah, you would need thin silk (perhaps,) thread, very fine wire...

still, I understand your dislike of the stringless look but it would be essentially invisible from three feet (not scale, actual,) away I expect.

Gracias,

Glenn

[Pentaro]

I looked for a spare piece of electric wire (do you say that in English?), cut it along and used the copper strings in it. Just with a handspan of it I can string a full army! Sorry, no colonials here:

[Hammers]

I don't since it doesn't look convincing.

[voltan]

I've known people who've used their own hair for bowstrings

[Roebeast45]

I've used human hair. It's difficult.

I did a unit of skeletons for a customer with thinly stretched sprue. You can hold a soldering iron near it once it's glued on and it makes it taut. The same technique some people use for WW1 biplane rigging.

[Furt]

That's dedication.

Love the bowman Pentaro.

[Alfrik]

When I have strung bows, i use an exacto to put a small notch/groove on the top back and bottom back of the ends of the bow. The using the finest thread, glue the thread to one grove, let dry, trim excess off. Then pull slightly to other end and a touch of Krazy glue (instant glue of your choice), done.  Sometimes I do the same grooves but start by gluing the end of the thread to the top and bottom of the pulling hand, then out to the top and bottom, using two pieces of thread. Very labor intensive.


My 2 cents

[Pentaro]

I don't since it doesn't look convincing.

I'm not crazy about it either, but it doesn't look worse either so I gave it a try. It takes a couple of minutes. Thanks, fsultana; Front Rank miniatures are really easy to paint!

[Blackwolf]

I use a flytying bobbin available from fishing tackle shops (who stock fly tying gear). Using a flytying bobbin means you can keep tension,very important in trying to replicate a bowstring. And the bowstring itself? Invisible mending thread (a very thin monofiliment nylon),should be found in most dress making shops.I'll try and post a WIP this weekend.

  Greywolf

[Silent Invader]

I think to string or not to string is one of those things that really does come down to personal choice, a bit like woodgrain or painted eyes.

My preference is to add string and my technique is the same as Alfrik's.

[Captain Blood]

I think to string or not to string is one of those things that really does come down to personal choice, a bit like woodgrain or painted eyes.

Interesting... You've got me thinking now. 

I don't paint eyes and I don't add bowstrings because (to me anyway) these things make my models look less 'real' (yes, even though real people have eyes and strings on their bows! But somehow, these don't translate too well into 28mm... )

I do, on the other hand, always paint woodgrain... Because I think it looks effective.
(Even though it's not usually 'realistic' either... )

Hmmm. I am wondering why this is... 

Just personal tatse I suppose...

[Silent Invader]

I'm kind of the opposite of you Cap'n B, you're an outstanding painter and I'm .... er, well... nuff said!   

I've also wondered about this before because my own minis seem wrong (to me, obviously) when they lack eyes or bowstrings. 

Perhaps it has something to do with brain function, logic tells me that to function a bow should have a string and a human should have eyes, so in miniatures that I am playing with I 'look' for them.  That said, I don't look for these things in other people's miniatures, perhaps because I'm not about to play with the minis but instead am admiring them as a work of art and can then acknowledge that they are the better for it.   
 

[Pentaro]

I don't paint eyes and I don't add bowstrings

I add bowstrings but I don't paint eyes