How Do You String Your Bows ?

[Major Weenie]

The longbowman looks great.

The jewelers wire that I'm using presently is too thick, along with the bows.  But just like the eyes that are too big it seems to work at 3 foot distance on the table.

I agree, most bows themselves are far too thick.  Some time back I cut the bows off of some Old Glory Janissaries and replaced them with bent spears, which were actually a shade thinner.  However, it was so much work bending the bows into a recurved shape that I gave up, and actually sold the figures on eBay.

The idea about notching the bows makes sense.  I was thinking about that myself, but was afraid that it might merely nip the end off the bow.  I'll give it a try.

The whole discussion has been rather interesting as it brings up the philosophy of what painters are trying to do with the figure.  Are they going for accuracy, or symbolism?  I remember one set of wargames rules stressing that figures should be painted not for viewing in the observer's hands at 1 foot, but for the appearance at the 'generally accepted wargaming viewing distance,' which may have already been mentioned here before, of 3 foot.

Whenever the lads at the local club begin discussing flesh tones on figures and what they're supposed to do, the conversation always turns to Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics; Healthy-manly (Egyptian) flesh is represented as a sort of red/bronze color, women & scribes are a sort of beige/white, and Nubians are a shinny black like India Ink.  Not accurate, but it gets the point across.

I suppose that will be the final decision on the great bow string controversy.  Does it do what the painter wants it to do?

[sepoy1857]

Pentaro: Very nice Medieval bowman. Well done!

[Mindenbrush]

5amp fuse wire if you can get hold of it or a strand of copper wire from an old headphones set.
Notch the end of the bow, add wire and wrap round, secure with superglue. Repeat for opposite end.

If the figure is drawing the bow then I drill a fine hole into the hand from both sides, supperglue the wire to teh hand and then to the bow ends.

And I paint eyes................