Band tying line question

    Dan


    I would like to get some tubing from you soon to make my own bands, but was curious if you also have band tying line? do you have the band tying line (thin black) to go along with it? what is best to use for tying as far as ease of tying a constrictor knot, strength and durability?


    Thanks



    Also, maybe a nice instructional page on the forum would be a good idea, making bands (cutting correct length, tying, wishbones, etc) rigging reel line, sharpening shaft points, etc. Just a suggestion. (similar to Mako speargun site, but, of course better).

    This is the best band tying twine I've found http://www.freedivingspearfish…/46-band-tying-twine.html Except the black one they sent me was thinner than what I ordered and I'm still waiting for it to be replaced. The blue twine is perfect however and I have a few spools of it. Each spool is $8 and has approx. 80ft of twine.




    I taper my bands moderately using a bench grinder and a nail inside the band for support, and use inserts http://www.freedivingspearfish…/26-wishbone-inserts.html



    After constricting the band the rubber expands and engulfs the insert. I then grab it with a vice and pull out until it hits the knot. You can also use knots in the wishbone instead of the inserts, but the inserts make it very easy to replace a worn wishbone.



    If you're going to be using a knot at each end of the wishbone use one that ties big. The first knot to try is the double overhand stopper http://www.animatedknots.com/stopperrescue/index.php



    If that's not big enough for Dyneema try to find a bigger knot. I wouldn't use a bead, I think it would be hard to insert into my band material because of the difficulty of grabbing it firmly with pliers or anything else.



    I use spit to lubricate the knot and a back and forth twisting motion while pushing it in. It's not difficult to get inside the band.



    I then use a piece of pvc tube to hold the pliers in the open position.



    I grab the knot through the rubber tube and pull out the pliers leaving the knot inside.



    By contrast notice how easy it is to insert a wishbone insert into this rubber tubing. I'm basically doing it with one hand after having lubricated it with spit.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLTCi0yIRn4


    Another option is to make the bands with a replaceable wishbone using loops instead of inserts. For this you will insert a loop with a knot into the end of the band. The loop would be tied with an overhand loop knot http://www.associatedcontent.c…hand_loop_knot.html?cat=4 Because a loop has double the line the knot size is usually sufficient. For best results doing it this way the actual wishbone and the loop material should be of varying thicknesses. If they're not the end of the wishbone would need to be finished with an overhand knot so that it wouldn't slip through.


    Finally use a double constrictor knot to tighten the band around the wishbone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constrictor_knot I then do two more normal constrictor knots to enlarge the knot closer to the diameter of the band. These knots worked very well for me for tying bands, I never had a wishbone come out.


    Double constrictor knot.



    Constrictor knot.



    At some point I would like to do a more thorough tutorial but this should get you going for now. Also if you come to get the band material I'll just show you.

    Fantastic Dan, thanks. Will you shoot me a post on here when you get the fling-it line and i will come over to pick it all up, thanks again.

    I don't see the necessity of such a long taper, you lose 2" of band material the way he does it, if you were to make a wishbone equally short. Although it's been said that it makes the band more hydrodynamic.


    Do not put aceite (oil) inside the bands.


    The band tying twine I recommended already comes waxed.


    The way he's tying the constrictor is called tying in the blight.


    I'm not a fan of metal wishbones (quitadedos), but at least that one is not sharp.


    I was taught this way by in New Caledonia in 1984 by my close friend JC Bourdelon. We used heavy mil spec waxed nylon. I still do my bands this way. I use a drop of Monoi oil on on the insert then wipe it off. It keeps the bands from sticking to the insert.


    I use two Iron wood dowels to pull the loops tight, I have never had a wish bone pull out or leak water inside.
    I use long tapers as there is less cavitation behind the wishbone. Some Italians are very on it with power band
    efficiency.......more later. Here is one of many of my personal test targets.

    What is the preferred length of the wishbone? what are the factors for making the wishbone a particular length? does a longer wishbone have a tendency to get caught up in the bands and therefore should be relatively short? is it based upon pull length of your bands?


    Just curious about wishbone length and why some commercial bands have very short wishbones and others a bit longer, thanks.

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