Make Your Own String Silencers - Yarn

[Lost Viking]

Anyone make their own string silencers from yarn.  I see that I can get Merino Wool yarn at a local craft store, but not sure how to go about it.  Any suggestions, comments appreciated.

Todd

[Lefty]

I take the three middle fingers of my hand and make 6-7 wraps around them with the yarn, cut each end of the bundle, slip in between the seperated strands of your bowstring, adjust and trim.  Shoot a few shots and the yarn puffs out nicely.

[jimbob91]

I was just wondering how does the yarn react to water?does it get heavy and lay down?

[Otto]

Here ya go Lost Viking.

The ones on the right are musk ox from 3 Rivers.  $10 a pair.

The ones on the left are from a skein of merino wool.  $3 for about 100 yds of the stuff.

 

[owlbait]

I cut two cardboard circles the diameter that I want my puffball. Then I cut a circle out of the center of those two circles. I wind the yarn so it overlaps around the cardboard from the inner circle to the outside until the yarn has covered the outside edge of the circle. Hold the circles near the center hole and cut the yarn between the outside edges. Wrap a piece of yarn between those edges, pull tight and tie. You now have a yarn puffball that you can insert between your stings and tie in place. Mine are made of the Merino wool and seems to handle the weather well. That wool has a lot of lanolin in it and seems to shed some water.

[Onehair]

I did a search for Alpaco wool and bought for 2 life times for a few dollars. It is very light compared to most wools. I think alpacodirect.

[SOS]

I use wally world merino as well.  I wrap 16 or so wraps around the remote control.  Kind of pinch or twist it in the middle to hold it tight.  Slip half way into the string at 1/3 or 1/4 or whatever works on your bow.  String up the bow and even it up, pushing the yarn tight together.  Then take scissors and snip the loops.  Once lasted all season - quiet enough to kill 4 deer.

[jimbob91]

Hey lost viking,i gotta ask because of your name.DO YOU BLEED PURPLE?Because im a big fan.

[Apex Predator]

I've been doing this lately as well.  Works very well, it's cheap, and easy to install.  I also use the same stuff to serve the ends of my string on my recurves.  Make for a quite shot!

 

[JRY309]

I make my own with 100% merino wool in a couple of different colors.You can make them as large or small as you want.

[Lost Viking]

jimbob91

Not a radical fan, but given my Minnesota roots, they are always a sentimental favorite - since the year they lost to KC in the SuperBowl.  Hated to seem them just miss out this year with their strong finish.  Maybe the momentum will carry into next year.

I may not bleed purple, but I do bleed Red, White and Blue!

Todd
9/11 Never Forget

[jimbob91]

Its nice to find a fan theres so few in my area.Been a fan since 72 so my die is pretty much cast,alot of highs and lows with that team.Anyway i didnt think that yarn would shed water very well,didnt know about the lanolin.Ill have to give it a try.

[Jack Guard]

I made the pair for this bow out of natural sheep fleece i picked up in the field after sheering season.  i then washed the fleece by hand with dish soap and air dried it.  

Here is the kind of weird part of the process.  i did a Koolaid dye on the fleece.  you can google the process but basically its submersing the fleece in a strong solution of Koolaid and heating it in the microwave for 2 minutes.  repeate the process till the water the fleece is in runs clear.  when this happens it means the fleece has absorbed all of the dye in the koolaid.  the color for this set was done with left over coffee (first dye batch), then orange (second dye batch)and finally black cherry (i think that was what i did).  
 

[Bear Heart]

does the type of wool really matter?

[hera]

Originally posted by Jack Guard:
I made the pair for this bow out of natural sheep fleece i picked up in the field after sheering season.  i then washed the fleece by hand with dish soap and air dried it.  

Here is the kind of weird part of the process.  i did a Koolaid dye on the fleece.  you can google the process but basically its submersing the fleece in a strong solution of Koolaid and heating it in the microwave for 2 minutes.  repeate the process till the water the fleece is in runs clear.  when this happens it means the fleece has absorbed all of the dye in the koolaid.  the color for this set was done with left over coffee (first dye batch), then orange (second dye batch)and finally black cherry (i think that was what i did).  
 

Jack

Very cool silencers and bow.