String Silencers

[Wudstix]

After 180 shots from the first pic to this.  Top and Bottom.

[Jim Jackson]

I too still have a stock pile of BowHush.  None better, and those little girls were dolls.

[Wudstix]

Some tech data: 2" piece of sheath 2.2 grains.  4x2" times 2 for a pair is 17.6 grains.  Wool puffs about 45 grains/pair.  That has to contribute to some more string speed.  My BR Recurve 67#@28", used to shot Qiviut puffs and 675 grain woodies at 176 fps.  Never weighted those puffs, but they were fairly light weight, but they clumped up when wet.  Have not had the PC clump yet.
 

[Arlo]

Well, the real question in my mind is what is it about adding a little puff of yarn to a string that causes it to be quieter?  Truth is it isn't about the puff of yarn, as a bit of rubber (string leeches) does the same thing.  How about cat whiskers, rubber puffs so to speak!

So what are the physics?  Has to be about harmonics right?

So bottom line is it must be about adding a bit of weight to the string at precisely the right location to dampen the strings vibration, not so much as what the weight consists of.   

I've tried just about every kind of string silencer you could think of at one time or another over the last 32 years. and always go back to rubber cat whiskers. But hunting in the rain has a bit to do with that too.

 If you are a fair weather archer that doesn't get your bow wet, there are all kinds of options that work well.
But those wool puffs look like dead rats when they get wet, and do effect the performance when full of water. Rubber cat whiskers don't do that....     

[BAK]

And Arlo, there was a rather extensive study discussed over on "Trad Talk" some ways back that showed  the rubber cat whiskers did a better job than any other medium.  It also boiled down to placement, not just what or how much.   

[Arlo]

And Arlo, there was a rather extensive study discussed over on "Trad Talk" some ways back that showed  the rubber cat whiskers did a better job than any other medium.  It also boiled down to placement, not just what or how much.   

That doesn't surprise me at all. I didn't go into placement, as that was not mentioned in the original post. But off setting the location top and bottom by 2-3" kills the oscillation and stops the string quicker. I assumed that was a given...

[Terry Green]

For me, for decades, 1/3rd or 1/4th placement is the quietest. Also, Lee Robinson did a video on this placement showing why, with the 3rd being the quickest and quietest.

[BAK]

Interesting, the study done I mentioned showed the harmonics dampened most at 1/6th, and 1/10th.

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I have used beaver balls strings silencers worked great then was out in the rain and when everything dried out the beaver hide dried rock hard and started making noise, so I switch to wool silencer from Big Jim.

[Terry Green]

BAK, did that study show the string being plucked from the nock point?

[BAK]

I don't remember if it did, sorry.  I did copy the following;


"OK, let's dive in. First, an explanation of very basic harmonics. Wikipedia says:A harmonic series is the sequence of sounds[1]-pure tones, represented by sinusoidal waves-in which the frequency[2] of each sound is an integer multiple of the fundamental, the lowest frequency.[3]

 Your bowstring acts like a guitar string when plucked. It's length, as measured from the contact points on either end creates the fundamental frequency. The 3rd and 5th harmonics are known as the dominant harmonic frequencies. So the dividing points to dampen those two harmonics is each spot where that harmonics at its peak in the sine wave. So for the 3rd harmonic, those points would be 1/6, 3/6 and 5/6 of the string length. For the 5th harmonic, the points would be 1/10, 3/10, 5/10, 7/10 and 9/10 of the string length."

Now that being said, plucking the string from any point midway on the string should still result in a similar wave form as the length of the string remains the same.



 

[Blacktail42]

Best I have used are the scalloped wool silencers that you can get from Shrew bows

[Bamboozle]

I remember Lee's findings well. He showed a video of the bowstring being plucked so you could see where the wave lengths were plain as day.  He then showed the measurements for maximum wave dampening. And finally, the tell tail decibel level at those two measurements.  Lee's findings are still being used after nearly 20 years.

[Jim Jackson]

I remember Lee's findings well. He showed a video of the bowstring being plucked so you could see where the wave lengths were plain as day.  He then showed the measurements for maximum wave dampening. And finally, the tell tail decibel level at those two measurements.  Lee's findings are still being used after nearly 20 years.

Yep. X2

[Bowwild]

Enjoyed this thread more than I expected, thanks OP!

I had never heard of the studies mentioned.  Glad to hear about them. Frankly, I've always sort of eye-balled and tried to discern sound differences at different placements.  I'm going to try this 1/6th string length thing.  On a 49" string (52" Thunderbird) it appears I need to have the silencers at 8.16" from the end of the string. From another post, it would seem I need to set one at this distance and the opposite 2-3" different (off-set)?

I do think the bow hush material I bought for a few bows was very effective.

[Wudstix]

Was shooting in two strings, over last two weeks.  It is incredible what difference 1/2" in the placement makes.  Remeasured the distance from touch point to touch point on my recurve, adjusted the puffs just under 1/2" and the noise reduction is noticeable.  From a thwack to a thump.
 

[Zeebob]

Got a brand new takedown longbow the other day..built by a friend using KennyM’s design.  I have it up and running…I put a pair of wool puffs from BigJim on the string.  Lots of information about placement locations.  I chose to put them on at 1/3 of the string length from each end…as Terry Green had mentioned earlier.  That bow is nearly silent according to my wife….

I’m not sure where the best placement is….but I’m happy with my bow now..it’s quiet..

[Wudstix]

Quiet is in the ear of the beholder.  If you're happy, that'll do.
 

[GCook]

I run wool yarn silencers Daniel puts in my strings at build and they last the life of the string.  If I were buying separate I'd buy the Bow Hush Hush Puppies from Mountain Muffler.  Best I've used so far.
I put the lower one at one third, upper at one quarter.   Seems to work well enough.

[TSP]

Harmonics is the key for every string's noise level but in the practical sense silencer results can't always be tied simply to set distance intervals or material used.  So much depends on the characteristics of the string (design, material, strands, twist, loop configuration, brace ht., etc.) the bow (limb type and length/width, tiller, taper, fadeout design, construction material, etc.) and let's not forget the shooter's habits (good release, bad release, three under, split, two finger, long target draw, short hunter draw, etc.).  Silencer material may well be the least important variable compared to the rest of them.  Perhaps the best (but not easiest) way to find the sweet spot for any given string/bow/shooter is to TIE on a set (two total, one at each end) of silencers (whatever material you prefer) and run tests by shooting the bow repeatedly and sliding the silencers slightly along the string between shots, noting the 'noise' you hear at each set location.  Your ears are your best decibel meter.  Keep simple notes (EX.  1-10 on 'ear sound quality' for each shot) and once the sweet spot seems to be found attach the silencers there.  Then do it all again for your other bows, new strings, changes in your form, etc. 

Nobody ever said the simple stick and string was ACTUALLY supposed to be simple, or easy.