Cat whiskers can be bad.....

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by LBR:
I tie mine on around the string so they can be tuned/adjusted--done it this way for years.

This makes me think of the old string debate--"I once saw a bow with a FF string on it blow up, so I'll never use a FF string!".  Nevermind the thousands (or tens/hundreds of thousands) that use the FF string that never have and never will have a problem.

No doubt something went wrong in the pictures posted.  I know without a doubt the blame doesn't lie just with tied-on cat whiskers--as I said earlier, if that was the case I'd have seen, or at least heard about it years/thousands of strings ago.

Chad

I'm with Chad on this one....Something is funky going on....

 Those puff balls are great when it's dry, but they don't cut the mustard it in Oregon. If you don't like hunting in the rain here, you don't hunt much.

[Ken Taylor]

I like catwhiskers too... cut short, bushy, and well fastened.

Artificial, but not edible... like the time on an isolated hunt when a mouse decided to steal my own beautiful, natural, beaver fur silencers, and left me with only about 6 bowstring strands in the process!

[kuch]

I think a lot of you guys are missing the point, which is inspect your strings for wear , period .  Not which is the better silencer . Most of us, myself included, just grab a bow and shoot. Too late then if the string is ready to go for whatever reason. I should go down the checklist each time I shoot ,not just before a big hunt or trip.

[Pierre Lucas]

Originally posted by kuch:
I think a lot of you guys are missing the point, which is inspect your strings for wear , period .  Not which is the better silencer . Most of us, myself included, just grab a bow and shoot. Too late then if the string is ready to go for whatever reason. I should go down the checklist each time I shoot ,not just before a big hunt or trip.

Exactly.......    

God Bless,  Pierre

[LBR]

 I think a lot of you guys are missing the point, which is inspect your strings for wear , period .

That's not what title of the thread and the first post says.

No doubt one should inspect their string on a regular basis--at the loops, at the serving, at any suspicious looking spots (frayed, etc.), if the brace height suddenly drops...and even where the silencers are installed.  

Evidently this thread made some folks remember to check their strings, but that obviously wasn't the original topic.

I'd really like to know what caused the wear on that string in the pics.  Since a lot of one silencer was shot out, I don't think it was because they were tied too tight.  I tie mine on as tight as I can without any problems.

Chad

[ron w]

How old was the string........I know a bunch of archers who never think to look at their string once in a while. I can't believe that tying on those rubber strands made that string fail!

[Wapiti Chaser]

String was 2 months old. I'm wondering if I tied them too tight and the rubber broke off? When they were tied on no B50 could contact the string but once the rubber broke the B50 was touching the string.

[ron w]

Could be I guess.....they work well but I never liked cat whiskers.....I like wool puffs, but that's just me! I hope you get it figured out!

I've use CatWhiskers forever.  Cut, and tie them on with dental floss.  No problems here--ever.

 

[Wapiti Chaser]

Pierre is helping me get this figured out.


Thanks

[ishiwannabe]

Did you happen to melt the B50 after you tied it? Is there a chance, if you did, that the flame touched the actual string?
I only ask because I did that very thing one time tying whiskers on one time not too long ago.

[Wapiti Chaser]

i did melt the tag ends but very carefully. O don't think that was the problem.

[traditionalman]

I have also used them for many years and no problem.

[bentpole]

Super string leeches. Try them. Other wise I use the puffs Pierre  puts on his strings.

[LBR]

Got a reply from Ray at BCY.

 

Hi Chad,

To comment constructively, we need to see the strings.

Can only say that we send out hundreds of lbs of B55 and 450Plus every month and we have no breakage or wear issues.

Of course, a bad spool, or partial bad spool is always possible.

Anyway, if you can get the strings back to us Chad, we can check the problems and get back to you.
Ray

I let him know that I didn't have the string in my possession.  

I realize that a lot of the 450+ is used on non-traditional bows, but I also know a lot of those guys use cat whiskers for silencers too.  I used cat whiskers when I shot a non-traditional bow many years ago, and never had a problem then either.

Hundreds of pounds a month of material, and nobody has contacted BCY with a problem.  Tells me this must have been a very isolated incident.  

If I had to guess, I'd say Ishiwannabe got it right, or it was just a bad spool of material (had that happen to me before--can't tell it until it's being used).  

The main ingredient in 450+ is Dyneema, which is basically a high-tech plastic.  Doesn't do well with heat.  I won't even burnish my strings with anything but my fingers, because you can accidently build up a LOT of heat with a thick piece of leather.

Anyhow, without the string in hand that's the best I can come up with.  Think we've pretty well put to rest the idea that it was due to the silencers.

Chad

[Pierre Lucas]

Chad,

String material was BCY D-10, not 450??? and there were NO issues with the material.  

It was the tied on material B50??? holding the catwhiskers rubbing on the string when shot.  

Simple enough...

God Bless,  Pierre

[frank bullitt]

W.C., how about telling all, your step by step of installing these catwiskers?

Also how do you store, hang, whatever this bow.

Seems to be alot of "Gray" area, on this!

Can't believe, dacron has frayed D-10 through friction!

I would never, ever, put any heat, to any string!

I understand alot of folks out there do, but your rolling the dice! Not a good good thing!
Eventually, You Will, Get Burned!

[LC]

Been using "cat whiskers" for about 35 years exculisvely. Never had a problem. BUT I will say I make my own and especially recently out of HP  string material with the bare mininum amount of strings. I usually make and replace my string when it has tons of life left in it. My first thoughts are if your caring you bow where brush could rub along the string length and work on it especially where theres a knot any knot? Just curious how this could happen. Also the rubber cat whiskers on the market today are far less durable than in the olden days just like everything else I guess.

[GREASEMAN]

I've used them for many years with no problems,but,i agree,it's how you install them!!

[Autumnarcher]

I've used cat whiskers since I started bowhuntin, both with wheelie bows, and stickbows.
Tried beaver balls, yarn puffs etc. All they do is collect burrs, and water. Cat whiskers are IMO quieter. I dont get fancy with them, I tie 'em around my string with an overhand knot, cut to length and stretch 'em to fray 'em.

I do make sure i wax my string before installing, and once in a while I'll slide 'em outta the way and wax underneath. Never had a problem.