Cat whiskers can be bad.....

[JamesKerr]

I am interested someone on this post mentioned super glue could hurt a string. I was always taught to use just a dab of super glue on my serving to keep it from coming undone.

[Gordon martiniuk]

Guys let it go!! cat whiskers are not the blame , so what if they were a new string is not that big a deal lets hear about that stalk on a Big Elk or Trophy Whitetail ,,  :confused:    

[LBR]

That was my string. Not sure where I went wrong I followed directions that I got from Ron LeClair I beleive.  

My mistake--I read the above and assumed it was a 450+ string from Ron.

Either way, Dynaflight '10 or 450+ are both much tougher than dacron.  As I said before, dacron fraying either of these materials would be akin to lead cutting into steel.  I use much stronger materials to tie my silencers on, usually 62XS braided serving material for the last good while, and haven't seen anything like that.

I've learned a lot about tying on silencers over the past 20 years or so (at least I hope I have), but even in the beginning I didn't have that problem.

James, super glue can make a hard spot in string material and if flexed there it will literally break.  It won't hurt the serving to add a tiny bit, just don't put so much that it soaks into the string.

Gordon, I can understand this being boring for some, but it's very interesting to me.  I'm not convinced it was the dacron or the way the silencers were tied on that caused the problem.  I'd like find out just what did cause it, since I use and sell cat whiskers myself.  I'd never sell a product if I thought it could damage your equipment like that.

At least they weren't blamed for causing a twisted limb......  :rolleyes:  

Chad

[LostNation_Larry]

Thank you Wapiti Chaser and Pierre for the pictures and the discussion.  And thanks Chad for questioning what is happening.  I am interested in exactly what is happening because I don't want to cause a problem for a customer.  I sell and install strings and silencers and I care what happens after the product leaves my shop.  I can't believe this discussion has reached page 5 but I read it all the way through becase it matters to me.

[Ron LaClair]

Like everything in this game, use what works best for you.    

For years I used yarn on the B-50 dacron strings of my Bear recurves. I never used string silencers on my Hill style longbows because they didn't need it.

I recommend Cat whiskers on my Shrew bows because they work the best on the 450+ strings that we put on them. If the whiskers are applied properly you'll have no problems. I cut the strips in half then lay two of them on the string wrapping the rubber around the string. I lay a loop on the string and wrap over it 6 or 8 times then stick the end through the loop and pull the end under. This doesn't leave a knot on the string. I use dental floss or 450+ material. Stretch out the rubber and trim the ends with scissors.

   
   

[LBR]

I tie mine on similar to Ron, except I DO tie knots--two of them.  I usually try to get the knots opposite of each other, but not always.

For all the years I've used cat whiskers, and all the ways I've tied them on and all the materials I've used for tying (nylon serving, Polygrip serving, #62 Braid serving, 62XS serving, Fast Flight serving, dental floss, dacron, etc.) I'd think that somewhere down the road I would have seen this, at least if it was caused by the way they were tied on or the material used to tie them on.

I use Dynaflight '97, 8125, and dacron on all of my personal bows.  Dynaflight '10 is supposed to be the strongest and toughest string material yet.  How could dacron (the weakest and least durable of all string materials) cause it to fray like that?

   

I am interested in exactly what is happening because I don't want to cause a problem for a customer. I sell and install strings and silencers and I care what happens after the product leaves my shop.  

Same here.  I'd like to get to the bottom of the mystery, but there seems to be a piece of the puzzle missing.

Chad

[TSP]

There are different types of catwhiskers.  The originals really were/are "Cat Whiskers" (brand name)...rubber with a rectangular cross-section...and these seem to be the best for silencing and ease of knotting to the string.  There's also the vinyl type...what Wally-World sells.  They are cheap, and do work, but aren't as good as rubber and tend to be slippery.  Most popular now seems to be the type that you buy in any length (off reels) from many archery suppliers.  Better than vinyl but the round cross-section isn't as easy or solid to knot to the string, and it doesn't last as long as the original type.

Good whiskers tied in a knot around your string don't hurt a thing, are tough, go on in about 20 seconds, can be easily slid up or down to find the sweet spot for noise tuning, don't require any fancy crocheting or fingerwork to put them on, don't 'buzz' or catch seeds/burrs/rain, don't flag game like fat floating fuzzypuffs can, and just plain work.  After many years and many bows with'em on, no problems here.

[lpcjon2]

I use them and tie what would be considered two small nock points with a 1/16 in between, then put the wiskers against the string ans wrap serving thread over the wiskers between the two nock points. they never slide and they always stay puffy.I never had any damage to any string doing it this way.JMHO

[Tomas]

I've noticed a similar wear on my D97 string, I think the cat whiskers beat the wax off the string. Just apply more wax, problem solved, I've never broke a string yet.

[Zbearclaw]

After deep thought I figured out the problem.

Cats are predators, right?  Well them cats got hungry and started eating the string.  The simple fix is to hunt more to feed them voracious predators and your strings will be safe, your belly will be flatter, and world hunger will be solved...

Interesting discussion guys...

[stagetek]

Never had a problem with cat whiskers. I've used them for years, and will continue to use them. They're weather proof, burr proof and work great.