I live in an area that has cold winters so feather shuttles tend to be more brittle during this time of the year. If anyone is not familiar with the humidome , here it is https://humidome.com/ basically it slowly releases moisture to keep the feathers from drying out and breaking and should extend the life of them. I made my own humidome and I wanted to share with everyone the results. Here is a shuttle that we played 2 doubles games with and then a few points on the 3rd game. As you can see the shuttle is still in ok shape and can be used for training. I highly recommend getting a humidome or making your own to save the life of your shuttles!
Been having a look around for this but it looks like it's no longer available? I'm wondering if the same thing can be done by using the gel beads for cigar humidors?
Not surprised that this idea died. I had one and the only really noticeable effect I got was a nasty stench every time I opened a tube. Those gel beads are a paradise for all sorts of bacteria and god-knows-what to grow on.
Thanks for the feedback. I suppose if you regular replace the beads it shouldn't harbour bacteria and odours? Not a cigar smoker, but I did some research and it seems those beads can maintain a certain RH in the storage boxes, e.g. 60%. Any cigar smoker here that can elaborate if it will be effective if applied to shuttles?
If you don't mind changing the beads every other week, then that should work out. I went through the process three times iirc and by the end I couldn't get rid of the smell anymore. It went into the housing parts as well and the screw started rusting after washing them. And as said, I didn't notice any significant effect on the lifetime of the shuttles overall.
The idea to humidify old, dry, or brittle shuttles is nothing new. So many people steam the shuttles before play. The way many go wrong is that they steam the shuttles too close to playing day, or steam them too intensely. You don't want the shuttles to be wet or moist when you play with them, or they will turn floofy and slow in a few rallies. So it's best to do it a few days in advance. First, the feathers will take in the moisture, but then they should also be allowed to dry. Many people let the steam run through the tube and then close it, this could keep the shuttles wet for too long. I advise to take all the shuttles out of the tube, individually hold them in the steam (of a water kettle for example) for a few seconds, rotating the shuttles so all sides catch some steam, and then briefly let the steam go on the 'inside' of the shuttle. Stand the shuttles somewhere out of the tube to dry properly before putting them all back.
A much easier way is to just put a piece of damp tissue into the feather side of the tube and close it for a week before use. Easy and effective! Sent from my SM-G988W using Tapatalk
so the tube is full of shuttle cocks and u put it inside the side where shuttle cocks go in (side opposite of where the corks face?)
No more breakage of feathers with mishits. Mind you, you only need to do this for cold weather countries (eg. Canada, Europe) in the winter when the air is cold and dry. You don't really need this in hot humid climate. Sent from my SM-G988W using Tapatalk