Critter chew

[tlogan]

8 minutes ago, Orville said:

Sure the engineer did.  How else do you think they'd sell you more and more replacement strands?  Coat them with peanut oil so critters will try and eat and break them, then you have to buy more for replacement.   Dumb for us, smart for the company to make more ca$h-flow for them.

So I think they actually do these things ON PURPOSE!  As we, as consumers{the majority} would never think of this aspect.

But sometimes one of us is smart enough to figure out their angle, and this is exactly why they do some crazy things, at least to most of us we wonder why would they do this?  Now you know!.

"Ah... It's a profit deal." - Navin R. Johnson

And whenever you go to a restaurant that offers free refills, DON'T BUY THE LARGE. That's how they get you!

[Orville]

11 minutes ago, tlogan said:

"Ah... It's a profit deal." - Navin R. Johnson

And whenever you go to a restaurant that offers free refills, DON'T BUY THE LARGE. That's how they get you!

Absolutely.  And I never buy a large drink at any self-service refill restaurants.  Only large drink I may buy is a milkshake, since no refills on those!

 

[PhilMassey]

Thermo plastics are a complex mixture of ingredients. One of these is a plasticizer to create the right viscosity in the mixture, to allow it to extrude more easily. Think water in a cake mix.

Several of the common plasticizers are quite fragrant, and have a sweet odor and presumably, taste. I have never and would not taste these materials, but critters probably find them attractive .

I formulated rubber and plastic compounds for 40 years, mainly for automotive applications. I seriously doubt critters chewing wires was on the chemist's mind when he produced a formula for wire covering .

 

[Orville]

1 minute ago, PhilMassey said:

Thermo plastics are a complex mixture of ingredients. One of these is a plasticizer to create the right viscosity in the mixture, to allow it to extrude more easily. Think water in a cake mix.

Several of the common plasticizers are quite fragrant, and have a sweet odor and presumably, taste. I have never and would not taste these materials, but critters probably find them attractive .

I formulated rubber and plastic compounds for 40 years, mainly for automotive applications. I seriously doubt critters chewing wires was on the chemist's mind when he produced a formula for wire covering .

 

Having worked in retail manufacturing plants from time to time, I can tell you this, and you may not believe it, but yes it was put on or in their minds. Perhaps not by the chemist directly, but someone asks them or it's brought up in a staff meeting to create such crazy criteria.  Believe me, it does happen.

[TheDucks]

5 minutes ago, PhilMassey said:

Thermo plastics are a complex mixture of ingredients. One of these is a plasticizer to create the right viscosity in the mixture, to allow it to extrude more easily. Think water in a cake mix.

Several of the common plasticizers are quite fragrant, and have a sweet odor and presumably, taste. I have never and would not taste these materials, but critters probably find them attractive .

I formulated rubber and plastic compounds for 40 years, mainly for automotive applications. I seriously doubt critters chewing wires was on the chemist's mind when he produced a formula for wire covering .

 

I can not count how many Mercedes owners came in to the store  looking for something to keep the critters from eating the Engine Harness.

[PhilMassey]

27 minutes ago, Orville said:

Having worked in retail manufacturing plants from time to time, I can tell you this, and you may not believe it, but yes it was put on or in their minds. Perhaps not by the chemist directly, but someone asks them or it's brought up in a staff meeting to create such crazy criteria.  Believe me, it does happen.

You wouldn't believe some of the things I have asked to put in compounds. Its often the chemists job to say no to the rest of the organisation, ALL of whom know EVERYTHING about formulations.

[Orville]

6 minutes ago, PhilMassey said:

You wouldn't believe some of the things I have asked to put in compounds. Its often the chemists job to say no to the rest of the organisation, ALL of whom know EVERYTHING about formulations.

True.  But most of the ones they kind of coerce into such things is the new guy/gal right out of college and no real work experience, first timer and so they will do most anything asked of them, even if it shouldn't be done, they tend to do it.

But to get back on topic of critters chewing wires, I've hear Tabasco sauce tends to help prevent that by coating it on the wires.  So why hasn't any chemist made Tabasco flavored wires?🤔😮  Well just a passing thought.

[PhilMassey]

It's bad enough having to smell some of the stuff in the rubber. Artificial scents ( and we did try this) smell even worse.

[tlogan]

17 minutes ago, Orville said:

But to get back on topic of critters chewing wires, I've hear Tabasco sauce tends to help prevent that by coating it on the wires. 

We tried that capsicum in the birdseed to keep the squirrels out. It's funny as heck the first time you get to watch them try it, but after their third or fourth try, it doesn't matter to them anymore.