Plastic is used in many accessories today. Plastics have properties that can make them better than metal for some applications. Plastics can also reduce the cost. The care of plastics is different than metals. The plastics used can be sensitive to chemicals. Plastics also age in sunlight and heat. The chemicals that keep them soft and flexible will leach out over time making them brittle. You should not store your bow and accessories in direct sunlight or in hot environments because that accelerates the leaching process. The back window of your pick up is the worst place you can keep your bow. The synthetic string and cables will also deteriorate when exposed to sun and heat. Don’t store your bow in a case. That enclosed environment will trap the chemicals that leach from the plastics. The chemical that keeps one plastic soft may attack and deteriorate another. Thread locks and oils will attack most plastics. The chemicals in paints can also do damage. Bug repellents with DEET are deadly on plastics. Use a mechanical bond glue and not a chemical bond glue on plastics. Chemical bond glues, like airplane glue, actually melt the plastic so the 2 pieces are melted together. They are designed for particular types of plastics. They will destroy most of those used in archery accessories. Use either a fast set epoxy or instant type glue. The fumes in these is bad for some plastics, like polycarbonate, but they set up so fast that the glue has little time to attack them.

The plastics used in accessories can last a lifetime with proper care. They will not last through a hunting season with improper care.