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Atlatl help

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Piddler:
Since I believe you are in Australia, Gather some info from the Aborigines. I actually have a Dart - Spear and Woomera that I picked up a long time ago. All wood even the tip which is supposedly fire hardened. In all fairness I've never tried to throw it. Too important to me.
Piddler 

bjrogg:
Ozy. I’m not an expert Atlatl maker by any stretch.

I have made three. They all cast a dart well, but this one fit me best. I seem to remember seeing the Atlatl itself should be about an arms length long.

This one is my arm length from shoulder to wrist.

The dart itself is about 3 1/2 times the length of Atlatl.

Bjrogg

bjrogg:
It’s made from red osier. The handle is deer antler and the forked points make a dart rest. The hook that makes contact with dart is deer antler attached with sinew. It has to be just the right shape to hold the dart long enough, yet cleanly release it at proper spot in cast. I had to play with that a little

Bjrogg

ozy clint:
I've since shortened the spear down to the next down on the back end to make it stiffer. It flies much better, not perfect but better which tells me that I'm moving in the right direction. I believe they are too heavy though.

They are 4500grs without a foreshaft and point. I remember a Ryan Gill video recommending 3000grs. That makes sense.

The idea of release timing being effected by the spur shape is interesting and might also be worth playing with.

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