Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: JoergS on December 23, 2010, 12:37:52 pm
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Hello,
and please allow me to introduce myself first.
I am Jörg Sprave, 45, a German. My main interest is designing, making and presenting slingshots. I run the (non profit) "Slingshot Channel" on youtube, which has been growing quite a bit these last two years.
http://www.youtube.com/user/JoergSprave
My work does not only cover the conventional Y-shaped fork, but I also made complex pulley equipped frames, slingshot crossbows (firing balls and arrows), flechette shooters - and slingbows.
My slingbows are very basic, homemade arrow shooters that are powered by rubber. Other than that, a slingbow is very comparable to a recurve bow, with no reduced let off like a compound. The energy levels are also quite comparable. But I think it is much easier to make a slingbow than a recurve bow...
Here are a few videos about slingbows.
Tutorial (how to make a slingbow):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz3ruRsh-HY
Simple slingbow with whisker biscuit and collapsible arrows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfB0yRtGhC0
"African Goddess":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFTpIlAh6iM
Shootout; Slingbow vs. Small compounds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aP_gKlQd-s
Homemade whisker biscuit, from toilet brushes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cJ9JYcRlMk
Homemade Slingshot Crossbow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9t6Xg2XRic
None of my "products" are for sale, and I have zero commercial interest. This is just a great hobby for me.
I have no idea if my little slingbow presentations are welcome here, but I thought I just give it a try.
Greetings from christmas time Germany
Jörg
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Man, I have watched two of your videos and those are the best things I have ever seen! Thank you for posting em. I know you don't wanna sell em, but someones gonna watch your videos, and make a patent on em. You should at least patent em all, even your take down arrows, and then when someone with big money wants to cash in on your inventions you can sell your patent for big $. Thats the way I would think it anyway. Man your slingbows look fun. Your "african goddess" one I think is my favorite. I think the one with the armbrace is would be nicer to shoot though. Fps wise they shoot great!
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Thanks for the kind words.
I do have a great job and I am financially comfortable. So I decided that my hobby won't ever become commercial. I have given a few designs to commercial companies (in China, in the UK, in the US) for free, and some of them are selling the related products quite successfully. This makes me proud, which is all the payment I want.
Jörg
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Jorg, Quite ingenius inventions you have there, looks like fun! Thanks for posting your sites.
Eric
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"I have given a few designs to commercial companies (in China, in the UK, in the US) for free, and some of them are selling the related products quite successfully. This makes me proud, which is all the payment I want."
Cool. Sorry if it seemed like I was rudely trying to financially advice you. I guess I was just b.s.-ing, :) I'm going to have to try to make me one someday! Ingenious bows.
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That is perfectly OK. If I had to, I could no doubts make a living from my primitive weaponmaking skills. It's good to know! But a hobby looses its charm when you have to meet deadlines, deal with tax issues and customer complaints.
Jörg
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Very interesting. I have read of people experimenting with rubber powered "bows" but not seen them in use.
I once tried to shoot a stone out of my bow from a pouch (having played with lots of slingshots) and shot my hand!
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Man those things are wayyy cool ! I am gonna have to build me one of those. I have tried shooting arrows out of a wrist rocket and thought there ought to be a better way and you definately have it. Keep up the experiments and thanks for posting.
Jon W.
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Ok, it's not a bow, but it's certainly cool.
Nicely produced videos too.
Del
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I can't wait to see what that crank sling shot can do. If I had an old car that didn't work or something I would give it to you just so you could destroy it.
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very cool and welcome.
Jeff
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how bout a couple full draws , i cant see the videos on this satelite internet. shows them in segments
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That is the coolest thing I think I ever did see!! Two days ago a friend ask if I had seen the guy shooting arrows out of a slingshot, Now I believe him!! Great work!!!!!!
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Those are pretty cool Jorg, I am going to make me one of those slingbows for shooting coyote. My question is where do you get the rubber and what is it called?
Justin
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;D This is interesting.
Here, in Thailand, people actually using similar style, sling x-bow, for hunting. It 's not uncommon to see folk guys go fish/frog hunting with their x-sling at the end of raining day.
(http://gotoknow.org/file/mekdem-km9/IMG_0589.jpg)
Here are some of their weapons, some with reel or scope attached.
(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSDqnRieDUrz8gCwQPTXO9GXV7IJIajx3WeT4vmUNQXliE4Mkming)
(http://www.thaidbmarket.com/uploads/20080921-124535-140.jpg)
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I use Thera Band rubber, made by the Hygenic corp., you can find it on ebay.
The flat band type delivers the best performance, as you can cut it in a tapered fashion (so it is much wider at the fork than at the pouch). This way, the "payload" is much lower, more projectile speed at a lower draw.
You need a metal ruler and a roll cutter to cut the 14cm wide rubber into the desired dimensions.
Jörg
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Thanks for sharing. Those are great. I like the shotgun design as well. Looks like it would be very effective for birds.
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Jorg,
Would be great to see you turn your ingenuity into something that would alow us to shoot those steel balls from a conventional bow.
The Saracens used to shoot darts and other similar small projectiles from a bow using a tube. I think the tube was loosely attached to drawing hand with a loop. The bow string and tube with projectile inside were drawn back and when at full draw the string released. Of course the tube is still held in the drawing hand. The string travels down a slot cut through the tube and the dart or projectile released.
I guess all that is really needed is a tube of the correct bore, with a slot cut down the centre to allow for the full draw length, and some kind of sprung latch to hold the ball in the correct position close to the string once loaded.
Suprised to see that your rubber powered slingshot had better penetration into the ballistic gell than the crossbow.
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markinengland, it has been done. This video shows it:
http://www.youtube.com/user/xxNonexistancexx#p/u/5/A4b4xdKFE-c
I am in contact with the inventor, Anthony Hanson. It seems possible to bring out a conversion kit for bows that allow shooting steel balls based on the (patented) concept shown in the video.
Here is the related patent:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=gvgnAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
I will try to bring Mr. Hanson in contact with some of the manufacturers out there as I think a conversion kit would have a market chance.
Jörg
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I would really enjoy shooting paint balls out of my bow. That would be a paintball war worth having.
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Well, you know that there is the airowgun conversion kit?
http://www.airowgun.com/paint.php
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Thats awsome joerg! thanks for sharring, love the videos too very well done and easy to follow. thanks ;D
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Well, you know that there is the airowgun conversion kit?
http://www.airowgun.com/paint.php
Yes I have seen that but I want to shoot them from my longbow. ;)
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This is sweet I will be cutting my slingbow out today