Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: stuckinthemud on January 18, 2020, 10:52:57 am
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I fancy building a slingshot, something pretty, maybe using up some of my antler, horn and exotic hardwood scraps. Never built one, the only one I ever owned was a Black Widow back in the '80s and looking on-line the world of catapults has moved on a long way since then. I was thinking of cutting down a bicycle inner-tube for the elastic, would that work? Anyone got any thoughts whether through the sticks or over the sticks is best?
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Pretty sure Knoll makes some nice ones.
Bjrogg
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A friend here makes slingshots and uses exercise bands, thin, wide elastic bands. Different colors have different strengths. He gets them from Wal Mart and uses a rotary cutter to make bands about 3/4" wide.
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Exercise band and a replacement band
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This is one my dad made me way back in the early 60s. The band has been replaced.
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Here are a few that my Grandson and I have made.
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This one is not of course homemade. I won it at a archery shoot.
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Bicycle inner tubes and hardwood handle, leather pouch are the "classic"! Surgical tubing, exercise bands work good, any experimental parts work! Just takes practice to get good, like any other skill >:D (lol)! Have fun!
Hawk dancer
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I just bought a sling shot, replacement band and 250 steel pellets at Wally World for $13.00 and some change. They make biodegradable pellets but they didn't have any.
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You can hunt down the loose steel balls with any magnet, the extendable type are easier on the back and knees! (lol) (lol) >:D!
Hawkdancer
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It depends on how serious you want to get...Just make one,that works,or one that works really well.Inner tube bands will work,but not as well as some tubes and flat bands,such as Theraband Gold..To get the most out of them,you need to establish your particular form and draw length and cut the bands to length accordingly..Band widths determine draw weight and ammo size used..It can be a bit overwhelming at first,but can be fun learning it as well..{OTT},over the Top or{TTF} Through the forks is mostly personal preference,but some styles of frames,dictate one style or the other,such as a PFS or Pickle fork shooter,which is a small frame with little to no gap to shoot through,so you have to shoot over the top,in a flip style..Its a lot of fun and be carefull or you might get a bit obsessed...A lot of similarities in Cats and archery...
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I used to use bicycle inner tubes but in the last year they changed the rubber type I think. It's still able to stretch but not that springy
Would use that exercise band or some tourniquet if you have the chance to find some cheap. they are pretty good
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Thanks everyone, I checked Knolls posts and found the Slingshot Forum, a rabbit hole I seem to have spent a lot of time down ever since!!
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I've been buying the tubing from HD by the foot. I've made quiet a few for the kids in the neighborhood and Grandkids. I've started carrying one when I go into the woods.
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This one is not of course homemade. I won it at a archery shoot.
Brian, that's one of SimpleShot's slings. He makes goooood stuff. Several years ago, his were all from wood and truly works of art.
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For highest performance, don't believe medical latex can be beat. The material needs to be stored in dark cool place. UV is enemy of latex. It's not the most long-lived but, man, does that STUFF make a steel ball zinnnng! :-)
Primo exercise band, imo, is Theraband. Not quite as snappy as latex, but is bit more durable and maybe less costly.
Lesser band materials were avail back when slingshots were serious hobby of mine. Such as #107 rubber bands, a conveyor belt material used in mining industry (this stuff is very durable), and the cheaper exercise band materials. Don't know if those heavy rubber bands or conveyor belt materials are still avail. I just bought the low cost exercise band stuff, but haven't made any band sets yet.
The best online source, imo, for slingshot materials is SimpleShot. https://simple-shot.com/
There's also tube, instead of flat band, configurations/materials. I was not accurate with them, but many guys are.
I'll post some slingshots have made later tonight.
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Sure brings back memories. In 7th grade most every boy in our class had a slingshot. We made they from big cotter pins and heavy rubber bands. We used folded up tin foil from gum wrappers for ammo. Pinch grip. It wasn’t safe to walk down the hallway as groups would ambush each other. One of my buddy’s laughed as he shot me as I was walking in the classroom. I couldn’t shoot him back as class was starting. He was hiding himself behind some other students. I looked under our desk and I could see his bare ankle. I came to full draw and let my tin foil wad loose. It got him right square in the center of his ankle. He had know idea it was coming. He yelled Oouucch!!!!! Really loud. I can still see his ankle in those “flood pants” as we called them back then. I got a huge smile on my face just thinking of it.lol
Bjrogg
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Here's a few images.
(https://i.imgur.com/p170MJ0.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/lFgpfJN.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mChMTIc.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/q2lvJiA.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/A0iTrLp.jpg)
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They are all lovely, but the one in the second picture is stunning; what timber is it?
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That second one is sweet Mike. Is that it’s natural color? Very nice.
I like your ammo recovery system to. Your can looks like it’s mortality wounded.
Bjrogg
PS anyone have any catapults?
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2nd one is a natural. Made by someone else. Have tried naturals several times and not been pleased. ;)
Thanks bj.
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This was what I came up with. Made it from a piece of oak from an old church pew. Credit card-size mini side-shooting light-weight lefty for plinking and tree-stumping. One day I'll re-band it with therabands but for now its really good fun and fits in my jeans back pocket
(https://stuckinthemudsite.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/20200202_1321392412085393640025970.jpg)
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PS anyone have any catapults?
I do! And detailed instructions how to build them, that a reasonably sharp fifth grader can follow! It's all on google drive...Is there a good way to share google docs on here?
Stick and Knoll, great looking slingshots! I used to be a fair hand with one back in my college days, and I'm getting the old skill back chasing deer off my hay bales...
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This was what I came up with. Made it from a piece of oak from an old church pew. Credit card-size mini side-shooting light-weight lefty for plinking and tree-stumping. One day I'll re-band it with therabands but for now its really good fun and fits in my jeans back pocket
(https://stuckinthemudsite.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/20200202_1321392412085393640025970.jpg)
That looks kind of awkward to hang on to compared with the old forked stick. Is there something I'm missing here?
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This was what I came up with. Made it from a piece of oak from an old church pew. Credit card-size mini side-shooting light-weight lefty for plinking and tree-stumping. One day I'll re-band it with therabands but for now its really good fun and fits in my jeans back pocket
(https://stuckinthemudsite.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/20200202_1321392412085393640025970.jpg)
Chained rubber bands will do the job.
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Do need to have confidence that ammo will clear top of ss. ;) Because hand is so near bands, there's virtually no leverage on hand.
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You don't grip it in a fist, its more like a pinch: the right side edge lays across the base of your fingers, the thumb tip snugs into the scoop on the left edge
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This was what I came up with. Made it from a piece of oak from an old church pew. Credit card-size mini side-shooting light-weight lefty for plinking and tree-stumping. One day I'll re-band it with therabands but for now its really good fun and fits in my jeans back pocket
(https://stuckinthemudsite.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/20200202_1321392412085393640025970.jpg)
I seen a little slingshot like this, had a hole in it with a small loop of 550, used to wrap around the wrist to help with leverage. I’m looking at making a metal one right now.
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Thats a variation,of a PFS or Pickle fork shooter..Its really not designed to shoot through the forks,but over the top..Many PFS shooters have no gap at all.
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My catchbox is "rubbery" container picked up at a big box store. Don't use one made from "hard" plastic ... won't survive for long. There's couple towels suspended on dowel rods at rear of box. That's sufficient to stop ammo and they collect at bottom of box.
The milk crate on shelf holds supply of alum cans awaiting death.
White waste basket holds cans that are shot through 'n' through. ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/mChMTIc.jpg)
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Great setup.
T