Author Topic: slingshots/catapults  (Read 4411 times)

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Offline Knoll

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #15 on: January 27, 2020, 04:52:57 pm »
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.
« Last Edit: January 27, 2020, 04:57:27 pm by Knoll »
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline bjrogg

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #16 on: January 27, 2020, 06:56:16 pm »
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
A hot cup of coffee and a beautiful sunrise

Offline Knoll

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #17 on: January 28, 2020, 08:04:27 am »
Here's a few images.









« Last Edit: February 09, 2020, 09:08:21 pm by Knoll »
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline stuckinthemud

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #18 on: January 30, 2020, 02:38:32 pm »
They are all lovely, but the one in the second picture is stunning; what timber is it?

Offline bjrogg

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #19 on: January 30, 2020, 03:23:32 pm »
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?
A hot cup of coffee and a beautiful sunrise

Offline Knoll

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #20 on: January 30, 2020, 03:51:46 pm »
2nd one is a natural. Made by someone else. Have tried naturals several times and not been pleased.  ;)

Thanks bj.
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline stuckinthemud

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #21 on: February 05, 2020, 03:20:24 pm »
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


Offline WhistlingBadger

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #22 on: February 05, 2020, 04:38:27 pm »
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...
Thomas
Lander, Wyoming
"The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail.
Travel too fast, and you miss all you are traveling for."
~Louis L'Amour

Offline DC

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #23 on: February 05, 2020, 05:45:09 pm »
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



That looks kind of awkward to hang on to compared with the old forked stick. Is there something I'm missing here?

Offline Knoll

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #24 on: February 05, 2020, 06:06:58 pm »
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



Chained rubber bands will do the job.
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline Knoll

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #25 on: February 05, 2020, 06:13:32 pm »

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.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2020, 06:16:43 pm by Knoll »
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline stuckinthemud

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #26 on: February 06, 2020, 10:27:56 am »
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

Offline Ed Brooks

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #27 on: February 06, 2020, 12:42:27 pm »
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


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.
It's in my blood...

Centralia WA,

Offline Traxx

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #28 on: February 09, 2020, 07:02:10 pm »
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.

Offline Knoll

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Re: slingshots/catapults
« Reply #29 on: February 09, 2020, 09:15:14 pm »
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

... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857