Jörg Sprave to attend the PA tournament 2010

The East Coast Slingshot Tournament is held in Alverton Pa.It will be April 30,May 1st.and 2nd.2010.

Jörg Sprave, owner of The Slingshot Channel, will be present at the event with a small stand. The most popular designs will be laid out for everyone to try.

The Slingshot Channel will also donate a hand made slingshot as a price!

"This is going to be fun!" (Peter O'Toole, "Lawrence of Arabia", Horizon Pictures II, 1962)

New self centering lightweight design

I wanted to take the self centering design with hinges into a different direction today - the goal was to create a model that is very lightweight and fits well in a backpack.

First, I replaced the massive 12 mm stainless steel rods with 12 mm steel tubes. That stuff is a lot lighter, but of course less solid. So I had to give up the "W" form and go back to a classical "Y" design. This necessarily means that the super low fork of the "W" has to be given up some, you simply add 12 mm fork height. Still, a low fork is possible.

Next, I chose much smaller ball bearings, from RC controlled model cars. This allowed me to use a much thinner aluminum tube as a grip.

I kept the hinges because of the band life and also because they make the slingshot easier to be stowed away.

It works! The last "W" model weighs 800 gramms (almost two lbs), this one is just 200 gramms! 75% lighter.

I still prefer my full blown "W", but this self centers just as good and maybe the slightly higher fork has a psychological advantage for those who are afraid to hit their hand.

Wrapped the thin grip in nice, thick rope. I like it!

"W"-slingshot: Ball Bearings added

Hello,

the "W" slingshot, my best concept so far, has taken the next step.

I noticed that the rotating grip did not self center when a very strong band set was fully drawn out.

The rotating mechanism was just a steel tube that rotated around a thinner steel tube, the thinner tube beeing welded to the frame. It obviously had too much friction to rotate when the system was set under full pressure.

So I ordered some parts and enhanced the setup.

I added two ball bearings, originally from a motorcycle engine. I pressed them on the 12 mm steel rod that was welded to the frame, then pressed everything into a fitting aluminium tube (the grip). I cooled and heated the parts for the pressing. They are totally firm and there is NO play.

It works very well Now the grip rotates smoothly, even when I draw out my toughest bands.

Regards


Jörg

Slingshots, slingbow, air rifle and crossbows vs. Gelatin

I wanted to see how slingshots compare to other license free weapons. What would be better suited than ballistical gelatin?

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT7Yxgtzteo

Sling Bow Concept

OK, I took the challenge and made an arrow shooting slingshot. I like lead and steel balls, but I realize that an arrow with a broad head can cause more damage. Those who want to hunt larger animals may have more success with arrows. So, here is my idea about how to shoot arrows from a slingshot.

Of course I had watched the "Hunt big game with a slingshot" video series on youtube, and I think the "whisker buscuit" idea is valuable. But I did not want to spend 20 to 50 Euros just on the biscuit!

So I had to solve a number of problems.

1. The draw length limitation

Arrows are rarely longer than 32", and such long arrows weigh more than a .75" (19mm) lead ball! An increase of the draw length beyond 32" is absolutely necessary to achieve serious speed.

So I added two metal tubes to the grip, moving the whisker biuscuit about ten inches towards the shooter. This way, you can draw out a 32" arrow 42" from the pouch.

2. The pouch problem

Gripping the rear end of an arrow though a leather pouch is much harder than gripping a thick lead ball. The "golf tee" solution proved negative for the balance of the arrow, so I had to solve the issue otherwise.

The solution: A change to the pouch! Close to the band attachment, one more hole was punched to either side of the pouch. Through these holes, rubber bands had been tied to both the upper and the lower rim of the pouch.

This allows you to hold the bunched up rubber just like a slingshot ball, and it automatically squeezes the arrow tightly in place. Problem solved.

3. Cheap whisker biscuit

A whisker biscuit is essentially just a brush that is formed like a ring, with the "whiskers" directing to the center of the ring. It guides the arrow, but it lets the stabilizers (feathers, rails, whatever) pass easily. Very nice!

So I decided to go with a whisker biscuit, which I made myself, from one dollar baby bottle brushes. I simply bended the brushes, cut off all excess and tied two of them together so they form a ring. This works, and is really cheap.

I have made video about the modification. Here it is:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cJ9JYcRlMk


This works!

Slingshot Coconut Massacre

A fellow slingshot shooter has used the weekend to destroy about ten coconuts, with his homemade slingshots!

He shot from 9 meters. Very impressive! If you keep in mind that he used classical wooden forks and pretty light bands, it is amazing to see how easily he cracked the things.

Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqzPjNDEzoE

How low can the fork be above your hand?

Several people have expressed concern about hitting your hand if the fork is too low.

I now use just 2.5 cm fork height above the hand in my "W" designs. This results to extremely low strain on the wrist, making the slingshot much more controllable.

I tested the setup with lots of super slowmotion stuff (1200 fps recording speed). The ball does not even come close to hit my hand.

But in order to confirm the field tests, I have started to calculate the setup.

It comes down to the research of Sir Isaac Newton.

He came up with so-called gravity laws.

The earth acceleration is 9,81 m/sec*sec.

Let us assume you have a draw length of 1,20 m (that is quite long). And let us further assume that the ball (15mm diameter, .60") flies with 65 m/sec at the end of the acceleration (V0 = 65 m/s, at the fork). That would mean that the average speed is 32,5 m/sec between pouch and fork.

In this case the ball would need 0,037 seconds (37 milliseconds) to reach your hand.

In this time frame, it would drop 0.5*981 cm * 0,037 * 0,037 = 0,67 cm (under 7mm).

The 15 mm ball passes the fork with its lower rim 1,05 cm over the top of the grip (= your hand).

The shot would have to fly as slow as 40 m/sec (at the end of the acceleration, so V0=40m/s) to make the ball just graze the tip of the grip. That would be a very weak shot.

This calculation does not even assume that the pouch moves towards the fork tips and counterbalances the gravity (a slight upwards vector is applied to the ball). So in reality, the drop is even less substantial.

But of course it would be easy to add another safety margin by making the fork ends higher. It would spoil the effectiveness of the design, though. And then of course the ball may still fall out of your pouch and then hit your foot. Ouch!

So I think it is fair to say that my design is well thought through, supported by the laws of physics and proven by field tests using professional equipment.

Bill Herriman pointed out to me that there is enhanced danger if you do wing shooting (= trying to hit a flying target). That is certainly true, as you may move the slingshot upwards during the shot. This would ruin the safety margin and I do not think that my "W" would be a safe design for wing shooting.

New "W"-Slingshot, 90% wood, made with common tools

The self centering "W" slingshot (original idea by Bill Herriman) is my preferred design right now. And many people love it, too, they want to have one... but as you know, I do not sell my slingshots.

So I have been thinking about a "How to" video. Problem is that for the stainless steel "W", you need welding gear and other rather expensive and unusual tools. People don't have these tools at home, so I had to come up with a wooden "W".

It turned out rather well, no metalworks at all. It is more bulky (10% lighter, though), but it shoots just as good. I am very pleased with the stability - no wonder, 1" wooden rods can take some strain.

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQr8U34ugH8

New Slingshot forum, uncensored!

My dream just came true, a respected member of the community just opened a great slingshot forum, and he promises freedom of speech. That is fantastic!

You can find this forum here:

http://www.slingshotforum.com

I encourage you to sign on, it's free, and the forum software Aaron (the site owner and admin) chose does allow picture attachments and even animated Avatars!

I will post very frequently on his forum and will answer questions as good as I can.

Winners! Winners!

Hello,

the time has come... the winners have been drawn. I have emailed each individual winner already, but here is the list:

Troy Boylan
Pitbull
Zolik
SaulG
John MacMillan
wiiplayer888
bdt
Blake Smith
jjh
Gustavo Tavares
Darby Dixon
Andrew
Yuri
hare basher
GearGuy92

All the winners have to do is to answer my email with the shipping address. I will take care of all the shipping cost, too, no matter where the winners live.

Soon, each winner will be the proud owner of a Baby Hook slingshot, designed and hand made by myself!

Thanks to all. 215 followers! That is quite a success.

"The Ring" - video online

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUZjOYBajJs

Small and powerful

Wanted to make a small, but powerful slingshot today.

So I took a 10mm stainless steel rod and formed a "U". Then I attached (welded) a steel ring to the fork, as the sole grip! I put black tube over the fork for a more pleasant grip.

Thera Band Black, 20cm long, 14x9cm wide - really fast!

Regards


Jörg

"Ghetto Challenge" Contest at Spudfiles

The "SHTF" condom slingshot is now an official contestant at the Ghetto Challenge. Here:

http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/09-10-ghetto-contest-entry-thread-t19831.html

This means that proof is needed to show that the construction lasts at least five shots. So The Slingshot Channel did another video about some shooting with the "SHTF" slingshot. Not only did it last five shots, it also cracked a coconut!

Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkej-peqQDY

Emergency slingshot made from condoms and a broomstick

Hello,

as an active member of several "survivalists" forums, I am constantly asked for advice about how to make a slingshot with standard supplies. So no fancy Thera Band or Linatex. No power tools. Maybe not even a nice natural fork.

I spent some time thinking about it. The most obvious question is where to find good rubber. Inner tubes and so on are, as we all know, usually not appropriate, and the few types that work are hard to find. Then I found the solution: Condoms. Those are made from natural latex and are of pretty good quality. Of course you need a bunch of them for a good slingshot.

Next, how to make a fork when you have nothing that looks like a fork? Mels page had the answer, the "African" way. Simply cut two 20 cm pieces from a broomstick, carve a wedge from the same wood and fix everything in place with duct tape. It works, and it is very solid and surprisingly comfortable to hold.

The result is a truly ugly, even disgusting slingshot - but one that works really well.

I made a video about it, here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW_RWRKU93o

200 followers complete - more prices!

OK, we just hit the 200th follower of this blog. Fantastic! This means that on the 15th, the drawing will result in 15 winners! Each one will win a hand made "Baby Hook" EDC slingshot, complete with bands and ready for action.

Stay tuned for the drawing - your chances are quite good.

"V" Enhancement: Done!

I finished the job, had to make a small adaption to the construction (the rod needed some bending).

Here is the video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a5SV-tGf3Y

Enjoy!

Further improving the "V" slingshot

The "V" slingshot still is one of my most popular designs. The one-piece rubber, the pulley based draw entension and the self-centering truly are clear advantages over other designs.

But there are drawbacks. Especially the ergonomics are a problem. I had 50 units made about a year ago, and sold them at cost to fellow enthusiasts. Many of them liked it (and by now own a valuable collector's item), but several people expressed justified critizism regarding the ergonomics.

My big, meaty hands have a natural "padding" so for me it is not hard to hold the V, but I can see how others don't like it as much as I do.

Also, several people reported fork hits, not uncommon when you shoot slingshots with narrow forks. Just a little canting, to subtle for the shooter's eye to see, and bang! A precious pulley is dead, the metal permanently deformed.

I solved the nasty fork hit issue with the rotating handle of the "W", another advanced design that I like very much. The round, smooth and self centering of the "W" makes it my favorite slingshot right now. But of course the "W" has no draw length increase and also no one-piece, self centering rubber.

So the idea is to combine both designs. I have been thinking hard about that and I feel I have a viable idea. Why not attach the rotating steel handle to the "V"?

But of course the "V" has to be out of the way of the shooter's fist. So you have to attach it out front, in order to allow free rotation. Problem is that the fork tips have to be level with the shooter's hand, or else the slingshot would inevitably rotate TOWARDS the shooter.

The solution is to attach the "V" with an angle. This way the laws of physics work!

Can't wait for the weekend to test this idea. Stay tuned for another video.

Win a slingshot !

When you read this, you probably wnat to participate in the drawing. That's right, on Dec. 15, 2009, I will select (on a random basis) 10 of my blog subscribers. It does not matter if you have signed up before (just three people had).

I will give away 10 "Baby Hook" slingshots, ready for action with a complete set of bands.

An I will go to 15 slingshots should we see more than 200 subscribers in the 15th!

Thanks, and I promise to entertain you with new slingshots and slingshot news in the future.

BTW: In order to sign up, you must click on "Verfolgen" in the upper right part of the screen.

If you already have a google account, then it is very easy to do that. Sorry for the German GUI, but I could not make the blogspot software coming up in English.

250.000 views!

Just passed the quarter million view mark. Fantastic! Three more months to go before my first video will be online for a full year. Let's see how long it will take to get to 500.000!

"W"-Slingshots: Enhanced, new video

The "W" is a very promising design concept. It has been further enhanced and is now in its thirsd generation. The modifications allow very quick band change, also between flat and tubular rubber, plus a laser can be attached within seconds, too.

Here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BcHJMgzhHk

Two slingshots made by famous shooters

Hello,

a few months ago, Baumstamm (a fellow slingshooter from Germany) sent me a huge parcel with lots of stuff, including a beautiul wooden slingshot made out of multiplex wood. I put on the thinnest flat band on the market, Thera Band Tan, with 8 layers per side.

Last week, I got a parcel from Jaybird, a well known US shooter. He made a wonderful wooden slingshot (ergo shooter) just for my hands, and it turned out great.

I made a video about both slingshots, here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ePBqzm_Gao

Greetings, Jörg
__________________

Youtube views

Of course, like most film makers, I do follow my view counts often and eagerly.

Here is the latest "fever curve"... I am quite happy.

100% stainless steel, self centering, 80 Joules Power!

Made another slingshot today (of course), further enhancing the "W" design once given to me by Bill Herriman.

Slightly smaller, nicer joints, stainless steel rotating handle, and flat bands made out of Thera Band Blue!

Great material. I hit 67 meters per second with the .75 lead ball, that is almost 81 Joules!

The two-pivot-design allow very flat forks, just flat enough to let the pouch pass. Hits on the hand are not possible with this design, because of the self centering.

Here is a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkRQkwYJsvQ

Are thinner bands more powerful?

As you may know. my slingshots are much, much more powerful than the ones (most of us) used as a kid.

The main reason is the far better rubber we can use today, no longer are we limited to inner tubes and surgical tubing.

I have used the Thera Band Gold flat bands so far, which is the thickest (but still thin) stuff you can get.

Recently, a fellow slingshooter in a German forum posted that multiple layers of thin flat bands are faster than the same amount of rubber in thicker material.

The eternal hunt for power goes on! A great new frontier.

I have bought Thera Band Black, which is a lot thinner than Thera Band Gold. The manufacturer says the draw force is 0.43 in comparison with Thera Band Gold.

So I converted my favorite Gold setup (9cm * 6 cm * 20 cm) to 21 cm * 7 cm * 20 cm of Black. Have to use two layers as the roll is only 14 cm wide. It is true, same resistance.

Compared to the Thera Tube Black, the flat band has the same draw force in 14 cm width, so compared to Thera Tube Black my band set is 1.25 times harder to draw out. That works.

OK here is the result.

.75 l = 19 mm lead ball, 36 gramms, 576 grains
.60 s = 15 mm steel ball, 12 gramms, 192 grains
.38 s = 9.5 mm steel ball, 4 gramms, 64 grains

TBG = Thera Band gold, 9 x 6 x 20 cm
TBS = Thera Band black, 21 x 7 x 20 cm


TBG .38 s 78 m/s, 255 fps
TBG .60 s 73 m/s, 239 fps
TBG .75 l 54 m/s, 177 fps

TBS .38 s 90 m/s, 295 fps
TBS .60 s 79 m/s, 259 fps
TBS .75 l 63 m/s, 206 fps

Max. Energy TBG = 52 Joule = 38 fpe
Max. Energy TBS = 71 Joule = 52 fpe

The black bands did not tear throughout the tests.

Temperature was 14 degrees celsius, 57 degrees Fahrenheit.

The theory works! Now let's see what will happen if my thiiiiin Thera Band Tan band arrives. This is the thinnest material you can get. I guess to get to the same force, I will have to use ten layers per side.


Jörg

Video Review: Two commercial slingshots tested

Hello,

The Slingshot Channel has tested two commercial slingshots.

----------------------------------

It is one of the most beautiful slingshots that money can buy: The "Lucky Seven", made by Bellsofhythe from England.

It is truly gorgeous and well worth the money (costs about 100 UK pounds, altogether).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnaCg-IF13o[/url]

-------------------------------------

There has been a lot of hype around the Chinese made "Dankung" slingshots lately. The Slingshot Channel has received one of their larger, more expensive models, the "Warrior", and duly tested it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrlam2C7GmQ

Laser equipped "Sniper" Slingshot

A friend of mine (Eric from Boulder/Colorado) challenged me a while ago. He said "Make a precise slingshot instead of a powerful one!"

Well, I did. Here is the result:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS_m-NJSK2I

Enjoy!

Halloween Special Online!

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd8TUnYQBzo

Halloween Special: Anti Zombie Slingshot

I have been active on the great zombiehunters.org forum. The crazy folks that populate the forum (myself included) talk about the "what ifs" of an apocalytical Romero (Dawn of The Dead) like scenario.

So I was thinking about how to build an efficient Zombie killing slingshot.

I know that a strong slingshot has enough energy to crack a human skull (remember my coconut experiment?), but that is not good enough.

The slingshot I want to make won't be firing a bullet, it will be a close range termination tool.

Zombies attack you in a fearless way, wanting to bite you as fast as possible. So first, you want to keep their teeth away from your flesh. Then, you need to destroy the brain. This is the only way to kill a "Romero" zombie.

My idea is to make a short fork from steel rods. The fork would be put against the zombie throat, much like a collar. A spike or spear, with a steel point, will be attached in a way that it is about 25 cm above the "collar", right where the forehead of the monster would be. The spear is gliding back and forth in a steel tube, that works like a barrel. The rubber is attached to the spear grip, a T-like handle at the back end of the spear.

All you need to do is to push the fork against the throat of the Z, then draw back the spear and release.

I have ordered a zombie halloween mask and a styrofoam head with throat. Will replace the forehead part with a coconut, to simulate the Z skull.

Should make a very good halloween video! Of course some people will again hate my guts, but who cares.

The 500th subscriber!

Just a few days before 200.000 youtube views will be reached, The Slingshot Channel got the subscriber no. 500!

Daniel, the gentleman who was lucky enough to be no. 500, will get a free Jörg Sprave slingshot, handmade and ready for shooting.

Daniel would like to introduce himself with a few words. Here they are:

-----------------------

Hello everyone, my name is Daniel, I'm Joerg's 500th subscriber.
I might be your average guy, might not.

Not a spiritually religious man, but Love is my God and Loyalty is my religion.
I live for my family. Not much else matters to me in this world aside from them.

I have an artistic side of my own; i make knives and walking staves, canes, hiking sticks, etc. and I'm anxiously looking forward to receiving Joerg's shipment of my first slingshot, to help me learn a more sporting, skillful way of hunting.

I recently became interested in slingshots and so decided to look around Youtube to find general information on the subject. This led me to Joerg's channel, and i must say I'm pertty impressed with what I've seen.

Joerg's seem to be the "Desert Eagles" of the slingshot world, very well done; simple, yet still powerful and effective. Well done. I loved the video of the pig-leg damage, very indicative of the power these things have.

Thank you for your consideration, Joerg.

Have A Great Day, Everyone.

Video: Every 20 seconds a new slingshot

I decided that it was time to rearrange my collection. Then, I made a video, presenting my best pieces! 14 slingshots in 284 seconds, very fast paced.

It hit the "magic 300" views within an hour! That is my personal record. After a video hits 300 views, youtube won't update the viewcounter for at least 8 hours or so, I guess to shake off bots or other cheaters.

I think that this is the kind of video people want to see on youtube. Not much talking, a lot of action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZypZVxpyMM

Back to the roots!

This new slingshot is made out of polished bronze and stainless steel. Very basic, but beautiful!

I had to bend the 10 mm steel rod after it was fixed to the bronze grip, otherwise it would not fit through the 10mm hole I drilled into the bronze.

One of the highlights of my collection!

The first fan video!

Yesterday, someone uploaded a video to youtube. Cool music, and lots of snippets from my videos! Turns out the gentleman is from Prague, obviously a very nice guy. I am really proud and happy about this! What an honor.

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7XraX5AGM0

The fastest slingshot ever!

Made another slingshot today, the first one with a true magazine loading repetitive mechanism!

It accelerates the bullet differently, by kicking it out of a short barrel with a heavy dowel. It works!

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB8z1iH2tQ0

Self defense slingshot: Enhanced

A strong slingshot.

Two automatic knifes.

Tear gas spray.

A tactical light that blinds attackers and illuminates the defense zone.

And a stun gun.

Finished it! Works great. And all the tools are still inside of the frame, very compact.

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L4U9yNGP4A

Vertical slingshot: New, sleeker model

The vertical slingshot works fine, as shown in the video. But it is just a prototype, made from some leftover steel tubes. Ugly as heck!

So I made a nicer one today, with brass handle and stainless steel frame.

Needs some more polishing, but sure is nice!

The Butterfly Technique

The chrony spare parts did not arrive so far. So I have done a video that shows my latest slingshot, the one with the brass handle, and I also explain the Butterfly style.

Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7VBtkw5WT0

On slingshot rubber

The number one question people ask me in the forums and on youtube is "What is the best rubber".

Well, of course I have my preferences, but I realize those are largely biased. My favourite slingshot band set won't work for most other shooters.

So I plan to do a scientific research. I have built a wooden construction that allows neutral tests with all kinds of rubber and three different draw lengthes.

My mechanical release is used, to make the results even more objective.

Problem is that my chrony needs overhauling, it took a hit and I think the cable broke. So the tests could not be completed this weekend, I guess we have to wait until next Sunday.

150 k youtube views!

I reached 100 k views on August 25.

One month later (September 28th), I cracked 150 k views! I hope that I will reach the 200 k mark before the year is over.

Brass handle!

I have made a ton of effective and innovative slingshots in the last months.

Now, I wanted to make a beautiful one as well.

So I ordered a rod of brass, 50 cm long and 25 mm diameter. Turned a handle out of it and polished it, came out very well.

I designed a slingshot with two stainless steel rods that I can attach to the brass handle, chinese method.

Some more polishing is needed, but I think this is a wonderful design, and effective as well.

Self defense slingshot finished

I have finished the work on the new slingshot and I am very pleased with the results.

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqO1gRVNa7I

In the German trigger forum, three guys gave me the most negative rating possible for the thread that presents the new slingshot. I think I have once again pissed off the "I am afraid" slingshot fans. These guys believe that I am a walking provocation for our politicians, and they are convinced that the government will ban slingshots just because of my work.

Actually, they have a firm believe in my importance, much more firm than my own one. I disagree with them.

No politcian is interested in a few youtube videos. These guys will only react to scandals. Like the strict regulation (breeding bans etc.) of certain dog races after a few people got bitten to death 15 years ago.

I think smashing some coconuts won't cause the change of a federal law.

But anyway, this is what I do, and I won't stop because of a few cowards.

Plan for the weekend: Self defense slingshot

It is time for a true self defense slingshot.

I bought two automatic folders with aluminium grips, and also a small tear gas spray can.

The slingshot I want to make will use my new, superior "W" design for a very low profile, with the knifes attached (glued) to the fork tips. The attachment will be the chinese one, much like my "Mask" design.

The spray can will be attached to the tip of the grip. So you can shoot at an aggressor, if you miss you can spray the tear gas at him and if that does not work, you snap the blades out and go into close combat.

Of course I won't be able to publish that slingshot in some of the "slingshots are for target shooting only" forums... people will still find the video, I am sure.

Impact video of the 131 Joule slingshot

Most interesting. This IS stronger than a handheld, but not so very much. See for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCUx_vSIYkc

World record achieved!

So, I made it! Broke the record. Shot a .91 lead ball (1312 grains, 82 gramms) at 185,5 fps (64 meters/sec). 131 Joules of energy!

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm5YOYrRejY

Can't wait to destroy things with it.

Jörg

Foot slinshot: Bands and pouch are done

This is an impressive set. Impossible in a normal slingshot. If these bands can not break the record, I don't see which one could.

Optimizing the "V" slingshot

It seems that it is high time to start another production run of the "V" slingshot. Many, many people want one and I told them that the 50 pieces I had made are long gone.

However, some enhancements are required. I need to attach a good grip, and also the rollers need to be enhanced. I want to use true roller bearings instead of the simple rollers I used so far.

Will try to make a prototype soon.

But first comes the foot operated one!

The mission: The strongest one-man-handled slingshot

In one of the forums, the question came up if 120 Joules is achievable with a slingshot.

I do not think a hand held slingshot can do that. Especially not in countries like my otherwise beloved Germany, where wrist braces are illegal. The maximum energy I ever achieved was 78 Joules, and that is only possible on a warm, humid day with some luck.

Reliably, 65 Joules are possible for me, but that is far away from 120 Joules.

So the idea is to build a foot operated slingshot. Me lying down with the feet against the "fork", and pulling the pouch with my trusted self made release, held in both hands.

I plan to use two stretches of Thera Band Gold per side, tapering from 14 cm to 7 cm. That will average one full Thera Band gold. At 550%, this would be 80 pounds per side, 160 lbs total draw force.

I got these values from extrapolation of this table:

http://www.thera-band.com/faqs_healthcare.php#faq_22

I know I can do that from the gym rowing machine, where I pull 135 kg (that is all they have).

We will see!

Got my first real 8-string...

...in the summer 0f 09!

I have tried to maximize the "Chinese" concept of looped, thin tubular rubber. It works great!

I can still pull this, but only because the "Mask" slingshot is so effective. I am EXTREMELY HAPPY with this design, I think it is my best slingshot ever.

Will try to chrony the results tomorrow, Thursday I will go to Berlin for a trade show.

New catapult website online

Fish, the maker of the great "Hunter" slingshot that I have reviewed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztpBkviDKIw), now has an own website with a shop.

http://www.huntercatapults.co.uk/

I do recommend his products, they are far, fat better than any of the "injection mould" based slingshots sold by the big US manufacturers.

Fish says "sales go through the roof", and I understand he has hired his first employee, to match the demand.

All the best, Fish!

New, large section about slingshots at Jacksshed

Thanks to lots of hits and clicks, the popular Jacksshed forum has enlarged the presence of the catapults (UK name for slingshots).

That is FANTASTIC!

Here:

http://jacksshed.myfreeforum.org/forum26.php

I wanted to take my "W" concept one step further and construct a slingshot that protects your fingers from nasty slaps.

The idea: To use steel rods that are not strong enough for a power slingshot, and form a grid that stabilizes the device.

It worked!

It shoots fantastic. My favourite right now!

Since it works so well, we have election day in our state (North Rhine Westfalia) and the German eight rowing team won the World Championship, I chose our national colors black, red and gold (OK, yellow).

The new video is finished.

It turned out that I can't destroy more than two bottles at once, as the ball gets deflected afterwards.

It was fun anyway!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3eVzUIQZ2g

Sources for slingshot parts

I have been asked many times where to get the bands, the leather, just about everything.

I made a video about it, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNtfKRm1NBw

Here is an overview:

The rubber

www.thera-band.com www.hygenic.com
ebay: Thera tube Thera band

The leather

ebay: Leather Hide Deutsch: Dickleder

The rotary cutter

ebay: Rotary cutter Deutsch: Rollenschneider

The eyelet and eyelet pliers:

ebay: eyelet pliers Deutsch: Ösenzange

The punch pliers:

ebay: punch pliers Deutsch: Lochzange

Hope this helps!

Project for the weekend

What will be the project for this weekend, in addition to the champagne bottle test?

Well, I think I want to do a defense slingshot. My current plan is to add to auto switch blade knifes to the fork ends, and build a pepper spray canister into the grip. I also want to add "hand protectors" that may also work as a knuckle duster (no welded together finger rings allowed due to German law).

I am also thinking maybe I could add a stun gun (those are legal in Germany). But I lack a good idea how to incorporate that all into one slingshot.

New York, New York

As my avid youtube audience knows, my favourite workout/relax shirts are tank tops from the New York Gym.

A nice guy from Denmark PNed me today, directing me to a conspiracy forum where my coconut video was presented. Nice!

One of the comments said that my slingshots would be illegal in New York... this is actually true!

So from now on, I will wear these shirts also as a protest note to crazy NY slingshot regulation.

Six empty champagne bottles

I suffered through drinking the bubbly stuff, now it is time to put the empty bottles to use.

I will line them up and shoot a slingshot ball at them. I am not sure how many bottles one ball can kill, I did two of them a while ago.

I am still thinking about wether I will use lead or steel. Lead is more dense and a heavy ball will be smaller, but it will deform and that will reduce the impact. Steel may ricochet, though.

Can't do the test before Friday anyway. It's gonna be fun!

100 k views!

I uploaded my first slingshot video to youtube on Feb 1st, 2009. About seven months ago.

This morning, I exceeded 100,000 views! Have been fevering for this quite a while.

Will my life change? Sure! I think I have just added another 3 inches circumference to my chest, and I can feel my back straightening just as I leave for work.

Jörg

Addictive youtube statistics

After a while, youtube changes your daily routines.

First thing you do in the morning is to look at your views. Then, you can't wait until the insight information has been updated.

You get so sensitive about that, you notice every change of the pace. This morning, I immediately noticed the counts have jumped, so I knew one of my videos must have been featured somewhere else.

Found it: whatreallyhappend.com had the coconut one, here:

http://whatreallyhappened.com/de/content/ot-survival-skills-slingshot-potential

I liked the comment that suggested better names for my "W" slingshot.

"The FEMA greeter"
"The Equalizer"
"The Porker ender"
"The Traitor cracker"
"Sheister meister"
"The Politician Skull drainer"
"Balls for Bankers"
"Banker Bash"

The Politician Skull drainer clearly is my favourite!

Jörg

The Slingshot Channel now also as a blog.

Some people know me from my youtube videos and also from the forums I participate in.

I am a slingshot enthusiast and I build my own, very powerful models. I present them in video form on youtube, and by now I have about 100k views.

I also review commercial slingshots and do impact tests of slingshot balls on many different materials, like ballistic gelatin, coconuts and even a leg of lamb. I film those with a hi speed 1200 fps camera, so the impact is shown in super slow motion.

Now I want to start a blog about my activities.

Hope it works out!