The "Slim U"

Had to test my new saw.

So I made this new design from 18 mm multiplex... a very simple, yet daring frame.

The fork is really slim, which makes the slingshot look elegant, I think. The stability is there, it comes from the depth of the fork arms. This easily survived my vise test for the strongest bands.

It really shoots great - and no handslaps, the fork protects my hand pretty good!

Sling-X-Pistol: The Video

I have painted it black, attached rubber scales, even glued washers on in order to make them look the Ruger logos.

Optimized the fork as well, it is now a bit higher, for low powered shots (below 30% draw).

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_jeU3PJBAo

X-Pistol!

After several clumsy Sling-X-Bows, I wanted a compact plinking toy. A pistol!

Regarding the design, I always liked the Ruger MK2 .22 pistol. So I borrowed the grip/trigger look for my rubber based "competitor".

In order to have some amount of power, I turned the lock around (Stu's idea, in fact) and set for 45 cm (18") draw length (= total length of the weapon).

The trigger is really easy, just a lever that keeps the locks in place and releases them once the trigger is pulled. It is held back with a rubber band, this time it is not visible (under the lock plate).

The lock dowels are drilled off center, so that they are adjustable for different ammo size. Especially the small 8mm balls need very tight settings.

The three TB gold bands (2cm x 1,5cm x 11cm, effective length 8cm) are mighty hard to draw, about 12 kg draw weight.

The weapon shoots the 8mm steel ball with about 70 m/s, 230 fps. Not bad for the cold temperatures (freezing).

It is however more accurate with larger caliber ammo, maybe because the larger balls open the locks more evenly.

No video, it is already dark outside... maybe next week. This will give me time to make it nicer.

Review: Great frames made by Bill Hays

Bill Hays is exciting the slingshot community with his totally new designs. He makes frames that look like nothing else, but work just perfect and are amongst the most comfortable slingshots tested in The Slingshot Channel so far.

Three different frames are shown, one even has a 16 round steel ball magazine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v52M0b32ei8

Enjoy!

Jörg

Review: "Liberty I" ultra compact bow vs. Slingbow

The slingbow is a very popular weapon as it is compact, lightweight, easy to make and can shoot hunting arrows. But it competes with small bows, such as the "Liberty I" by Howard Winthers from www.libertyarchery.com.

This video presents the "Liberty I" bow and compares it to the "Diamond Razor Edge" compound bow and the homemade slingbow (see the How-To on The Slingshot Channel).

The results are quite impressive, the small Liberty I shoots a 400 gr arrow at more than 310 km/h. It outperforms the larger Razor Edge and of course also the slingbow (made with materials for under 10 dollars).

Slow Motion scenes recorded at 1200 frames per second show the behaviour of the bow when shot, it stays amazingly calm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aP_gKlQd-s

Jörg

"Pygmalion" - the taming of a natural fork

OK, I have never presented a natural fork so far. The reason is that it is hard to find a natural that has a low and wide enough fork, which is what I prefer.

A friend of mine challenged me to make a "Phoenix" design from a natural, and I accepted.

This is the outcome!

Yes, it is a natural fork. It doesn't look like a natural at all, right?

If you want to see how this was achieved, check out the thread on the forum (too many pics for the blogger).

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/3629-pygmalion-the-taming-of-a-natural-fork/

A very strong slingshot, perfect weight and fork dimensions.

Jörg

"The Sling Room"

It was raining cats and dogs today, so no outside video. But since many people asked me how many slingshots I own and which one is my favourite, I made a video showing my slingshot room.

57 of my best slingshots (I have hundreds) are kept on permanent display, most of them made by myself, but also a good dozen of the best types given to me by fellow slingshot makers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6c0XeOCZQg

Enjoy!

Phoenix Variations

Have made two entirely different "Phoenix" models today. Phew! That was a lot of dirty work.

First one is a laminate of four 3mm Cocobolo veneer and three 3mm copper plates. A heavy, nice shooter that needs some more finishing - but for today it is enough.

The second one is probably the most beautiful Phoenix I ever made. 9mm birch multiplex core, then Thuja scales. The Thuja is too brittle for a sleek slingshot, but laminated to the multiplex it is rock solid. I just love this slingshot am I am totally proud.

Can't wait for the rain to stop so I can shoot the new babies!

Jörg

Zombie Slaying Slingbow: How to make it at home

Have made another version of my slingbow. This time, upon many requests, I did a tutorial video as well.

I have devised a home made arrow rest, using rubber (what else). Also, I set the rest far back to gain draw length. Then, I designed the "frame" in a way that armslaps can never happen.

The bow is entirely made from 12 mm and 19 mm plywood, with three screws to stabilize the weapon.

It is more bulky, but also a lot more powerful than its predecessor.

Made this on Halloween, so I just had to shoot at a coconut... penetrated both sides. With a field tip.

The slingbow weighs 550 gramms (1,2 lbs), ready for shooting.

Here are the blueprints:

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B2lOiwtIPanYMDk3YjllMDgtNGViNC00NmMxLWFkNzAtN2YxNTc4ZmEyYWIw&hl=en

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz3ruRsh-HY