"The Edge" - new Phoenix variation

Hello,

lots of people asked me if i had a design for a boardcut that has no curves, just edges. Obviously straight cuts are easier for people than curves.

OK, I designed a variation of the Phoenix. No curves! Rounding is easy, too. The attachment is old but unusual, I used it on my Carbon fiber slingshot and also on a steel frame I shot in Alverton. My bands lived forever! I think the design is responsible for this, in part.

I laminated scrap wood to it to make the palm swell, looked nice but the color was very bleak. So I inked it, this time in maize yellow. After sanding and linseed oiling, I think it is quite pleasing. Attached some light training bands.

A public domain design, pdf can be found in the related thread at www.slingshotforum.com!

Jörg's latest toys

Here is a video about them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_pBk-j01S8

"Commodus" - Carved from Karelyan Birch

The shop where I buy my exotic wood added a piece of imperfect birch to my shipment, for free.



I decided to make a slingshot from it, what else! It is carved from one piece. Finihed it in oil to highlight the grain. I think it came out pretty good!

The fork is narrow, but that is hardly relevant, as my stickshot clearly demonstrated.

I named it "Commodus", because it reminds me on the wooden sword from "Gladiator". You know, the old gladiatar got it from Cesar as a sign that he was released from slavedom.

The Stickshot - Video

Here is the video:

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

Enjoy!

Why does it shoot?

I guess because sheer willpower makes the ball not hitting the stick and/or not entangling itself in the pouch.

Shoots great, you can make it in no time. Butterfly style of course, very accurate.

BTW the groove in the stick is because this is my draw strength test stick. I put my scales ring around the stick, secured by the groove, then I draw with a a length of string and a pouch that contains a steel ball. This way I can find out my maximum draw weight. I can do about 65 lbs (30kg), surprisingly low. I can draw out my 70 lbs bow with absolute ease, and I question if the 70 lbs are really based on an honest manufacturer spec.

I recommend testing your personal draw max this way, it helps finding the right band strength when you want the maximum power.

Jörg

"The Viking"

The first one with the wood shipment... stabilized golden buckeye burlwood.

I bent a 16 aluminum tube, added a threaded rod, drilled out the wood handle and glued everything in. I closed the opened handle with the original wedge I cut out beforehand.

A simple, humble, yet beautiful and comfortable slingshot! The perspex soaking makes the handle watertight and strong, can be polished to a high sheen.

Hope you like it!

Two new videos: "Classroom Warfare" and "Hand Howitzer"

"Classroom Warfare":

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

"Hand Howitzer":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Xdr7qNuV8

Blackthorn Natural

Have cut a nice fork from a thorntree that I can't identify. It still has leaves, so it can't be blackthorn.

Anyway, properly microwaved it and turned it into a semi ergo today. It has a palm swell where needed and it also has grooves for thumb and index finger. What I like is that even though it is heavily sculpted, it still looks like it could have been grown that way.

It was really bone white and the grain was hard to see, therefore I used my ink dying method to bring it out. I used dark brown ink.

Worked really well. This needs some cleanup in the grooves (polishing paste revealed by the photo flash), and poly coating. But otherwise it came out good.

Here is a little video about how I made it:

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

Three crazy slingshots

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2e5vJ5V4No

"The Eagle" - Butterfly shooter for tubes, with rollers

Had these rollers lying around, from a DIY shopping spree a while back. They are really cheap, originally for rope of course.

I also had some aluminum tube with just the right diameter to serve as axis - so I decided to do a variation of my 4x4 design, but in wood, and for tubes.

The design came out really well. It gives me about 22 cm of a draw extension, ideal for the task as it is easy to load a ball into the pouch and it does allow full butterfly.

This is really powerful, especially with heavy lead balls!

It is also not so hard to make, I consider making a tutorial video soon.

Antler and Multiplex

I still have lots of antler left from my ebay purchase. No good forks anymore, so I had to take a different route.

Made the most simple, yet very effective frame, simply by sawing a few parts off and mounting them on a piece of 12 mm multiplex.

I used a dark brown finishing oil so the wood matches the antler.

Full length steel screws go through both the handle and the fork arms, I secured them with epoxy so they don't come loose and closed the holes with epoxy clay.

Antler gives a wonderful grip. The only thing I did is to file in a groove for my thumb, other than that it is perfect.

This is a very comfortable slingshot, and very strong. I put on three layers of TB Gold per side.