"Knuckle Duster" Slingshot: Video

Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ff4IM9DUs

All new wireframe design

In order to make a slingshot for target shooting, I wanted a frame that is always held exactly the same.

So I played with some 8mm steel rod and got an idea. What if the slingshot has three finger rings that slide all the way up? This way, nothing can change.

I had to attach the fork in an angle to make the geometry right, but it works. Will shoot it tomorrow!
♦

New video: Homemade "bonecrusher" ammo

Hello,

instead of always shooting lead and steel balls, I have followed the tip from a fellow slingshooter and made my own, very heavy bullets from nuts, bolts and washers.

It works! The effect is quite spectacular.

The new "compass" slingshot is used to compare the impact of different balls and the new, oddly shaped projectiles against a stack of styrofoam boards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L28hnM5yyx8

Enjoy!

Contest winner!

Spudfiles.org just crowned the winner of the 2009/10 ghetto challenge.

The condoms+broomstick slingshot, presented by The Slingshot Channel, won the prestigeous award!

I am immensely proud of this first genuine trophy. I will open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate the day!

New video: Slingbow, collapsible arrows, razor broadheads

Many friends of the outdoors like the idea to have a simple hunting weapon with them when they're backpacking. A bow and some arrows would be ideal, but then again that would be bulky and heavy. This video shows my home made outdoor slingbow/slingshot survival bag. It contains

- A slingbow (arrow shooting slingshot)
- Three collapsible arrows
- Three razor sharp broadhead tips
- A Hunter Catapult slingshot
- Ten steel balls
- Spare bands and string
- A small multi tool for changing bands in the field

The whole bag weighs less than 3 pounds (about 1200 gramms). It is very small, about 12" x 6" x 3".

The slingbow shown in this video is built around a so-called "whisker biscuit", the core of a popular arrow rest for bows. It does the job very well, but it had to be reinforced with steel in order to make it strong enough.

Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfB0yRtGhC0

Regards


Jörg

Gothic slingshot: The video

Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5_yl4xg3as

Delight Of The Blacksmith

Have made another "W" slingshot today, but this time, I did not use stainless steel.

Instead, I used wrought iron, and saltwater crocodile leather (from an old belt that, ahem, no longer fitted well).

Of course the handle is rotating and ball bearings are used as well. Self centering!

I sanded the iron after spray painting it black, to give it this special "antique" look.

For this design, the black Thera Band is called for. I cut it 24x11x5,5cm, 2 stripes per side. It must be a bit longer because of the "over the top of the ball" method. Lots and lots of power.

This is an entirely different slingshot, but I am quite pleased with it.

Vote for the best custom slingshot of the month!

Here:

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/541-poll-custom-slingshot-of-the-month-january/

Whisker biscuit slingshot (slingbow)

Hello,

my whisker buscuit (spare part) arrived a few days ago.

My idea was to build a slingshot around it. I wanted to make it as flat as possible. So I put the biscuit in the middle of the fork. I used the matchstick method (but Thera Tube Green rather than the matchstick) in order to make it backpack friendly.

Problem was that the biscuit broke apart. The arrow was launched 100%, but the pouch and rubber had enough force to break the biscuit at its weakest point.

So I had to weld metal enforcements to the frame, which worked really well in the end. You can see those enforcements on the two pics of the "receiving end".

The triple Thera Gold is very effective, in combination with the arrow gripping pouch.

1st anniversary!

The Slingshot Channel celebrated one year of existance on February, 1st, 2010!

This was the first video that came out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh34cRUwSfc

Since then, more than 420,000 views and 1,170 subscribers have been counted. Wow! What a great start.

Thanks to all my subscribers, followers and viewers! I hope that the success story will continue.

3D video: my most beautiful slingshot

Here is the first 3D slingshot presentation on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JQPDSt6bGM

You do need some type of supported 3D glasses, including all of the cardboard types.

If you don't have 3D glasses, then you can still watch the video, just not in 3D. Simply select the right or left channel only, then you see the 2D version. It is worth it, a beautiful slingshot!

If you should be interested in the background of 3D filming and the different types of glasses, then this video could be interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E83i7sXAA74

Enjoy! And let me know what you think.

Jörg

My most beautiful slingshot

Hello,

after so many ball bearinged compound whatever slingshots, I really wanted to make a designer slingshot for a change.

First, the band attachments bother me. I mean, they work, but they are not a pretty sight. So I developed a way to hide the attachments! The bands come clean out of the fork.

Then, I used steel cable for the grip. That is a b***h to wrap around the grip, but very rewarding in the end.

I added a bit of heavy black rope to make the thunb+forefinger grip more comfortable.

Then, I put a bit a leather beneath the fork arms to hide the welding (which looked OK, just not perfect).

Also, I used the slotted pouch for a cooler look.

This is a really nice slingshot. Of course the beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and others may think it is cheesy - but I think it is beautiful, and it shoots well.

3D camera finished

I finished my 3D High Def Cam today. It looks just like a slingshot!

Here are some pics:

In the first pic, one camera is set to photo mode (8 MPix) and the other one to video (1440x1080p).

In real life, you'd either shoot video OR stills of course, this is just to show what is possible.

Very lightweight, just under a pound (400 gramms).

Of course, this cam is for great lighting conditions only. But that is OK, it is just for tests.

New pouch concept!

The discussions about the lifespan of flat bands have been inspiring. Most shooters confirmed my experiences: The bands always break close to the pouch, and some forum members said that the kinking may be responsible for that.

So I "designed" (it is really a simple idea) a pouch with slits, made for looped flat bands. I call this the "Reverse Chinese Loop" method.

Advantages: Longer band life (hopefully), cleaner look, no band loss for pouch attachment, thinner pouch (no kinked rubber and string).

Disadvantage: Cutting the tapered bands is a little harder, you have to cut them in a romboid style.

But that is not so hard, you simply fold the band in the middle. So you cut a 44 cm long piece of rubber from the roll, then you fold it at 22 cm. Then you use your pen, mark it, say, 3 cm at the "open" side and 2 cm at the folded side. Then you cut both layers. That would give you a band that is 2 cm X 2cm at the pouch and 3 cm X 3 cm at the fork (like the Fish Hunter). This tapering automatically centers the pouch.

Tested this on my trusted old Freddy, works like a charm!

We will see how long the bands last.

PS: This idea was inspired by the Saunders plastic pouch, and also of course by the Chinese "pretzel" shooters. I am sure someone used it decades ago already. But I haven't seen this concept used recently.

The Slingshot Channel will go 3D!

Youtube now supports 3D!

If you type in "yt3d:enable=true" into the youtube search, then you will see lots of videos that are made in 3D.

You need to use 3D glasses, many types are supported. So if you have some 3D cardboard glasses lying around, great! Go ahead and find them, all kinds are supported.

Soon, the first 3D slingshot video will come out. You can also watch it in 2D if you don't have glasses or if you prefer 2D.

The Slingshot Channel will use a home made high definition 3D camera for the purpose.

Will be interesting!

The Slingshot Forum Guide

The web is a huge place, and it is not easy to find the right websites. Therefore, here is a video that gives an overview about the sites with discussions and information about slingshots!

The links can be found in the text video descritions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1zyX9p-C5U

Three new slingshot videos!

Hello,

as I could not make a video the last weekend, I made three today!

Here they are.

First, two new slingshots, the "YY" and the "4x4":

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

Then, a penetration test into the cheek of a hog, with the thick skin still on it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxhpHP-x3o0

Last not least, a short presentation of my enhancement to the Dankung "Warrior".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7iTpFdim3U

The original review can be seen here:

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

Greetings, Jörg

Hello,

have been busy in the workshop today.

My newest creation is another compound slingshot, this time using four pulleys, of course all of them equipped with ball bearings.

This compound slingshot is really compact, because the rubber is stored very efficiently on two rollers per band. The slingshot is just 18 cm wide (7") and 15,5 cm (6") high, but it enhances the draw length by 17 cm per side! This means there is almost no more dead play in the action, my entire draw length is used effectively.

It shoots very good. I will do a video tomorrow including some action. Will be fun!

It looks a little bit like a candle holder - but I need to find a better name than that... ideas, anyone?

Pimp my Dankung

Some of you may have seen my review about the Dankung "Warrior" slingshot.

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

I had some free time today, so I decided to enhance it as good as possible.

In order to make it larger, but also more ergonomical, I replaced the original, very thin paracord with nice, heavy rope. I used the original stuff to cushion the fork ears (that were not wrapped when the slingshot arrived).

Also, I replaced the original, very short, tough but slow tubular bands with a set of thiiiiin Thera Band black, cut 14 cm x 9 cm x 22 cm.

The result is astounding! A different slingshot. Very powerful, but easy to draw, and much nicer to hold. It still is a little small for me, and the attachment leaves a lot to be desired, but this souped up version is gazillions better than the original setup.

Took just about 30 minutes work and maybe 5 dollars investment!

"The YY" - new compound slingshot design

Hello,

the compound slingshot concept for flat bands was a very good and popular idea. I got many positive comments about it.

So I decided to work some more on the concept. I wanted to get rid of the guide rod that is necessary so the bands won't slip of the rollers, and also I wanted a design that has no forward extended rods for the bands so the hand is not in the way.

The solution: Wider pulleys and a more straight band attachment method. The slingshot that came out is a bit bulky, but very beautiful (I think). The ball bearings in the wide stainless steel pulleys make the action super smooth.

It is shot with the bands set up like in the first picture, the second picture is just to show the attachment method.

This is a very fast shooting slingshot! Let me know what you think.

1000 subscribers!

Not even three months after no. 500 signed up as a youtube subscriber of The Slingshot Channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/JoergSprave), the 1000st youtuber subscribed (on Jan. 11, 2010)!

The growing rate of the channel is staggering. It took almost 9 months to get the first 500! At this rate number 2000 isn't going to take long.

In good tradition, the lucky winner will receive a free "surprise" slingshot.

This time, the slingshot goes to the Czech Republic. Here are a few words from the winner himself:

----------------------------------------
My name is Pavel,

i am from Czech Republic and since i was a kid i use to make myself slingshots,testing them and enjoying this passion with my friends.Unfortunately i was living for a long time in a big city and had not a lot of oportunity and time for slingshots,but few months ago i have moved to my native village and discovered your videos,this gave me again the desire to make some new slingshots and i am really enjoying it.Big thanks to Jörg for sharing his passion,his videos,impressions and advices with us .I hope you will open The Jörg slingshot store one day or just keeping your blog alive.

Thanks again to you and the other slingshoters .

Best regards

Pavel

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

Welcome, Pavel, to our community!

New video (Snaffle, globeshot) is online!

Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_gJ1xrCrcI

New slingshot: "The Snaffle"

Hello,

some time ago, I watched a youtube video made by a little boy, showing off a slingshot he calls "gloveshot".

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HVk03seKpk[/url]

I thought that the idea has potential, so I made my version of the "Gloveshot" today, as always from stainless steel.

I had to change the kid's original design a bit to allow strong bands.

I have to say that I am really pleased with the result! Absolutely exciting is the the totally relaxed fingers. As you can see in the third pic, you don't even have to close your fist. Smitty, I think you will simply love this design.

Of course, without the hand brace, this would not work at all, the grip would rotate in your hand even when you use very light bands. But this works with really heavy bands, it is true, the forearm muscles are way more powerful when the fist is horizontal.

I think the fork could be a bit lower, will do some high speed video tomorrow to verify.

Other than that, so far I think it is pretty much perfect!

Video will follow on Sunday.

Compound slingshot with pulleys

On the eternal hunt for power, I designed another draw length enhanced slingshot. I think it is one of my most appealing models ever!

Have finished the video, including the reloading process.

Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_hJhe2arqk

Regards


Jörg

New Video: Three designs, including Firecracker Launcher

Here:

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

New video by Flatband: Basic slingshot types

One of the most famous slingshot afficionados has just uploaded his first video. The basic slingshot types are explained by the master himself! This is a must-have-seen for every avid slingshot fan out there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8_2w0ZfAmc

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