Zed's Technical Writings

I have made available for download some of my calculation spreadsheets.http://www.l2i.org/s...ot/usefultools/While I endavour to ensure the correctness of this data and calculations, they are only my own back of the envelope calculations and I accept no responsibility for their veracity or the...

1. Only use tips with a pronounced tie groove



2. Fold Fabric in half around bottom band only



3. Tightly wrap tie around fork, fabric and...

Designing a slingshot is easy. In this blog post I will show you my method and then talk about stimulating creativity.


Design Process

The first step is to decide on the slingshot's dynamics. This determines the way that it shoots. It is the most fundamental part of the design process.

The orientation -...

In this blog post I will consider some ways we can re-shape the traditional leather pouch so that it shoots faster and lasts longer.

We all want to shoot reasonably fast. Speed gives flatter trajectories and higher impact energy. Ideally, we want to do that without having to pull a lot harder. Some people who may already be shooting tiny pellets from...

I am always looking for ways to improve my slingshots. One way is to make the pouch out of an exceptionally strong leather so that it can be made as light as possible. Saving pouch weight can make a substantial difference in velocity, particularly when shooting light projectiles.

I did some research and asked some people I know who are in the leather...

I have measured and plotted some mass-velocity and mass-kinetic energy curves for my standard bands.



...

I've been having problems with an experimental bandset of Thera-band Black. Essentially they are the same formula as my die cut doubled Thera-band Gold bands, but in the thinner Thera-band Black and with a tiny 50mm x 6mm pouch.

I want them as a fast bandet for my little (38lb) daughter. She'll be shooting 6mm steel ball and I've been test...

My first homemade bands were crude affairs. They shot lead balls and I loved them. However, before long. I went off on a quest for the ultimate in velocity and energy. I made some extreme bandsets that pushed the envelope in every direction: lighter, faster, thinner, more tapered. I spent a great deal of time experimenting, designing and re-testing. I...

I've known for a while that the heavier I have to pull, the less accurate and consistent my shots are. I've been looking for ways to describe or quantify that, because I want to establish my optimum draw strength for accuracy. By using heavier bands and heavier ammo I should shoot flatter and straighter, but after a certain point, inaccuracy...