# Can I use these tubes? Or am I off my rocker?



## riverhound (Mar 29, 2016)

Hey guys, been slinging for a few weeks now, and I am interested in making my own slingshot. I have a fork and some tubes, but I am wondering how difficult it will be to attach these tubes to the fork, and how I would go about doing it. Or am I just way off base and these tubes wont work?

Fork is from a redbud tree, I realize that I still have a lot of work to do, I intend to carve it out and sand it down.


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

I would shorten those forks by about half. Looks like a nice fork. Those tubes are pretty stiff and don't produce a lot of speed, but do have the advantage of being ready to go. One way to mount them is to drill holes a little bit below the end of the forks, pull the tubes through and insert a round ball in the end of the tube. There will be others along shortly with lots of ideas. Whatever advice you decide to follow, keep at it. Your slingshots will just get better and better.


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## riverhound (Mar 29, 2016)

Thanks Henry! I will look into the ball method, and yeah, I figured my forks were a bit long, I still need to put in a lot of work into the forks, but no rush. As I dont have any steel balls to insert into drilled holes at this point, how else could I attach my bands? Also, I like this style of tubes, I have them on another sling that I use and I am used to them, thats why I went with them, but I do intend to experiment with different materials in the future. Thanks!


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

You do not need to use steel balls. Anything you can force into the ends of the tubes will work. Cut off a small length of a plastic knitting needle of appropriate diameter. Or whittle small cones from a piece of wood.

You might also try gypsy tabs:

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/29050-gypsy-tabs-quick-and-easy/

There are lots of other threads about gypsy tabs, so use the search function.

Cheers .... Charles


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## riverhound (Mar 29, 2016)

Iv seen some people attach their tubes with rubber bands, is this a good method? If so is there anything I need to know about attaching the tubes with rubber bands? Sorry, I'm still getting used to the hobby, I'm sure you get these types of questions all the time


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## riverhound (Mar 29, 2016)

As a tube shooter, what tubes will produce enough speed and umph to kill squirrels? My end goal is to build slingers that will take down eastern gray squirrels.


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## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

The yellow tubes are really stout! The red ones pull very smooth with plenty of power to harvest game. Just my 2cents. But keep asking questions ,you'll pick it up quick.


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## drigo (Feb 29, 2016)

Yaiiii another one who like tubes 
The way I attach my tubes is by attaching a little piece if eather to the forks and then attachng the tube to this piece of leather. This way there is no friction betweeb the wood and the tubes(gonna send a pic soon, im on college now)


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## drigo (Feb 29, 2016)

Yaiiii another one who like tubes 
The way I attach my tubes is by attaching a little piece if eather to the forks and then attachng the tube to this piece of leather. This way there is no friction betweeb the wood and the tubes(gonna send a pic soon, im on college now)


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## drigo (Feb 29, 2016)

content://media/external/file/12482


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## drigo (Feb 29, 2016)

Fail X( gonna try later now


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## drigo (Feb 29, 2016)

One more chance


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## drigo (Feb 29, 2016)

It worked DDD


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

riverhound said:


> As a tube shooter, what tubes will produce enough speed and umph to kill squirrels? My end goal is to build slingers that will take down eastern gray squirrels.


The ones you have will do the job if you stretch them enough and use heavy enough ammo, but you will find that small tubes, such as the 2040/1842/1745 series are easier pull and MUCH faster. Here's one Topic that deals mostly with using the 2040/1842 tubes.

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/13242-testing-chinese-tubes/

You might also want to spend some time on this Forum.

http://slingshotforum.com/forum/93-slingshot-bands-and-tubes/

And, of course, there is a wealth of information to be found on the Homemade Slingshots Forum.

http://slingshotforum.com/forum/7-homemade-slingshots/


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

I made my first natty forks for OTT and tied the tubes. They were pretty stout surgical tourniquet tubing and didn't work too well, hard to pull and really no advantage to that since I wasn't shooting particularly heavy ammo or arrows...but it was all we could get for a while til someone came from the more civilized part of the world with a roll of TBG for me and some Alliance Sterling rubber bands, the big gnarly ones...both work fine (prefer TBG).

I think your question has had excellent coverage with the comments/replies...not much else to add really 'cept WEAR GOOD EYE PROTECTION.

I will add that I got fork hits from my natural "Y" frames occasionally and never figured out why...OTT at that. I think it was those gnarly tubes I used more than anything...the "Y" was about the same angle as yours, a little slimmer, maybe that was it...not enough space between the forks and no I don't "twist and tweek" nor do the wrist flip, just straight shooting.

We're all eager to see your progression through making frames and other posts...keep it going!


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## pult421 (Aug 13, 2015)

Hey guess what i used after chained rubber when i started ... Those tubes. Had fun.. Great marble shooters those tubes tharr. But.. I never made my ss smooth enough to not mess up the bands tied to the fork. (Noob stuff) soo i had a bad experience. Try the tabs .. And then try the cone or ball in tube. Have fun


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## riverhound (Mar 29, 2016)

> The yellow tubes are really stout! The red ones pull very smooth with plenty of power to harvest game. Just my 2cents. But keep asking questions ,you'll pick it up quick.


Is there any way that you can send me a link to the red tubes you are talking about, these yellows are very stout, and dont work near as well on my natty as they do on the metal frame slingshot that they are intended for.

Drigo, thanks for the pics, that is extremely helpful, I have a pair of old leather boots I'm going to cut some leather out of to connect my tubes to.

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I am sticking with it, I try to put at least 100 marbles down range every day that the weather permits. I'll post updates on my fork and my progress as it comes.


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## riverhound (Mar 29, 2016)

Nvm, I found the red tubes for sale on Amazon.


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## fsimpson (May 13, 2014)

think these are what you are looking for---------- trumark tapered red tubes from simpleshot slingshot supply . take a look at their online catalog ,they have everything

easy draw -good power . these will make a whole different slingshot out of a walmart daisy f16. or anything else you put them on .

good luck --frank

http://simple-shot.com/accessories/trumark-rrt-tapered-tubes/


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## riverhound (Mar 29, 2016)

Thanks simpson, ill order a couple sets!


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## Greyman (Mar 9, 2016)

riverhound said:


> Thanks simpson, ill order a couple sets!


 this is how I,ve been shooting my tubes for a few years works a treat, just cross drill the fork, put a loop of paracord through put a little piece of plastic tube on the cord before tying the knot then just push your tubes on over the bit of plastic and it's done


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## riverhound (Mar 29, 2016)

Could you take game with that slingshot?


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## Greyman (Mar 9, 2016)

riverhound said:


> Could you take game with that slingshot?


. For sure mate it's as powerful as my 30mm straight cut flats that I hunt with, I have a few to many catty,s at the moment, but I would be quite happy if that was my only one, it's a real keeper,


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## riverhound (Mar 29, 2016)

*I ordered a set of those red tubes, look forward to trying them out. I will have to try that way of attaching Grayman, looks simple and secure. *


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