# The Kodiak



## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

This one along with a couple of others are headed to Germany tomorrow.

Honey colored micarta with a G10 core. The angle of the handle plus holding with the finger and thumb up high allow for an exceptionally strong hold with very little shake when used with the forks upright. When held with the forks to the side... it becomes an ergonomic and accurate instrument for those who prefer shooting in that style:









The board cut pattern posted last night:









It should be interesting to see what the chrony shows with this one... After making it, I banded it up with some decent strength black thera and using .50 caliber steel ammo, shot some nice clean holes right through some 1/4", 5 layer top grade plywood.


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## bunnybuster (Dec 26, 2009)

I like that Kodiak.
Especially the yellow one


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## Tom Krein (Oct 24, 2010)

Nice work! VERY good attention to detail!

Tom


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## brockfnsamson (Aug 25, 2010)

Hi bill, I have a question, how does micarta react to fork hits compared to other materials like resin or g10? Does it splinter easily or is it more of a depression where the surface will hold together?


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

And here's the cutout guide for anyone who wants to use it... as this design should be considered public domain:


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

brockfnsamson said:


> Hi bill, I have a question, how does micarta react to fork hits compared to other materials like resin or g10? Does it splinter easily or is it more of a depression where the surface will hold together?


Keep in mind I've never had the thrill of experiencing a fork hit for myself... but I have tested all the different materials I use with a few different destruction tests. One of those tests involves beating the **** out of many different frames and materials with the ball side of a ball peen hammer.

The ball peen hammer tests I have done tell me that the micarta gets the slightest depression in it if hit hard enough. G10 composite by itself is stronger but not as attractive to some. 
Unsupported (no G10 core) Dymondwood breaks fairly easily when put to the hammer test, but when supported with a G10 core will only break off in very small pieces, if hit directly on the fork tips, and _slightly_ denting if hit other places... holding together much better than any multiplex (plywood).
Plywood (all types) breaks fairly easily at the fork tips and dents very badly when hit anywhere else.
ALL unsupported hardwoods I've tested break fairly easily... but when supported with a G10 core, the hardest woods react similar to Dymondwood and the softer grades flake off or dent pretty easily.


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## brockfnsamson (Aug 25, 2010)

Bill Hays said:


> Hi bill, I have a question, how does micarta react to fork hits compared to other materials like resin or g10? Does it splinter easily or is it more of a depression where the surface will hold together?


Keep in mind I've never had the thrill of experiencing a fork hit for myself... but I have tested all the different materials I use with a few different destruction tests. One of those tests involves beating the **** out of many different frames and materials with the ball side of a ball peen hammer.

The ball peen hammer tests I have done tell me that the micarta gets the slightest depression in it if hit hard enough. G10 composite by itself is stronger but not as attractive to some. 
Unsupported (no G10 core) Dymondwood breaks fairly easily when put to the hammer test, but when supported with a G10 core will only break off in very small pieces, if hit directly on the fork tips, and _slightly_ denting if hit other places... holding together much better than any multiplex (plywood).
Plywood (all types) breaks fairly easily at the fork tips and dents very badly when hit anywhere else.
ALL unsupported hardwoods I've tested break fairly easily... but when supported with a G10 core, the hardest woods react similar to Dymondwood and the softer grades flake off or dent pretty easily.
[/quote]

Very nice answer bill thanks. Makes me cringe thinking about you beating no of theses with a hammer, I compare it to Leonardo da Vinci setting the mona lisa on fire to see how it would hold up to a house fire!


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Oh I didn't beat up any of the finished pieces for sale! Tests were done on crude test pieces made from the same materials as the good ones.
You see whenever you cut out a slingshot there's almost always waste material... it's easy to test on that waste stuff as well.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

Paper micarta can snap in a kind of jagged laminar way. You don't generally get shrapnel, nor unseen cracks. I don't think it dangerous, it's as strong as wood, it doesn't leave splinters and it doesn't have grain and unseen weak spots.

G10 is a lot more fork-hit resistant and I find people ask for it a lot more these days.

Aluminium, steel and G10 cores do reduce the chance of flex-related breakage and they do much reduce the chance of a catastrophic failure, but they do not prevent damage to the wood layers and can even directly cause cracking if the wood expands or contracts. Cores are best paired with plastics or stabilised natural materials.


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## brockfnsamson (Aug 25, 2010)

Bill Hays said:


> Oh I didn't beat up any of the finished pieces for sale! Tests were done on crude test pieces made from the same materials as the good ones.
> You see whenever you cut out a slingshot there's almost always waste material... it's easy to test on that waste stuff as well.


I figured as much, just fooling around.


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

Hey Bill, thanks for sharing the images of your work, but thanks mainly for sharing your design. I think the slingshot community is very thankfull for this:lol:. Saludos...


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

Thanks Bill! I really like the design and the name!

I'm guessing that between the forks is about 2.5"? For scaling purposes.


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

This one is really nice, of all you have shown I think this one is my favorite..


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks Guys, have at it.. it's a very functional design as well as being strong as a "bear"!

The distance between the forks is 2.5".... the cutout picture is in .gif format so it should print out exactly to scale.
Just save the image to your computer's desktop... open it with a picture/image viewer, print it off, spray a little rubber cement picture fixative on the back... stick it to the material you want to cut out... cut along the line with a saw... and there you go!


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

Bill, I am humbled by your work. Wow! Can't wait.

You are truly a great slingshot maker. Pure creativity meets fantastic workmanship. Rare finds in a single person!

Jörg


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

Bill, i made a boardcut of the kodiak this weekend, even though it is not finished yet i feels great in the hand! thanks again for your work and offering some of your great designs like this for public use.


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Hey that's great Man!
Post some pics, it's always good to see different takes on the same pattern.


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