# Plexiglas



## Resigned User (Jul 4, 2015)

Hi guys
Have you ever tried to make slingshot made of Plexiglas? 
Is it a good and resistant material for slingshots?


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## wickerman (Oct 7, 2012)

Have never tried it myself but im sure their was a discussion on this a while back,

Ithink the general opinion was that it was a bit brittle and likely to shatter if you were to get a fork hit for example.

Having said that im pretty sure its been done

Dont think i would take the chance but of course this is only my opinion.

Cheers Sandy.


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## sharp eye (Jun 3, 2014)

For slingshots making I use acrylic polycarbonate and abs, both are good for absorbing impacts and are strong materials.


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## slingshotnew (Oct 29, 2014)

Credo di sì. Lo usano per fare ripiani per librerie e altro con spessori di circa 15 o 20 mm. Ho cercato su internet, per le fionde e altri hobby. Ho trovato solo grossisti che vendono grandi lastre ed è molto costoso. Per tagliarlo penso che sia sufficiente una adeguata lama da traforo evitando alte temperature. Il problema è forse nella rifilatura e lisciatura/lucidatura dei tagli: carta abrasiva? Comunque è un materiale che mi interessa molto, per la trasparenza, per i diversi colori ( fumè, nero rosso ecc).L'unico problema è che si possa graffiare ma.... si può anche incidere facilmente.................

Seguirò con molto interesse questo argomento. Ciao

P.S.: Con un getto di aria calda, tipo sverniciatore, si può anche piegare.


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## Bob Fionda (Apr 6, 2011)

I remember that Hrawk has made some slingshots of plexiglass. Have a look at his gallery and you can find some threads about it.


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

I made an acrylic frame once, gave it a couple fork hits and cracked it in almost no time flat. Fork hits can easily crack acrylic (plexiglass) slingshots and render them dangerous. Proceed with care and always inspect them carefully after any fork hit. Polycarbonate (lexan) is a lot better than acrylic for slingshot use. HDPE isn't anywhere near as good-looking as clear or translucent acrylic, but it'll absorb fork hits forever with no potentially unsafe side effects.


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## Resigned User (Jul 4, 2015)

I know about hdpe...i get a slingshot by flicks made of hdpe and after some fork hits it's seem as new... My wood one after three hits was "game over"


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

Evidently you get a lot of fork hits. You might address that problem with how you hold your pouch and if the fork is canted or skewed in relation to the target. It's supposed to be exactly perpendicular to the target on both axes.

I've worked with acrylic (aka Plexiglas) and when it flexes it eventually "crazes", meaning lots of tiny cracks develop...will break. Plexi is brittle whereas HDPE and Lexan (polycarbonate) are not. Plexi is used for decorative laminates however since the rest of the materials are resistant. Plexi is cheaper than polycarbonate so you could laminate the middle with plexi and the outsides with polycarbonate...using a rough sand paper to roughen the surfaces completely with no shine, before epoxying them together.

I would not use plexi for the whole slingshot...well, perhaps if it was 3/4 inch thick, but if you drop it on concrete or ceramic tile it'll chip or endure a fork hit, it'll become weakened or have an ugly scar.

Sign companies, that is plastic sign companies, work with both acrylic and polycarbonate sheet, they likely have a trash or scrap pile full of usable sheet pieces to laminate a good frame with. That's one medium I'd like to try myself, a colorful laminate of polycarbonate scraps, pinned of course...and epoxy'd together. Some really radical color schemes can erupt from this idea especially if I can find fluorescent colors to make "liners" with...toxic green, fusia, electric blue, fluorescent yellow and orange, Carmen red...ummm.

As to fork hits on HDPE, I did get one hit on one of mine, still can't figure out why...but you can't even see where it hit..lead 9.5mm, double TBG 15MM each band, non tapered...so the ball had plenty of force behind it.

Some of the big box stores sell "Starboard" which is HDPE house siding.


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

Some of the big box stores sell "Starboard" which is HDPE house siding and marine cabinetry. http://www.kingplastic.com/products/king-starboard/

It is manufactured in sheets maximum of 1.5 inches thick and thinner.


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## Resigned User (Jul 4, 2015)

I have fork hits "only" with the lizard and other pfs and I know it is my fault because I must practice... With my "figure 8" or my potato masher slingshot I haven't... 
Now I become better and better with the lizard and my fork hits went down from 5 to 2

Thx for the tips


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## sharp eye (Jun 3, 2014)

Do not use two parts epoxy glue to laminated acrylics, use appropriate adhesive for this kind of material. Most typically used are for solvent welding applications.


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## chuckduster01 (May 30, 2015)

They use Lexan (normally laminated layers) ....not plexiglas in bullet "resistant" windows. Wonder why for that be? Ever smack a piece of Plexiglas with a hard object or try to flex it, especially if it has some age to it? I have personally destroyed Lexan laminates and Lexan solids (from armored trucks). Both types required gunpowder propelled projectiles to accomplish this feat. I would trust my face to a slingshot made of shredded wheat before I would use Plexiglas.


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

I've used 2 part epoxy on plexi knife handle scales and not one has ever delaminated, but knife handles don't torque and bend like a thin slingshot frame would either. But yes, better is MEK or solvent sold to weld it. I've used that also, it's easiest and best IF your two pieces to join are perfectly mated and I mean perfectly. But its a moot point, slingshots made from plexiglass as poster above said would be 2nd to shredded wheat, LOL! Great analogy...sides still hurt from laughing.

I've got a request and this is sort of off subject...can 'MERICAN posters please use the word their as a possessive and the word there as a place?

"Over their" is incorrect and "there going to go to Michigan" is also incorrect. Switch 'em around. It is hard to believe that hagh school gradiates still cain't spell gud. Bumpkins. Whassat say fer edication in US of A? :screwy: It's embarrassing when foreigners whose 1st language isn't English can spell better than USA high school grads.

I actually get a kick out of reading some of these posts they are so ignorantly written...I can see some old fat ******* typing with his index fingers (sorry, fangers) sitting drinking a cheap beer looking at a scratched up greasy screen ancient CRT monitor...with a silhouette of his head on the wall behind him from a high radiation emitting CRT screen. LMFAO


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## chuckduster01 (May 30, 2015)

Geography your strong suit Chuck?


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

I would (and those who know me which eliminates anyone on this forum) consider my strong suit a sense of humor. My medium suit is hitting a tuna can at 15 m with my SSs. My weak suit is ignorance when education is free. I love your avatar Chuckduster, it took some graphic skill whereas mine was just a crop from a snapshot with a weird white plant as BG.

I might add that some of my boyhood summers were spent in Michigan, an amazing place of diversity and wilderness too...industry, beauty, climate, center of education at Wolverinetown of Ann Arbor which is one very nice city steeped in vintage homes and superior education. Lake Whitmore was the place...my grandparents had a summer house there to escape the muggy summers of southern OH. Fond memories. And a few largemouth bass and lots of blue gills.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Here is one :

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/28528-a-gift-from-the-doctor/


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## sharp eye (Jun 3, 2014)

Here is one that I made.

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/41952-topshot-fire/


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## kupis (Jan 8, 2015)

I make slingshots out of metracuilate and never have a problem. Some photos!






























If anyone wants one please pm me!

Thanks.

Enviado desde mi C5303 mediante Tapatalk


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## Resigned User (Jul 4, 2015)

Is it possible that there is different types of Plexiglas? Or something that looks like Plexiglas and will call vulgarly Plexiglas but it isn't?!


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