# 3/4" PINE BOARD SLINGSHOT STRONG ENOUGH?



## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

I found a 3/4 inch board I think its pine(not 100%) and i carved a couple slingshots out of it for the heck of it. I cut it the correct way according to the grain of the wood, It's not multiplex but it seems strong enough but I have no experience with board cut slingshots. Do you think that it will be strong enough to be a functional slingshot? I cut them for fun so If I gotta dump them I wouldn't be sad.


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

The main concern is fork hits. If you get one it will most likely break the slingshot and possibly send a piece back to your face.


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## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

It seems like it will be strong enough, I'm just wondering if I should spend the time, and detail these slingshots. Maybe I'll make one and shoot the other one in the forks like bill hays did with his slingshot on one of his youtube videos.


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

No, Pine boardcuts are not safe.


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## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

That looks like a definite answer, thanks for the reply Henry


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

Nicholson said:


> That looks like a definite answer, thanks for the reply Henry


You're welcome. Now ;let me expand on it a bit. The ONLY safe wood for boardcuts by newbies is plywood. As you gain experience and learn about the properties of different woods and how to select a strong grain orientation, you will probably be able to make a safe boardcut. For now, please stick to plywood.


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

They can be safe if made in the right form. There are different kinds of pine and some are quite strong. I have seen a lot of old time slingshots from pine and orange crate end boards made with similar designs to this, but with a V throat design in stead of a round one. This design though is somewhat clumsy to shoot and I don't recommend it. -- Tex

http://slingshotforum.com/gallery/image/1661-old-big/


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## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

The ones I made were kinda stout and it may have worked, but I canned them already and I cut down a few birch treeforks, I know those will not bust. I'm just practicing building so I know what kind of tools I need, I stopped by the pawn shop twice yesterday for tools, I think I have everything I need except for a dremmel but that can wait. Im just having fun and seeing what kind of work I can do loaded on cofee


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## BCLuxor (Aug 24, 2010)

Arw floorboards not made of 3/4 pine? I guess the stress is spread over a greater area I would not feel comfortable shooting wood that splits so easy.


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## melvin (Jan 11, 2011)

I've made boardcuts from ash,oak,maple,even black walnut. If I had any doubts I pin the forks down into the handle with bamboo,brass or stainles steel pins. Haven't broken any yet,but one of my favorite methods is to laminate a core of 3/8 or 1/2 inch baltic birch plywood and put some 3/16 or 1/4 thick pretty wood on the outside.

Melvin


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

Remember my paddle pine? I supported 200 pounds and used it as a target for weeks .... didn't break. Also there was a member who tested wood strength and pine faired better than marine grade plywood.


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## NightKnight (Dec 16, 2009)

I think the issue is that pine has inconsistent strength. Test it as Henry suggests, and you should be good. Remember though, that laminated wood will always endure a fork hit better than non-laminates.


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## Adirondack Kyle (Aug 20, 2012)

Ya, i would stick with plywood,


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## Adirondack Kyle (Aug 20, 2012)

I broke solid oak by pulling back on double tex flats. 
Not even a fork hit, 3/4 inch thick. Problem is when it cracks, sometimes you don't see them, really thin hairline crack will spread when you least expect it. 
Pine has what woodworker's call loose grain, as opposed to being a hardwood, which is tight grained. 
Even a slight drop on the floor that looks harmless can be treacherous,!!! Trust me
If your short on funds, get some free decking samples from build direct. Com. Doesn't require a credit card even


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## jazz (May 15, 2012)

Hi all,

I consider myself a fork-hit expert, well, not in the sense that I understand why they happen and how to avoid them, but to involuntarily make them...

By now I broke forks made out of beech board (plank), beech composite board, few laminates and even a bamboo integral parquet suposedly hardest but surely most expensive here.

I have noticed that whether the fork will break does not depend only on material, but also on the material/mass and the speed of the amo. All the above I broke with steel balls 10.5 - 12.7 mm semi-butterfly stile, some of them with the first hit. Well, I do not know what happens there physics wise, but I remember that my whole right side of the body trembled like Tom trembles when Jerry hits him with a frying pan against his head.

cheers,

jazz


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## Lars (Jan 4, 2013)

you have to take an multiplex or hardwood laminate core


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