# ZDP-189's A Series



## ZDP-189

I made these for an Altoids can kit to fit in a 'survival kit'. My own kit will comprise a couple of fishhooks, sinker and line, a firesteel, some snare wire, and a little salt, pepper and MSG. Besides my Knife, poncho and canteen, that's really all I need. The design concept is to create a 5mm thick board cut that offers the most possible grip within a profile that will fit in an Altoids can. Although they are designed for adult hands, I also found that they suit my young kids perfectly and they've already been grabbed. The Thera-band Black is especially good for this purpose. My young daughter can shoot it full butterfly and gets decent velocities that a 'grown-up' would be satisfied with.

*Model A1*




























*Model A2*





































_These are original designs intended for commercialisation. Please contact me first for permission and instructions if you plan to copy them._


----------



## John-Boy

Very cool, what material is that?


----------



## Hrawk

Very nice!

I'd love to see a close up of that pouch, looks interesting & very lightweight.


----------



## ZDP-189

John-Boy said:


> Very cool, what material is that?


5mm acrylic (aka 'Perspex', although this is Rainbow brand). A stronger material adds no value on a fork this small and with tips this low.


----------



## ZDP-189

Hrawk said:


> Very nice!
> 
> I'd love to see a close up of that pouch, looks interesting & very lightweight.


The pouch is stitched 200lb test Nylon with Nylon mesh. The mass is only 0.4g to reduce inertia. It really makes the long Thera-band Black bands sing with 6mm steel BBs.










There's more information on my pouches in my blog:

http://slingshotforum.com/blog/11/entry-201-pouch-designs/


----------



## John-Boy

ZDP-189 said:


> Very cool, what material is that?


5mm acrylic (aka 'Perspex', although this is Rainbow brand). A stronger material adds no value on a fork this small and with tips this low.
[/quote]

So what your saying is that its realy just used as a handle, the thumb and index finger are taking most of the strain?


----------



## ZDP-189

John-Boy said:


> So what your saying is that its realy just used as a handle, the thumb and index finger are taking most of the strain?


Well the slingshot is used as a stable and rigid attachment point to place the end of the bands just over the knuckles.

In almost all slingshots, the forefinger, thumb and the web between them take the majority of the thrust. To a degree, this is also a pivot point, because the fork tips are higher than the contact point. A low, narrow fork like the A-series, the PFS or Perry's BB shooter etc. means you don't need a wrist brace to pull even relatively heavy bands as a lot of the torque force is taken off the lower fingers. All my designs use low forks for this reason, but they also have lower finger bracing for stability, particularly contra twisting.

Another benefit is that because the distance between where the fork is braced is very small, so even weaker materials bend less and are less likely to break. I could make these out of tempered steel or G10, but there wouldn't be much benefit.


----------



## Frodo

Neat buggers!


----------



## Darb

A nicely compact design. Kudos.

p.s. I was wondering where that altoids tin had gotten to. Does this mean I'll be your official supplier ?











> MSG ... that's really all I need.


Heh.


----------



## Devoman

Very refreshing, could be worth a mint! lol


----------



## ZDP-189

Darb said:


> p.s. I was wondering where that altoids tin had gotten to. Does this mean I'll be your official supplier ?


Yes, thanks, the tin was from you. The original idea was from mr.joel.


----------



## Darb

I wasn't looking for credit, my friend ... just an opportunity to dish a little good-natured abuse.









I like the design. Compactness, durability and light weight are important criteria for items going into a survival kit, and the fact that it's modular means it can fit in small accessible pockets without being squished/tangled/lost, and can be readily moved from pack to pack and pocket to pocket with ease and familiarity at a glance. It works.

My outdoor experience is mostly alpine, rather than jungle ... I did a lot of hiking back in the 70's & 80's. Here's me at Camp Muir on Mt. Raineer.


----------



## ZDP-189

Darb said:


> MSG ... that's really all I need.
> 
> 
> 
> Heh.
Click to expand...

I recall seeing a comment about regional taste for MSG. It's actually used very little in home cooking in Hong Kong and a lot less in Chinese restaurants here than in the USA.

I use MSG only for survival training. When your only food is whatever you can hunt or gather plus maybe a little rice, some spices make a terrific difference to morale; especially when the traps are empty, the eels aren't biting and the birds have wised up and roost across the valley and all you have is a bamboo pot full of fern, leaf and rattan and a small frog. Salt and pepper add interest and the MSG makes the frog taste like a catfish in chicken stock.

The hooks and catty offer more food than you could otherwise gather without taking risks. The firesteel offers fire when there's no dry bamboo about and the tin gives the ability to make charcloth.

The rest of the contents of a traditional altoids survival kit are laughably useless in a tropical jungle. You can't navigate well with a compass. You can't signal, matches get damp and a candle or mini light won't last long. Puritabs are unnecessary if you know how to get clean water and suspect boil water in a bamboo.


----------



## Hugues

Very nice and clever work (as usual ) Zdp.

I'm very much interested by your "glamorous" (uh, sexy?) nylon mesh pouch...might be a great improvement in feeling the bullet between thumb and index!


----------



## lucifer93

I love the survival slingshots very nice Dan and good use for scrap bits of Acrylic sheet








ps MSG tested on rats made holes in their brains so totaly safe for humans, yeah right


----------



## ZDP-189

Louis, I used to be a pharmacologist. We did lots of toxicology and I don't recall any one mentioning MSG like that. Lucky I only do it once and a while.

Hugues, I didn't use tights! I buy bolts of this stuff for mosquito meshes.


----------



## mxred91

I really like the red acrylic, I also just read your pouch design analysis, really interesting.


----------



## Bill Hays

Coolness, sweet looking little shooters!


----------



## ZDP-189

Bill Hays said:


> Coolness, sweet looking little shooters!


I like the spider-like look of the A2, but the A1 is like a mini T1 or T2 and just flips itself. It looks similar to Perry's BB shooter, but the thickness, grip and action is quite different and I find I personally get along with it much better. I can fit two fingers in the loop, and hold it like a T1 even though the frame is smaller in profile than the BB Shooter and my daughter can hold it just like a mini-T1.


----------



## Rayshot

On yet another design of yours Dan I find I am a fan. Good work!


----------



## ZDP-189

Darb said:


> I wasn't looking for credit, my friend


Nevertheless, credit's due. Thanks!


----------



## A+ Slingshots

Very Nice Dan!!! Unique for sure, with a definite "Hey that's Neat!!" factor as well. A+ great job!!!


----------



## The Gopher

really cool! i've just looked at an altoids tin, they sure look small when you see them up close!


----------



## 919h

Both are nice.

Xav


----------



## lucifer93

This deserves a bump and i think this would make a really good competition. Slingshot in a Survival Tin anyone?


----------



## Rayshot

An intended feature or not, that I like in the slingshot especially with a survival mentality (assuming you are not with a militia mentality and want camo), is the red color. I prefer my things to be at least somewhat different in color in a survival situation. I want to find and item due to it standing out from the colors of where it may have fallen. I want to be able to find it and use it to survive.


----------



## ZDP-189

lucifer93 said:


> An intended feature or not, that I like in the slingshot especially with a survival mentality (assuming you are not with a militia mentality and want camo), is the red color. I prefer my things to be at least somewhat different in color in a survival situation. I want to find and item due to it standing out from the colors of where it may have fallen. I want to be able to find it and use it to survive.


Yes, if you have a slingshot this small, then you can palm it in your hand and there's so little showing that the colour would never be seen by the quarry. However, the chances of losing it are very real.


----------



## huey224

i really like the a1, its like a mini t1.


----------



## Martin

Yet more cool Unique designs, I like both great work.
Martin.


----------



## Botus

A functional work of art! The biggest problem with this forum is the number of amazing slingshots that crop up meaning my collection grows and my wallet shrinks!


----------



## ZDP-189

You're lucky because I don't sell, but I do trade.


----------



## BaneofSmallGame

I've been meaning to post on this thread at some point, these A series frames are really nifty. Some of my favorite, the true definition of being concealable/transportable, yet very effective no doubt.

Also, since you only trade your slingshots, these are closer within my reach of acquiring eventually, at least with my capabilities to produce slingshots at this point. I am no wheres near worthy enough to make a trade for a T1 or T2!









If I had to pick a favorite of the 2 frames, I'd have to go with the A2 mainly because it has your renowned fast bands....but it also looks like it is extremely comfortable to hold...

As always, I absolutely love your work!









Cheers - John


----------



## e~shot

Nice one Dan


----------



## Formidonis Noctu

Me like


----------



## slingshot_sniper

Wow the real micro shooter,I love it


----------



## monoaminooxidase

Wicked cool, I love the concept of the small survival box!
The slingshot itself is great too, the nylon pouches look interesting, are they strong enough to act as an alternative to kangaroo leather and the likes? (actually, don't answer that, I'm just gonna read your pouch design thread)


----------



## Bob Fionda

Brilliant and clever. Like it very much.


----------



## mr.joel

I really like it, Dan. I thought the idea sorta petered out. We'll have to talk some more about this, very cool.



Rayshot said:


> assuming you are not with a militia mentality and want camo


The utilization of camo does not mean you have a militia mentality, that's the TV talking. It only means you do not wish to be seen by man or animal. Survival, the original purpose of the slingshot, can very quickly transcend into evasion, whether it be man or beast. Camo only works with knowledge of how to move, conceal,etc.. To be truly effective it must be 100%. It also adds value to a hunting tool. However, as Dan said, it is covered by your hand, and the point does become a bit moot considering your bands are not camo.


----------



## Rayshot

mr.joel said:


> assuming you are not with a militia mentality and want camo


The utilization of camo does not mean you have a militia mentality, that's the TV talking. It only means you do not wish to be seen by man or animal. Survival, the original purpose of the slingshot, can very quickly transcend into evasion, whether it be man or beast. Camo only works with knowledge of how to move, conceal,etc.. To be truly effective it must be 100%. It also adds value to a hunting tool. However, as Dan said, it is covered by your hand, and the point does become a bit moot considering your bands are not camo.
[/quote]

Yes I understand camo isn't necessarily miltia related (common sense).


----------



## mr.joel

Conversely there are also times when you definitely do not want camo in any of your stuff- Central and South America for example. If you run into the wrong folks it could cause you a major hassle, or worse case, get you killed.


----------



## Rayshot

good point


----------



## mr.joel

ZDP-189 said:


> MSG ... that's really all I need.
> 
> 
> 
> Heh.
Click to expand...

I recall seeing a comment about regional taste for MSG. It's actually used very little in home cooking in Hong Kong and a lot less in Chinese restaurants here than in the USA.

I use MSG only for survival training. When your only food is whatever you can hunt or gather plus maybe a little rice, some spices make a terrific difference to morale; especially when the traps are empty, the eels aren't biting and the birds have wised up and roost across the valley and all you have is a bamboo pot full of fern, leaf and rattan and a small frog. Salt and pepper add interest and the MSG makes the frog taste like a catfish in chicken stock.

The hooks and catty offer more food than you could otherwise gather without taking risks. The firesteel offers fire when there's no dry bamboo about and the tin gives the ability to make charcloth.

The rest of the contents of a traditional altoids survival kit are laughably useless in a tropical jungle. You can't navigate well with a compass. You can't signal, matches get damp and a candle or mini light won't last long. Puritabs are unnecessary if you know how to get clean water and suspect boil water in a bamboo.
[/quote]

It's true many things you listed are junk. I typically use a heavy duty mini plastic ziplock used for IDs to overcome the waterproof issues. It also negates the rattling issues typical of a tin. I'd include some monel 50lb snare wire and kevlar or dyneema(spectra) cord. Traps and snares are in truth more efficient for making meat, but you really have to know what you are doing: most would be better off trying it on with the shooter, looking for fruit, and don't forget bugs which are everywhere in a jungle. It's a nice shooter and a good theme: a slingshot in a mini kit. Much like the PFS, another epitome of a pocket shooter, truly with you everywhere.

I might suggest adding a divot to add duel use as a socket for bow drill fire making, but I'm not sure if the material would handle it in that capacity; the spindle might bore through. Another option would be a hole for a stick like Bill Hays did for his PFS modification. This could add power and accuracy when your energy levels are not up to par. Also how about adding round split shot sinkers in that could double as ammo?


----------



## Ratatoskr

Could i get a pdf for the A2 slingshot?


----------

