# Problems With Constrictor Knot



## Ace

I have been having a problem with constrictor knot coming lose after about 50 shots does anyone have a way to stop this from happening? 
Thanks in Advance

-Ace-


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## lucifer93

Use waxed cotton and make sure you leave plenty of spare to pull it tight. Then just trim the waste. You can add a little super glue to the knot if you like


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## bbshooter

I put a square knot on top of the constrictor knot. I haven't used the super glue method but some of the vendors put a drop on the top of their knots.


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## Ace

Thanks I'll try using the super glue method since according to bbshooter some vendors use it Thanks for the help!

-Ace-


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## Henry the Hermit

You didn't say what type of fork you are using, but if it is a boardcut, or the surface over which the knot is positioned is flat, that could be the problem. Constrictor knots work best on a rounded surface and can work loose if the surface is flat. When I tie a boardcut, I position the knot on one of the rounded corners, wrap each end of the string around a hemostat and pull as hard as I can. Then I make one more loop around the fork, folding the loose end of the band up and under the second loop, which prevents the band from slipping and the constrictor knot cannot work loose. Then I tie a square knot. I use waxed string and have never had a knot work loose.


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## Ace

Henry in Panama said:


> You didn't say what type of fork you are using, but if it is a boardcut, or the surface over which the knot is positioned is flat, that could be the problem. Constrictor knots work best on a rounded surface and can work loose if the surface is flat. When I tie a boardcut, I position the knot on one of the rounded corners, wrap each end of the string around a hemostat and pull as hard as I can. Then I make one more loop around the fork, folding the loose end of the band up and under the second loop, which prevents the band from slipping and the constrictor knot cannot work loose. Then I tie a square knot. I use waxed string and have never had a knot work loose.


For tying to the fork i use strips of rubber, The problem was tying at the pouch even when i pre-stretched bands before tying they still worked loose so far the super glue is working well!

-Ace-


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## Devoman

Remember to keep the glue off the rubber!


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## Rayshot

When I first started making slingshots the same thing happened to me. My issue was three different things.

One issue was I did not know about stretching the rubber before tightening the constrictor knot.

The second; Not stretching it enough, perhaps, and if that wasn't actually it, then it would have been the third issue.

The third, issue was after learning to stretch the rubber. Not pulling the knot tight enough.

OK, fouth was type of string. I had some nylon string and it would let loose after a while. The cotton string I have (chalk line string) is working great. Though be warned if you use chalk line string there is some that is very thin and will cut the rubber or break as it is tightened. But perhaps it was my buldging muscles that caused the string to cut or break. LOL

Once I found the balance of these I have not had one constrictor knot come undone and that is without anything more than the constrictor knot itself. Though if the guys here do an extra it is for good reason as some of them have been at this way, way longer than I have.


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## Tex-Shooter

A little finger nail polish will also work to keep the knot tight! A good cotton string is best in my estimation like Butchers twine that Jay recommends. I don't care for waxed string or synthetics, that is not strong enough of language, I don't like them. -- Tex-Shooter


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## haertig

I wonder, as some have said, if it's the flat surface or the type of cord you are using. I've been into knot tying for years and my experience is that constrictor knots should just be considered permanent. You have to cut them off unless you slipped them when tying. But I admit, I've only tied them around round things and have never used "slippery" cord. Also, when tying any knot, you need to use an appropriate cord thickness for the item you are tying to. e.g., Using sewing thread to tie a constrictor knot around a tree isn't going to work. Nor will using mountain climbing rope to tie a constrictor around a pencil. I have not used the constrictor to tie on slingshot bands either - maybe I'll be in for a rude surprise when I do. The constrictor is one of my all time favorites. It is one of the absolute best at doing what it's designed to do.


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## bbshooter

This link is a post by e-shot showing how to tie the basic constrictor knot..

http://http://slingshotforum.com/topic/1380-constrictor-knot/page__p__11302__hl__%2Bconstrictor+%2Bknot__fromsearch__1#entry11302


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## Ace

i use 1/16" diameter cotton twine, i pre-stretch the rubber and it still came loose but the dab of super glue is working great this is the longest i a constrictor knot has been on for me, got over 200 shots in on it. Thanks for all your advice









-Ace-


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## Gib

Very bizarre issue, I never seemed to have this problem and I use polyester string (quite slippery!)

Glad you figured out a method which works for you

Cheers


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## Henry the Hermit

Ace said:


> i use 1/16" diameter cotton twine, i pre-stretch the rubber and it still came loose but the dab of super glue is working great this is the longest i a constrictor knot has been on for me, got over 200 shots in on it. Thanks for all your advice
> 
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> -Ace-


1/16th seems to me to be too heavy for pouches. I buy lightly waxed twine from a leather crafts shop for tying pouches and have never had one come loose. The twine I use is about the same diameter as kite twine.


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## Gandolphin

I experienced the exact same problem and i solved it easily,

Buy a synthetic plastic wire, and after to tie it take a lighter and burn it, it will never loose again.


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## Dayhiker

Henry in Panama said:


> i use 1/16" diameter cotton twine, i pre-stretch the rubber and it still came loose but the dab of super glue is working great this is the longest i a constrictor knot has been on for me, got over 200 shots in on it. Thanks for all your advice
> 
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> 
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> 
> -Ace-


1/16th seems to me to be too heavy for pouches. I buy lightly waxed twine from a leather crafts shop for tying pouches and have never had one come loose. The twine I use is about the same diameter as kite twine.

[/quote]

Hi Henry,
If you are only tying one constrictor knot at the pouch, you really think it adds excess weight? Also, what is the advantage of using waxed twine? I can't see any. If anything I would think the wax would make the twine more likely to cut into the rubber.


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## Flatband

Pre-stretch rubber, good cotton string (Kite string,crochet string,Butchers twine,) finish her off with a good square knot and a little drop of cheap nail polish as a sealer.That's the method I've used for years. Joerg showed me how to tie the constrictor at last years shoot (took me almost all day to pick it up!!!) anyway ,I like square knot better. For me it's very fast and I never have problems with it. Like Tex,I steer clear of synthetic string. Flatband


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## A+ Slingshots

I guess I have the heart of a "Safety Engineer"...... you know the type..... the guys who wear a belt, and a pair of suspenders(braces) for fear of a pants failure.







Redundant systems are a great safety feature. Most of the time not needed.... but you never know.

I've taken to using a constrictor knot, finishing it with a square knot and a drop of super glue on that. The square knot is small but absorbs the tiny drop of glue locking everything in place and keeps the glue away from the rubber.

EDIT 1/25/2011: 
Well I did that for about a month before going back to the standard constrictor knot with a bit of clear nail polish too. Superglue can be used, but if only a tiny amount hits the rubber it will ruin it so I felt that was too risky to continue. I also stopped using the square knot finish because it made a scratchy hard knot that I didn't like, stuck away from the band, and in the end I decided it was unnecessary.


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## Dayhiker

Flatband said:


> Pre-stretch rubber, good cotton string (Kite string,crochet string,Butchers twine,) finish her off with a good square knot and a little drop of cheap nail polish as a sealer.That's the method I've used for years. Joerg showed me how to tie the constrictor at last years shoot (took me almost all day to pick it up!!!) anyway ,I like square knot better. For me it's very fast and I never have problems with it. Like Tex,I steer clear of synthetic string. Flatband


Gary,
When you say "stretch the rubber," _how much_ do you mean? It would be very kind of you to make a video with close-up shot of how much you're stretching the bands.


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## Tex-Shooter

If anybody is having my constrictor knot come loose, they have not told me. How much can a 3/4 inch long piece of cotton string weight? -- Tex-Shooter


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## Flatband

HI Dayhiker,
I'd say I stretch the bands about 3/4" then tie. Some very strong sets maybe a little more. I'll go 2-3 turns around the band with the string ( "X" pattern) and then tie it off. Seems to work okay. Flatband


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## SlingMan

Flatband said:


> HI Dayhiker,
> I'd say I stretch the bands about 3/4" then tie. Some very strong sets maybe a little more. I'll go 2-3 turns around the band with the string ( "X" pattern) and then tie it off. Seems to work okay. Flatband


I would go with what Gary "Flatband" is doing because I have yet to have
set of his bands fail in anyway, shape, form, or fashion. I have bandsets from
Gary with 1000+ shots and still going.









Who can argue with that???


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## Ace

I use a simple jig that i saw on the forum to stretch the rubber. i found that poly cord slipped too much so i switched to cotton, the thicker diameter is to ensure it doesn't wear on the bands, and with a little dab of super glue i have got well over 300 shots on this band set with zero slip.

-Ace-


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## roadie

i read somewhere on the net ..... which is what i am currently using too ...

upon finishing off tieing the constrictor knot, take both lines and tie an *over hand knot* or a *Drum Knot* as close to the constrictor knot as possible ...

i am using nylon threads ... the type use for repairing fishing nets and in my usual case, for heavy duty sewing things for myself .....


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## Jaybird

I have been shooting Flatbands heavy pull bands for years and never had one come apart at the pouch tie.


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## Henry the Hermit

Dayhiker said:


> i use 1/16" diameter cotton twine, i pre-stretch the rubber and it still came loose but the dab of super glue is working great this is the longest i a constrictor knot has been on for me, got over 200 shots in on it. Thanks for all your advice
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -Ace-


1/16th seems to me to be too heavy for pouches. I buy lightly waxed twine from a leather crafts shop for tying pouches and have never had one come loose. The twine I use is about the same diameter as kite twine.

[/quote]

Hi Henry,
If you are only tying one constrictor knot at the pouch, you really think it adds excess weight? Also, what is the advantage of using waxed twine? I can't see any. If anything I would think the wax would make the twine more likely to cut into the rubber.
[/quote]

I wasn't referring to weight, should have said thickness.

I don't know that there is any advantage to using waxed twine, except that it is much easier to pre-tie and set aside without having it work loose when you pick it up. I don't have a jig to hold the pouch assembly while I tie the knot, so I hold the pouch and slip the pre-tied knot over the rubber.

The real reason I use waxed twine is that all the cotton twine I tried broke much too easily when tying. Panama is a small country and we have to make do with what is available.


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## Henry the Hermit

Tex-Shooter said:


> If anybody is having my constrictor knot come loose, they have not told me. How much can a 3/4 inch long piece of cotton string weight? -- Tex-Shooter


Not much. I just weighed a 1.5 inch piece of my waxed twine on my Lee Precision Powder Scale and it weighs 0.15 grains.


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## flippinout

I always use a clove hitch to tie in the pouch. This may be the same as the "constrictor knot", but it has never failed and is very simple to tie. I have never needed super glue and it has never slipped.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7532_tie-clove-hitch.html


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## PandaMan

Recently, I've been tying it with strips of rubber at the pouch. It is very tight, if you do it the same way you would at the forks, but it can be slightly fiddly. Hasn't let me down yet though


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## Nuggets

I use nylon string and then carefully burn the ends then it never comes loose unless i want it to =)


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## e~shot

I usually use rubber bands to tie, but today tired with a Cotton twine. it works great.


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## whipcrackdeadbunny

I use rubber now, when I was using cotton, I would find the constrictor knot would come loose; I started to wrap 3 revolutions, pull through the working end, wrap 3 times, pull through and so on, until I felt it was secure, never had a problem with it.


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