# Gypsy Tabs



## tubeman (Mar 7, 2011)

Before joining this Forum I had never heard of Gypsy tabs and wondered what were the advantages /disadvantages of this method of attachment. Thanks.


----------



## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

If flatbands are used it is fine but tubes tend to wear where they pass through the leather. Provided I am understanding what a GypTab is.


----------



## tubeman (Mar 7, 2011)

dgui said:


> If flatbands are used it is fine but tubes tend to wear where they pass through the leather. Provided I am understanding what a GypTab is.


Not sure I understand your comment re GypTab dgui. Attached is what I posted. My question is why use the leather loop ? Thanks.


----------



## mckee (Oct 28, 2010)

i too wold like to know


----------



## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Me too.


----------



## tubeman (Mar 7, 2011)

deleted


----------



## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Hey, don't look at me! Jmplsnt talked me into making these. I'm sure he'll come on here and explain it to us.


----------



## tubeman (Mar 7, 2011)

deleted


----------



## forest dude (Dec 28, 2010)

I went looking for the same answer last summer/fall and it mostly originates from Jmplsnt like DH says. There can be several reasons why this attachment method is used and/or preferred but Jmplsnt is primarily a chained bands kind of guy and this attachment method works well for those. If you look at the Spanish attachment method, it is very similar and can be considered basically the same thing. It is primarily for attaching tubes for an OTT setup. 


Now the material can be just about anything. I've used leather, paracord, but the best material might be tubing itself. I got this idea from dgui. You'll see him use this on his flatband shooter and he recommended that I use this for my glove shooter. But with that kind of use what is needed is a larger diameter tube that you can pass chinese tubes through to cut down on abrasion. I was thinking then why not use this for gypsy tabs (when that attachment method is desired). So instead of wrapping a leather loop to the fork for tubes to pass through, why not attach some rubber tubing to pass your shooting tube through. It will look identical to how people are using paracord as gypsy tabs. The downside of using tubing for the attachment loops is that eventually your tubing will break and you'll have to replace them but your shooting tubes should last longer and have a little more punch due to the elastic attachment.


best,
Steve


----------



## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

Ok so a GypTab is nothing more than a short leather strap with a hole for a tube or a band to loop and or tie and the square end would then be attached to the fork. I have used this in some of my original Glove Shooters to attach flatbands and tubes. FlatBands do not wear at the attachment point like tubes. Tubes develope abrasions rather quickly when rubbing against leather. But, a tube attached to a tube does not wear so quickly and as I am repeating what ForstDude said it's a bit more Snappy. I dont think GypTabs are a great idea but of course there are a lot of things I just dont like due to what I consider to be excess.


----------



## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

Well I'm no expert but I don't think Jmp started the trend...... Ok maybe he did. 
But I think the original advantage to gypsy tabs was simply that it was a easy way to attach bands to a forked stick with out the use of any tools.


----------



## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

I have been experimenting with tabs for a while now. I started because I wanted to make a natural with Gypsy Tabs to use a set of 5x5x5 red crepe #32's that JMP sent me. I appeares they were tied the way going back to Mexico I believe. My second natural with tabs started the same way but I couldnt get a set of chains that had an even pull so thought I'd try flats on it. I tied the tabs to the sides not to the front and back as is traditionally done. It turns out that it is my most accurate shooter. Why? I have no idea but it is much quieter than over the top, my bands seem to last longer and that's all I can tell you. I am making a copy from DH's Chalice design right now and will put tabs on it with flats. Looks kind of wierd but something is going on that I have no explaination for but so far, I am liking it alot. Don't mess with sucess.
Philly


----------



## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

I don't advocate that Gypsy tabs are better or worse than other methods. I like them for four reasons.

1. You can attach Chinese tubes and they will shoot free-floating like they do on my Dankungs (which I love).
2. You can also use the same tabs to attach thick tubes, or flatbands. That is, with the same fork, you can attach any kind of rubber.
3. It doesn't take any real skill to produce it.
4. And the biggest reason of all: I just think they're cool.









Edit:

One more big reason I use them is I think it is the best way to attach rubber to small 1/2" diameter fork-tips like the last one I posted.


----------



## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

n


----------



## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

Philly, of course this is an opinion and without a means to test speed, It is my opinion that GypTabs slow things down a bit so that may be a reason for more accuracy with rather than without.


----------



## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

*What DH Said with regards to #4. Thats all the reason. Another reason could be because Your Stuck on Them!



































*


----------



## jmplsnt (Jan 1, 2010)

Okay everyone, here's my reasons for using leather tabs.

First, I obviously didn't invent these. I "borrowed" the idea from some traditional slingshots you see on ebay UK. I found the idea initially interesting as I have always been concerned by the abrasion that can occur when strapping up to shoot through-the-fork. The elastic that is pulled out of the hole in the wood, when released, is pulled back into the hole and that creates a lot of abrasion. This concerned me and to be honest I just thought it was an interesting attachment method, very traditional, and I wanted to try it.

As time has gone on I have learned more about these and prefer them to all other methods. Here's why:

The leather loops form a buffer on the top of your forks. If you carry your slingshot in the same pocket as your ammunition, these tabs form a great protector as the bandset and tabs ride on top of your ammunition. This serves to keep your slingshot from being scratched or otherwise damaged by your ammo.

By passing an entire bandset through and then retying (NOT the free-floating dankung method but hard-binding it back on itself) you are in essence creating a short but very useful mini-elastic twice the strength of your main band. Under controlled conditions I have hard-bound single strength bands identical to the ones on tabbed frames and the hard-bound ones fail first. This is directly attributable to the short doubled-length's ability to give way slightly but only when needed. How many other attachments can offer this?

On a properly-sized tab and tensioned elastic, the pulling effect of the elastic will pull the leather tab into a convex shape. This contour is extremely conducive to long band life due to their being zero sharp corners or edges to pull against or worse yet, be released against. _Out of the dozens of slingshots I have made in this manner, not a_ _single one has had a band failure at the tabs, nor due to abrasion at the fork._ How many other kinds of slingshots can say this?

As Dayhiker alluded to earlier, you can attach any sort of elastic you wish, be they tubes, squares, chains, whatever you want. Easy and straightforward replacement.

Whipped leather tabs are excellent protection against fork hits. At worst you might have to redo the superglue coating and you don't have an ugly chipped/split area on your fork.

A properly bound tab is one of the safest methods I have ever found of securing bands. I had a near-miss some years ago when I was hit in the eye by a tube that slipped the yoke on a bent-wire slingshot. I couldn't see properly from that eye for about 1 1/2 days. I have hooked the leather tab (only one, and not even both at once!) over a secure mounting point and tried with all my strength to pull it free.....to no avail. This test was carried out prior to superglue being applied to the floss, so I feel there is significant stability and trustworthyness inherent to them.

The tabs slightly elevate the point at which the bands are attached to the frame. On my personal pieces the bands lay perfectly straight above the tab. This serves to make clearing the fork with larger ammunition (and I shoot some pretty large stones) even easier. I feel this only adds to the safety factor of this attachment style.

As Dayhiker said, this requires no real skill to do. Cutting tabs with scissors, laying a floss bed, attatching, and the whipping don't require any great ability to turn out what I feel is an attractive slingshot. There is no notching or grooving on mine; I lay the floss down directly on the sanded/finished fork. It isn't going to pull off; trust me! I'm not saying grooves and other attachment modifications make slingshots weak or dangerous but I will say they do nothing to make a piece of wood stronger, either.

While I'm on this subject, I'd like to address handslap while using chains and tabs.....except I can't remember what that is. I think it's where the pocket hits your hand really hard and hurts pretty good for a while. I just can't for the life of me recall what exactly it is, though. Must have something to do with the top-securing of the elastics keeping/retarding them from full forward travel and striking your hand. I would much prefer to hit and harm targets, not my hands and this is one of my favorite attributes of tabs.

I can't speak for using dankung tubes in a free-floating manner; I don't really use them. As for chained bands I feel this is probably one of the two best ways to use them (the other being Mexican Resortera tied) but again my tabs reduce the rubber-on-rubber contact that I feel is the Achille's Heel of the resortera. This can be mitigated by cloth wrapping (as is on the Nico ones) but I personally choose my tabs. I am using my tabs to be hard-mounted attachment points for hard-mounted bands. Experimentation is great but I've found my happy place.

I also can't speak anything to using flatbands on tabs. I have never tried it and most likely never will. I didn't go to tabs to shoot flatbands, though I see some doing it and even some kill shots resulting. To each their own and I support the rights of all slingers to shoot whatever it is that makes you happy.

I also want to state that by using leather tabs and having the band hard-mounted and leading directly off the top of the tab leads to absolutely ZERO fork abrasion on the elastics. Over the top and through-the-fork can't offer you this.

I went with tabs because I wanted to shoot chained rubber band elastics and needed a good method of attachment. You could say I fell into this by accident but it has turned out to be a very productive and happy accident for me. To be completely honest, I saw no one using these back when the idea first occured to me to put tabbed slingshots and chained bands together. I didn't invent anything, and you could even make a case that I am one of those lowlife ebay copy-cats though all I did was borrow an attachment style and pair it with what was at that time to me a very new and exciting elastic. The new has worn off but the exciting will likely be with me for the rest of my life as I continue my journey with chained naturals and have moved into some successful hunting sessions using lead and very traditional stones.

In closing, these are not for everyone. I haven't tried to impose them on anyone and also never pushed that they were the "only" or "right" way, just that it's a viable option. Some people are going to like them, some won't, and others just won't care. I'm doing my thing and am happy to help others if they so desire and again I feel there are a lot of excellent attributes in this attachment system that bear a good hard look from those on the hunt for their own Slingshot Happy Place.

Good will to all slingers and thank you for your interest in what has been an entirely too long post.


----------



## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks Jump. I forgot to mention the chains. Yeah that too.









There are advantages and disadvantages to everything. The versatility of tabbed connections is well worth any perceived shortcoming. Some of my most accurate shooters are made this way.


----------



## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

dgui said:


> *What DH Said with regards to #4. Thats all the reason. Another reason could be because Your Stuck on Them!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, I am stuck on them -- they give me *LOVE QUIMS*!!!


----------



## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

I have tried the tabs and they are cool. But they are not for me. I prefer the ring style or standard OTT attachments.


----------



## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

Heck I use tubes because they are easy for me but I'll shoot anything given the chance....even tabs








actually Jmp's and DH's tabs are two of my favorite shooters.


----------



## BaneofSmallGame (Sep 22, 2010)

Versatility....

Enough said.... that is why I use them in my case, ready for anything you tie to them! (but Jmp's answer is rather well thought out as well







)

Cheers - John


----------



## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

dgui said:


> Philly, of course this is an opinion and without a means to test speed, It is my opinion that GypTabs slow things down a bit so that may be a reason for more accuracy with rather than without.


Dgui, I had thought of that also, whatever it is it is working great for me. I have never shot better. For hunting I still use my EPS and Tex Express bands with lead.
Philly


----------



## Nico (Sep 10, 2010)

Tabs/loops and their many variations, are my second favorite method to attach bands to a fork..

My #1 favorite is the tied down method I was taught by my family both styles can be used to attach all of the elastics whether flats, tubes, solids, squares or chains.

So to me if I dont do a tie down the next option is tabs/loops and Jmplsnt has found a very effective practical way of using leather tabs..

Nico


----------



## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

philly said:


> Philly, of course this is an opinion and without a means to test speed, It is my opinion that GypTabs slow things down a bit so that may be a reason for more accuracy with rather than without.


Dgui, I had thought of that also, whatever it is it is working great for me. I have never shot better. For hunting I still use my EPS and Tex Express bands with lead.
Philly
[/quote]

Thats it then The Tex Bands are so fast you had to govern the speed a bit. Tex Bands are Radical Fast.


----------



## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

DH, I Like that word Quim. Quim, Quimming, Quimmer, Quimies, Quimette, Quimed, Quimsicle, and whatever variations there are. Theres nothing like being Quimed by your Slingshot.


----------



## erlkonig (Mar 31, 2011)

I saw someone have a Gypsy tab tutorial on XXXX shed forum and made this using 1745 Chinese tube set , I found Gypsy tab type is shoot better than TTF type which I made .


----------



## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

Finished this this morning, DH design "The Chalice" with Gypsy tabs and flatbands. I tie them a little different, to the sides not front to back. Works well for me.
Philly


----------



## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Philly! Good job on that. Keep us posted on how she shoots, okay?


----------



## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

philly said:


> Finished this this morning, DH design "The Chalice" with Gypsy tabs and flatbands. I tie them a little different, to the sides not front to back. Works well for me.
> Philly


The picture is beatiful but, I need video, Live Action Shooting!


----------



## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

erlkonig said:


> I saw someone have a Gypsy tab tutorial on XXXX shed forum and made this using 1745 Chinese tube set , I found Gypsy tab type is shoot better than TTF type which I made .


For some unkown reason I dont shoot well with Looped Tubes.


----------



## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

.


----------



## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

NoSugarRob said:


> *quim *......... english slang for a womans "down below bits"... at the front "bits".


OK NoSugg, Then I'm all Quimmed Out, and since it's a Dirty word I wont say it any more. And definately no more Love Quims after all I am Married and that surely means ZERO QUIM.


----------



## Eddie_T (Mar 5, 2011)

I can't find it on a search, but didn't someone try tabs through fork holes for TTF shooting? Maybe tabs is the wrong word for those short attachment loops.


----------



## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

Eddie_T said:


> I can't find it on a search, but didn't someone try tabs through fork holes for TTF shooting? Maybe tabs is the wrong word for those short attachment loops.


I'm not sure what it's called but there is a attachment method like you are talking about where a cord is used to tie the tube to the fork, I believe it's a older style of attachment .


----------

