# Help! Band Ties Unravelling



## Shazam (Jul 2, 2012)

Hi, everyone,
As i'm a noob I've been trying lots of different types of fork attachments e.g. slots, grooves, drilled holes etc just to see what i prefer.
What i'm having trouble with is the wrap 'n' tuck method for OTT bands.
I've watched all the videos and am sure i'm tying correctly but after a day or few i see the ties are unravelling themselves!
What am i doing wrong???
Is it because of cheap rubber?
Over-stretched, under-stretched?

I've used different thickness's, lengths, widths, but still feel that if they haven't unwound themselves after a day or so, they will eventually.
Same method used for pouch ties and they're fine.

Any suggestions??

Cheers, Frank.


----------



## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

Are you using rubber ties to tie bands to the fork?


----------



## Shazam (Jul 2, 2012)

Yes Tex, I'm cutting strips of flatbands made from cheap exercise bands. (USA Pro)


----------



## reecemurg (Oct 9, 2011)

wrap and tuck method ??


----------



## All Buns Glazing (Apr 22, 2012)

Hi Shazam,

Are you wrapping it over twice before you tuck under? I find that once is fine, but it wants to unravel more than two. If you're having problems, go three times and then tuck it under.

Just to be sure, I'm not referring to how many times you wrap around before you go to tie them off, I'm talking about, say if you're using a loop of string to pull the free end through, wrap it over that piece of string twice, instead of once, then pull the free end through.

Hopeless to describe through text!

I'm considering making a video about it - the more points of view and explanations, the better, right?


----------



## reecemurg (Oct 9, 2011)

oh yea you are lol ,
try wrappiing round the string or what ever you are using more than once ,, then dont cut the little tail too short as it may be slipping under the wrap


----------



## reecemurg (Oct 9, 2011)

man me and buns must have been typing at the same time lol


----------



## Shazam (Jul 2, 2012)

There are plenty of wraps around the fork before i place the loop of string for the tuck.
And always two wraps around the string. Sometimes 3 but never 1.

Maybe the cheaper bands are fine for bands but not ties??
I'll try cutting the ties even wider to compensate for quality and stretch. Maybe upto 10mm


----------



## Sean (Nov 17, 2011)

It's a problem I don't have so I'm not sure what exactly is the problem. I would suggest 10mm is plenty if not
overkill. I would suggest maybe your not pulling the rubber wrap tight enough around the forks when going round
and round to secure? I usually pull after I go once around and meet the rubber under my thumb, hard enough that
the thera band isn't able to stretch much more, and I continue to do that until it's ready to as suggested put
the string into play for the tuck. Three times should be plenty.


----------



## Shazam (Jul 2, 2012)

This is exactly what i do too Sean. Which is why i think the quality of the rubber i have is no good for ties. ?


----------



## All Buns Glazing (Apr 22, 2012)

I think 10mm bands are total overkill. 3mm should be easily enough to hold pretty much any band, IMO.

I've used light bands theraband blue equivalent, black equivalent, actual TBG and elastic bands to hold my bands down and none have come unravelled except once when I left my slingshot in the sun.

Do you have any office rubber bands?

Try with the 10mm wraps though, and wrap about 5 times before you tuck - the loose end may snap when trying to pull under 5 wraps, but at least if it doesn't, you'll know it's not going anywhere.


----------



## Berkshire bred (Mar 4, 2012)

stretch the elastic that you are using to wrap around the fork as much as you can without snapping it and then go over the string at least twice preferably 3 times before pulling through then leave a small tail (2-3mm) after you have pulled it through and cut it.


----------



## Shazam (Jul 2, 2012)

ok, so it sounds like i've been doing it correctly. It must be down to the quality of the rubber when cut in too thin a strip.
I dont have any office bands and now living in the countryside, i cant follow the postie to pick up the rubber bands they throw on the street.








postmen always have good rubber bands.








I'll try wider strips for now and see how that goes.
Thanks everyone
Frank.


----------



## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

Try washing your ties before using them. Even better, wipe down with alcohol first.

Most if not all exercise bands are coated with a dry lubricant to stop them sticking to themselves. Usually cornflour or talc.


----------



## Shazam (Jul 2, 2012)

Yeah, cheers Hrawk. I did wonder about wetting first but as i've never read about it yet i dismissed it.
Right, i'm off out to shoot a few rounds and find some more forks.


----------



## Sean (Nov 17, 2011)

And hey, if all else fails for sure try some other bands. I use 107's and thera gold for ties and 
they hold very well with no slippage. Good luck with it, let us know how you make out, and good on
you for being proactive in finding a solution.


----------



## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

I finally found the wrap and tuck method to be a pain ... quite literally, a pain in my arthritic hands. These days I use cheap #32 rubber bands to tie flat bands to the fork. I cut the #32 so that I have one long strip. I put about an inch under my thumb which is holding the flat band in place on the fork. Then I stretch the #32 and wrap it about 6 times around the fork and flat band. That leaves enough to tie a simple square knot with the two ends of the #32. The I snip off the ends of the #32, leaving about 1/4 inch. I have never had one come undone.

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## All Buns Glazing (Apr 22, 2012)

Let us know how you go!


----------



## Jakerock (Mar 8, 2012)

I am with charles... I use #64's and wrap like a million times around while pulling it tight around the fork, then two square knots.
I have received a few slingshots from folks and when they are set up with a couple of turns and a tuck, they pretty much always work themselves loose (with exceptions).
The rubberbands/ tubes/bands have never slipped on me, no fork grooves, no funny business... LOL.


----------



## capnjoe (Jun 3, 2012)

Shazam, you can try what's in my vid. Pay attention or go to the 2.00 minute mark and watch the end of the loop tie. I do an extra tuck that will never come undone on it's own.
I call it the Karate Kid tie, 'cause it looks like a headband to me. It's simple. Just stretch the loop tuck you pull through the bands and tuck the tag end through the open loop. Hope it helps. 




Thanks for lookin'.


----------



## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Hi Shazam,
the problem you're having is because of low quality Exercise bands. I picked up some Blue stuff from someone who got it at Walmart. First off ,when I tried it, I noticed it "Bottomed out" ( kind of went dead ) at full stretch-never a good sign. Then when I tied it up, I found it would unravel on it's own. I even watched it myself. Looked like a snake moving slowly! Get some thin #64 school rubber bands or some Old Thera and then retry. If you don't have that ,just wind a bunch of thin cotton string ( kite string is good )finish it off with a square knot and then you should be fine. Flatband


----------



## Shazam (Jul 2, 2012)

Thanks for the advice everyone.
Didn't get to shoot today, so haven't tried any new methods yet.
I have some TBG on the way and will pick up some office bands too next week.
None of the old re-ties have unravelled but i'm sure they will soon and when they do. . .









I did get to shoot a few days ago though and found that I and my catty's are not as bad as i first thought. It was the first time for me shooting proper. I've just been enjoying making them up to now.
So, i measured 10 metres and Wow!, It's really close i thought!!







(I think i must've been trying double the distance and more before and finding that the shots had no power and were dropping off.)

Smack!! hit the can 1st shot








Thats better.
A dozen or so shots later i cut it in half









Here's another thing.
I had three sizes of ammo. 9.5mm, 11 and 12.5.
I couldn't use the 9.5's with two cattys because i had punched the centre hole in the pouch too big








So i changed the pouch on the small tube shooter i had to a double cup pouch.
WHAM!! i hit my friend in the chest who was standing behind me over my left shoulder.








No harm done thank god. He was well padded but any higher








The pouch was fresh and still a little stiff. It was made with an 11mm ball.
I had an identical pouch on another with flatbands and that shot just fine with the smaller ammo.









Any ideas?

We did have a laugh afterwards when i said i'm glad i wasn't shooting upright


----------

