# Winch operated portable slingshot cannon



## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

Took me 10 hours, but now it works!

I wanted to make a REALLY powerful slingshot crossbow. But of course there is only so much draw weight you can handle, and even the push-out forks have their limits. So I had to incorporate a winch.

So I used an entirely new concept. The entire trigger/lock part slides between two 40mmx20mm wooden rails. The winch rolls up a mountaineer type rope wich draws out the band. A rubber powered arm locks the winch every 45 degrees of turning (8 positions on a full turn) Trigger and lock have aluminum tubes glued into the wood so the force is evenly distributed and the screws do not wear out the wood.

The force vector of this slingshot is entirely straight, there is NO fork height at all. This makes the weapon incredibly strong.

I had little time to shoot it as it is dark, but it has a ton of power with the first test bands (20cm x 14cm x 7cm Thera Gold per side). A child can operate the winch, and there is much potential for even stronger bands.

A fantastic new toy!

Will post a very short video, more to come.


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## PandaMan (Oct 14, 2010)

Wow, looking good, Jörg!
When will you have speed and energy measurements? I'm really interested about this.
Oh and next, why not build a winch operated flechette firing sling bow? That would be awesome!

Conal


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## John-Boy (Oct 15, 2010)

*WOW *that looks like it was dragged outta medieval times!!! Is this the contraption that will be firing those heavy balls??


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## Gib (Sep 21, 2010)

WOW, You have done it again Joerg, Mind blown.


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## bazil (Dec 3, 2010)

**** YEAH!


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## Simon Van den Broeck (Jul 28, 2010)

hye joerg that looks very nice ! but i have aquestion i was thinking about making an arrow shooting slingshot like the fish hunter design but with a o fork in place of an u fork and a whisker biscuit you invented but will the wisker biscuit stay in firmly when i shoot the pouch like this design ?


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

Speed and destruction tests will have to wait for next weekend. It took me most of this weekend to build the weapon, and now it is dark. But I can tell you this one is devastating.

Simon, the whisker biscuit WILL suffer if you don't protect it like I demonstrated in my tutorial.

Jörg


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## bleachbone (Nov 15, 2010)

i am truley amazed at what you can do with some time, wood, and rubber. i wish i had as much ingenuity as you do. cant wait for the video

Bleachbone


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## PandaMan (Oct 14, 2010)

JoergS said:


> Speed and destruction tests will have to wait for next weekend. It took me most of this weekend to build the weapon, and now it is dark. But I can tell you this one is devastating.
> 
> Simon, the whisker biscuit WILL suffer if you don't protect it like I demonstrated in my tutorial.
> 
> Jörg


Next weekend is Christmas and Boxing day. Are you sure?


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## Ace (Oct 24, 2010)

Wow, you could take a mastadon with that! looks like some serious power!

-Ace-


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## Simon Van den Broeck (Jul 28, 2010)

JoergS said:


> Speed and destruction tests will have to wait for next weekend. It took me most of this weekend to build the weapon, and now it is dark. But I can tell you this one is devastating.
> 
> Simon, the whisker biscuit WILL suffer if you don't protect it like I demonstrated in my tutorial.
> 
> Jörg


yes but i don't mean with the sling bow but just when the bands fly trough the wisker biscuit also


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Nice one Jeorg!
Looks like you're getting close to the force a handgun can do.


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

PandaMan said:


> Next weekend is Christmas and Boxing day. Are you sure?


I will make at least one new slingshot EVERY DAY between christmas eve and January 2nd. I don't have to go to work during that time, so I will be in slingshot heaven instead.


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## PandaMan (Oct 14, 2010)

Hmmm... well enjoy that time off work then. I know I would if I could make slingshots with the tools that you have. I'm struggling to think how I would cut out the parts for the sling-X-bow I'm going to make. Btw, I posted on that thread and no one's looked yet.


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

PandaMan said:


> Btw, I posted on that thread and no one's looked yet.


Yes, with all the new great slingshots people present, it is getting kind of hard to get noticed.

Jörg


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## Simon Van den Broeck (Jul 28, 2010)

Simon Van den Broeck said:


> Speed and destruction tests will have to wait for next weekend. It took me most of this weekend to build the weapon, and now it is dark. But I can tell you this one is devastating.
> 
> Simon, the whisker biscuit WILL suffer if you don't protect it like I demonstrated in my tutorial.
> 
> Jörg


yes but i don't mean with the sling bow but just when the bands fly trough the wisker biscuit also
[/quote]

so it also will be bad ?
with this design ?


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

Here is the video!


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## John-Boy (Oct 15, 2010)

*SWEET, *Can't wait for the next video, Will you be adding a scope or red dot sight to this one Joerg?


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## Brooklyn00003 (Feb 28, 2010)

I can't wait neither lol.

How do you aim with that thing?


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

I have done maybe five shots with it, in semi darkness. Sorry guys but it will take a few days before I will decide on the sighting.

Right now open sights are my favorite, this is a grenade launcher and not a sniper rifle.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

I name that the BFG9000!

That system looks so light to draw. I wonder if you would do one with a repeating electric winch and auto ball-loader.


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## Chepo69 (May 1, 2010)

JoergS, your creativity and usually impresses me smile very often.lol! is like expecting any crazy to get in to see your posts, and thank you very much for this wonderful madness lol!


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

ZDP-189 said:


> That system looks so light to draw. I wonder if you would do one with a repeating electric winch and auto ball-loader.


Yes, the force you have with the winch is enormous.

But my brother calculated the size of an electric motor that works, heavy... and slow... plus it would need a bunch of batteries.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

It should not really be too much trouble. Assuming you can achieve any torque through gearing, all that changes is the speed of drawing. Your slingshot probably packs only around 100J, which a small 12v power drill motor should manage well.


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

Well, my goal is to break the 200 Joule limit with this one!

And of course a power drill could draw it, but it would take a loooooong time. The winch is a lot faster, and also fun.

There was an air rifle a few years ago that was outfitted with a motor winch. Took like a minute to be cocked, and then it had maybe 10 Joules.


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

how about fixing ball bearing to front and attached bands.


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

e~shot said:


> how about fixing ball bearing to front and attached bands.


Don't understand your suggestion. Can you be more specific?


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Oh, Sorry for that, I mean similar to the video, fixing ball bearing front of it.


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## 919h (Aug 27, 2010)

Terrible and nice !
It seems incredible potential !
Congratulations.

Xav


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## HOE (Nov 13, 2010)

Holy! It's like a medieval heavy armour-piercing crossbow equipped with windlass!


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

Well, the ball bearings are really only enhancing the draw length. Kind of a starship that does not require a wrist brace. My new portable cannon could simply be made a bit longer with the same effect.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

Jörg, is there any way to decouple the handle and quickly reset the slide, or do you have to crank it in reverse to reload?


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

ZDP-189 said:


> Jörg, is there any way to decouple the handle and quickly reset the slide, or do you have to crank it in reverse to reload?


You can press on the lower part of the locking lever (below the axis), it then releases the crank. If you lower the muzzle, gravity lets it slide downwards. This way reloading is pretty fast.


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## NightKnight (Dec 16, 2009)

I would love to have that, but dont have the skills to make it. Jealous!


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## bikermikearchery (Sep 30, 2010)

Nice work. Always like to see what you have come up with. I keep thinking of makeing one of these and mounting it on my sidecar.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

AaronC said:


> I would love to have that, but dont have the skills to make it. Jealous!


If there are any specific parts that you can't make Aaron, just let me know.


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

It is probably less complex than you think. Sawing out easy shapes from plywood is the hardest part. No fancy tools are required, and no parts other than plywood, some round rods (dowels), screws, bolts, a bit of glue for extra safety and a length of rope.


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

Have finished the tripod today, minus the paint job.

Looks pretty good! Full and free motion, and the weapon can be detached just by lifting it out.



















It has beeing snowing since yesterday noon, and we are buried in snow. It is also freezing cold. So no destruction video yet!

Here is a pic of my snow covered car:










And last not least, my 18 yr. old niece Julia, who lives with us, in a nice Zombie parody during our christmas feast. I think the greed is genuine! The bird smelled and tasted heavenly.










(She is really quite pretty normally...)


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

It was too cold for a destruction video, but I wanted to show the thing in action.

Here:


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## John-Boy (Oct 15, 2010)

Looking forward to the destruction vid!!

Leave a few watermelons out to freeze, then blow them to bits!!!!


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