# Thumb Protection.



## ash (Apr 23, 2013)

Some will have noticed since I've been posting pictures here that they often feature my slightly mangled left thumb. All the damage is slingshot related - three ammo hits from mis-fires and one good deep slash from a fork cutting saw.

While testing my new Fury design last week, I caught the third of those ammo hits in the form of a 9.5mm steel ball and decided that something had to be done to prevent a fourth. It always seems to happen when testing new frames, new bands or new ammo, so i decided to make something for those occasions that will dampen the blow, without getting in the way of the fork.

Behold! Thumb Guard Mk1:



It's made from the bottom of an aluminium can - the bottom is thicker than the sides. Folded around the thumb of the holding hand, lined with soft leather and covered with a heavy leather pad to deflect a potentially thumb-crushing mis-fire. Just enough to soften the blow and prevent damage. A hit might still sting.



The leather on this example is bonded with double-sided tape. It's offset from the aluminium former so that it covers the thumb from the POV of the accelerating ammo.



You could use steel from a food can, aluminium sheet or strip up to 1.5mm thick, fibreglass, sugru, polymorph or any number of other materials.



I will try a polymorph one next.


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)




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## S.S. sLinGeR (Oct 17, 2013)

Great idea ash!


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## Btoon84 (Nov 22, 2011)

Your poor thumb! I think your thumb guard is too funny dude. But you're pretty handy i must say. pun intended.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

View attachment 45184


Great idea. My thumb is just fine. Really.


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

This is an excellent idea and a great innovation. I've had my share of fork hits but for some strange and unknown reason, I haven't had any thumb or hand hits so far (!). I'm going to make one of these ASAP so I can stop tempting fate -- or at least lessen the degree to which I'm tempting it.


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

or why not buy a finger splint/guard ? you can find them at pharmacies and places like walmart, cvs, walgreens, rite aid etc . . .


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## IanW (Oct 31, 2013)

Having managed to hit my thumb today, I think this is a great idea!


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## Btoon84 (Nov 22, 2011)

dude it looks like you have humongous hands. but in all actuality....... you have humongous hands. i'm gonna have to send you one of my BB shooters just so i can see it disappear in that mit! lol


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

Btoon84 said:


> dude it looks like you have humongous hands. but in all actuality....... you have humongous hands. i'm gonna have to send you one of my BB shooters just so i can see it disappear in that mit! lol


he can probably use it as a pinkie ring, slingshot mafia style .


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## ash (Apr 23, 2013)

Imperial said:


> or why not buy a finger splint/guard ? you can find them at pharmacies and places like walmart, cvs, walgreens, rite aid etc . . .


My design is intended to leave the pad of the thumb unobstructed, so that you can still grip the slingshot and handle ammo properly. That's why a glove or a sleeve is so annoying to use.

As per Lacumo above, not everyone hits themselves on the thumb, so variations may be useful. I think all but one of my hand hits have been on the thumbnail and all my fork hits have been on the left fork in an upright position. Something to do with release habits when I get tired, I suppose.


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## Dr J (Apr 22, 2013)

Great idea Ash! Surprisingly I never hit my thumb, but do I ever hit the knuckle of my hand.. I will have to try and create a guard against those kinds of hits. I hate gloves, as I think the may be useful in minimizing the pain of hand slaps, but are not effective against direct hits. Thanks Ash for getting the creative juices flowing.


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