# Your first original handmade frame?



## jskeen (Feb 7, 2011)

Just got reminded of this in another thread, and thought I would toss it out here and see if anybody has anything to say about it.

I've made custom made writing instruments for several years, hundreds of them by now. Some were pretty crude, some have been quite sophisticated (if I do say so myself) and have sold for considerable sums. But I still have that very first, plain black walnut on a cheap gold plated twist pen. It is kinda funny looking, with a bulge on one end and is not quite precisely round, with some buffing compound in the pores and a rather dull finish on it, but it's the first one I ever did, and it's not for sale at any price. I still take it out and write with it from time to time (even if I don't display it with my high dollar stock anymore 

I've got my first custom slingshot too, and it's about the same way. It's kinda ungainly and not exactly easy to shoot, but I still have tubes on it, and shoot it from time to time just for the fun of it.

So, Where is YOUR first slingshot, Do you still have it? Do you have a picture of it?

GO ahead and post it, I promise we won't laugh too loud. I'll even show mine again. (although I'd rather not dredge up the discussion in that first thread again


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## smitty (Dec 17, 2009)

It is somewhere in here :







I found it ! It is the bottom left bent steel slingshot with the epoxy handle and the funny shaped oak one just to the right (of my first) is my second one with pins through the forks to slip the tubes onto.


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

I like the idea of this thread. Even if someone pulls out one of their first. It will be interesting to see how our knowledge and preferences of cattys has influenced what we make.

Therefore, this is my first.

I was week or two old newbie. I had no idea about fork height, but I got the bug very fast and had to make something after seeing that everyone was making their own. That was in Feb 9, 2010, according to my camera when the photo was taken. So it was made within a week I suppose.


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## Dan the Slingshot Man (Nov 21, 2010)

that's a heck of a lot nicer than my first


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

My first is on the right. I copied it from a picture I found on the internet. It shoots surprisingly well, and looks a whole lot better than some of my later ones. I retired it after a couple of fork hits destroyed similar forks made of the same wood. It is now part of my permanent collection. The one on the left is La Cholita, my latest design. The background is a Mola, which the Kuna Indian women sew.


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

First natural, first Boardcut, you can see not much has changed


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## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

My first was a board cut was in Red Oak which later on had an Apple palm swell added as seen in the second picture.

Philly


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## builderofstuff (Feb 14, 2011)

my first


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## AJT (Dec 25, 2010)

Here is my first, It was farly very uncomfortable, so I do not quite know where it is ......might have been used as a rimfire target







........








Though I learned a great deal from making it....which was a bonus !!

http://slingshotforu...&attach_id=5242

AJ


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## dhansen (Aug 31, 2010)

My first boardcut. 3 sheets of 1/4 inch plywood laminated. Shoots very well.


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## As8MaN (Mar 6, 2011)

http://slingshotforum.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=6864


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## geckko (Sep 9, 2010)

Hi

This is my first attempt and it´s turn out well I think. 
I still have it it´s my beauty


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## EdB (Mar 17, 2011)

As a newbie, I've found a lot of ideas and inspiration from everyone who posts on this site. My first self built slingshots are simple, but carry a little bit of influence from a lot of forum posters.

The right side sling is my first board cut made from a pattern posted in this forum. It's made from 3/4" red oak and finished with minwax. The forks started out a little longer but ran afoul of some fork hits on the top inside corner of the left fork. Thanks to DGUI for his posts regarding pouch holding. It not only improved my shooting but saved my first sling. The forks had to be shortened and reworked to remedy the abuse from learning. I wrapped an old band of theraband blue around each tip prior to attaching a single set of Tex-Shooter latex bands to help smooth out the fork ends. With the added lanyard this is a very capable shooter.

On the left is Mul - Berry nice first natural fork sling. The fork was salvaged from a weed mulberry tree growing in the fence line. The bark slipped right off. It was then microwave dried. Very little work was need to finish the fork. There is even a blemish left on the right fork from a imperfection in the bark. This is banded with some Tex-Shooter field bands. When the very first shot nailed my half tennis ball target at 15 feet I knew this one was 'berry' nice.

Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge and experience with those of us who are still learning.


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## jmplsnt (Jan 1, 2010)

That's a nice pair EdB, much better than my initial efforts. Actually, they are probably much better than my current efforts too.....

Nice mulberry natural by the way.


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## Gwilym (Dec 9, 2010)

Here is my First slingshot Its the one second from the left. Its based on a scaled down version of tex shooters classic but with some dimensions changed to make it work. I made it this small as i had a small piece of wood i wanted to make something from. My friend broke it with a fork hit so i glued it back together but don't use it so i remade it in wood and plastic. also there is one of the gophers design. They are all a bit rough as all I have is a coping saw and sandpaper. No vice so the coping saw work is pretty poor.


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## jskeen (Feb 7, 2011)

Somebody posted a thread a couple days ago about "first slingshots" so I happened to find this one while looking for something else and thought I'd bump it up again.

James


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## quarterinmynose (Jan 21, 2012)

here is my first, made in January. I still shoot it from time to time, but my taste has gone to smaller, less bulky frames.


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## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

Here's a few early ones, the tack hammer in oak and a cholita in Koa. The cholita was given to harpersgrace in a three way trade awhile back before I knew he likes huge frames. That was a good frame


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## WILD BILL (Jan 26, 2012)

About four months ago I bought a $10 Daisy at Walmart and began shooting. I joined the SSF and was amazed at the pieces that folks were building and at that point, I caught the "Bug"

I have always been a "customizer/fabricator" so I said to my self, "I am going to make a Slingshot". I read post after post and decided I would make one out of a Whitetail Antler. I had several racks laying around and grabbed one and began. I made two from the first rack i cut up. I only had the yellow Daisy tubes so both were built to shoot tubes. Both shot very well, but I wanted more.Since then, I have "Gone Crazy"

I named these two "HOSS" and "LITTLE JOE"

HOSS was quickly modified.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

First natural...









First board cut...


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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

Well this would have to be my first ORIGINAL hand made frame. Nothing particularly original about the frame. Sure the forks are way too long and the handle much longer than it needs to be, but I do believe I came up with a somewhat original band attachment method.

I've since chopped this fork up a bit and it now resembles more of one of Mr Fionda's 'V' designs, but keeping the removable pin attachment method (sheer pin?)


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## wombat (Jun 10, 2011)

I accidently came across a slingshot video on youtube, which led me to a slingshot forum and after going through all of the threads and pics I knew had to make one. so it was off to the shed to see what I could find, since all that was there was some cheap pine and even cheaper plywood I kept looking and found a strip of aluminium. so after a little bit of bending I came up with the 'twister' banded up with a cut up latex glove!!!














It worked so well that I was hooked!!







the next step was a real board cut, I managed to get a hold of some used Jarrah flooring and a bit of tassie oak, the result being my first ergo, "the Paul Bunyon" because the hilt was based on an axe handle.


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## Btoon84 (Nov 22, 2011)

First one ever. Made in Nov 2011. Stencil i printed out is from Northerner. (thanks)
I shaped and sanded this one a little too much and when done, i thought the fork was a little thin and was able to break it..... sigh.....








So this is my first functioning slingshot. oak boardcut with a bit of ergo


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## shawnr5 (Feb 16, 2011)

Here was my first. The edges are smooth, but too "sharp" where you wrap your finger around. It isn't terribly comfortable. More recent slingshots look better, feel better and shoot better.


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## JLS:Survival (Dec 8, 2011)

Here is my first ever that i made:

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:14114]


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## LVO (Sep 25, 2011)

Here is my first. Made from some pressure treated decking. Originally set up for OTT. Hand slap was vicious. Added the rings after seeing Mr stubby from Henry in Panama. It is a great shooter with the small tubes. I kept using rasp, dremel and sandpaper till I got it this far. Also tested a few stains and finishes. I'll have it always


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

This is a replica of my first. I made this when I was around 7 or 8 years old. It is from a wire coat hanger with school rubber bands and a shoe tongue pouch. Pretty crude but it was cool at that age!
Flatband


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Flatband said:


> This is a replica of my first. I made this when I was around 7 or 8 years old. It is from a wire coat hanger with school rubber bands and a shoe tongue pouch. Pretty crude but it was cool at that age!
> Flatband


Perhaps my favorite original.


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## Jakerock (Mar 8, 2012)

Pretty much the first day I was surfing around the net looking at slingshot stuff I saw a video from Jeorg on making a slingshot with a broomhandle and duct tape or something like that... I just adapted the idea to a drum stick and went and shot marbles with it.
Now im retahded.


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## Chepo69 (May 1, 2010)

Very interesting thread. and a visual delight to see his first slingshot.

This is my old partner, when I was in high school, around 1984 and was long the only, then revived the hobby and I have a few more lol!


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## quarterinmynose (Jan 21, 2012)

Chepo, that is awesome. And you've had this beauty since 84'? Even better.


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## Btoon84 (Nov 22, 2011)

Chepo, I was born in 84'! And your style hasn't changed much!!!







keep up the great work master.


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## Uchida (Jul 28, 2012)

Man, Thats good craftmanship for your first slingshot


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## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

My friend Josh's first ever. I tried to get him to join, with no luck


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## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

my first one i had no anything to build, it was more of an experiment than anything, it did work, even the pouch was an attempt at minimizing weight, another forum member has it, but it does not look anywahere as nice as most of the first attempts i have seen. good work, well done to all of you!


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## Danny0663 (Mar 15, 2011)

Heres mine, i made my first slingshot back in early 10' from a old wire coat hanger. Yes, the grain on that board cut is running horizontal.








I don't use these frames anymore, i just keep them in my wall of "progress"


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