# Step-by-Step Guide to Making Boardcuts



## Hrawk

Hi everyone,

This morning I made another boardcut based on a free design from the forums. I decided to photograph each step in the hope that this might prove useful to new builders.
Special thanks to Mxred for his fantastic design.

*Step 1*
Print out your chosen design and glue it to the piece of timber being used. A spray on adhesive can be used, here I have used a glue stick designed for paper. You don't want a strong glue as you need to remove the design later on.









*Step 2*
Cut out your design with a saw. I have used a jigsaw here but you can easily achieve the same result using hand tools. A coping saw would be a great choice for anybody starting out.









*Step 3*
Tidy up the frame. Most if not all saws will leave large cut marks or scratches on the work. Using files or a sander remove these marks and smooth out the frame.









*Step 4*
Remove the pattern and sand some more. Make sure all lines are nice and crisp and you have your final shape for the frame.









*Step 5*
Round and smooth the edges. Here I have used a router but the same result can be achieved with files and sandpaper.
_(Note: I had the router speed too high for this and I have burnt the timber in places. This is not a problem with hand shaping and sanding)_









*Step 6*
Cut your grooves for securing the bands. Again I have used a router but this is just as easily done with hand tools. A round file works great.
Give everything a final sanding ensuring your forks are nice and smooth.
The frame is now ready for finishing.









The finished product after a good soak in Linseed Oil


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## mxred91

Awesome job Hrawk, I am interested to hear what you think after shooting. Great idea doing a tutorial for those that have not used a paper pattern. It is interesting for me to see it done with a router, I use files rasps and sandpaper. I have a router, just don't like using it.

Is that bubinga? I am anxious to see it finished.


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## Hrawk

mxred91 said:


> Awesome job Hrawk, I am interested to hear what you think after shooting. Great idea doing a tutorial for those that have not used a paper pattern. It is interesting for me to see it done with a router, I use files rasps and sandpaper. I have a router, just don't like using it.
> 
> Is that bubinga? I am anxious to see it finished.


Cheers buddy! I went through all the designs and yours was the one that appealed to me the most.

Yup, that's Bubinga.

It's currently soaking out the back in a tray of linseed oil. I'll get some pics happening when it's dry.

Thanks again for the design.


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## lucifer93

Great thread, i love a good step by step photo tutorial


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## Hrawk

Here we have the finished product after a good 4 hour soak in linseed oil.

It will still need a few days to cure until I can strap it up and shoot with it, but man does it fit the hand well!


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## lucifer93

That looks stunning,







gorgeous







and very beautiful.


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## CRO-josip14

awesome job.....great design...I will make slingshot on this design....sorry about my bad English I am from Croatia....


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## Hrawk

lucifer93 said:


> awesome job.....great design...I will make slingshot on this design....sorry about my bad English I am from Croatia....


Thank you for the compliment. Your english is fine. Yeah, it's a great design, I can't put it down!


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## frogman

Very nice detailed discription. Well done.....


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## BaneofSmallGame

Very nice result Hrawk!!! .....and an excellent pictorial as well, many don't really realize that many of the new members know very little about the quite simple process of making a boardcut. Thank you for taking the time to clear it up, I'm sure you will help the masses with it.

I really love the design, and the linseed oil did very well to bring out a rich coloration. You've got a winner!









Take Care - John


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## mxred91

Hrawk the downside is you might have a hard time going back to plywood after that one. What a beauty, really nicely figured piece of Bubinga. You did a great job. When I saw the scorch marks from the router I remembered. The same thing happened to me when I used bubinga for a bow riser, but it was from a drum sander. I think bubinga may be prone to scorch. I will have to give linseed oil a try, really nice finish.


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## Dayhiker

That is a GREAT slingshot! The design and workmanship are tops.


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## Hrawk

mxred91 said:


> Hrawk the downside is you might have a hard time going back to plywood after that one. What a beauty, really nicely figured piece of Bubinga. You did a great job. When I saw the scorch marks from the router I remembered. The same thing happened to me when I used bubinga for a bow riser, but it was from a drum sander. I think bubinga may be prone to scorch. I will have to give linseed oil a try, really nice finish.


Plywood, what's that ? I have permanently removed it from my vocabulary! Don't let me talk anyone out of it though, it is a readily available, cheap and very strong wood.

As far as the scorching goes, I had the router spinning way to fast. I'm pretty sure this would apply to any hardwood, not just bubinga. I should have experimented on the offcuts first. I have now done that and at about 4000rpm (as opposed to 11,000rpm which I used on this) there is no scorching at all.

Thanks for the positive comments people, I'm surprised myself in the way this one turned out.


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## Sam

Excellent tutorial with great results - I like it!


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## xplicit86

Hrawk said:


> Print out your chosen design


Hi,

just wanted to know if there is some kind of database/website were I can get some designs that work. Since I'm new to the slingshot game I think I need some input before I can design my own frames.
Help is much appreciated!









Cheers,
XP

Edit: after some time i finally found " Shared Slingshot Designs". Nevertheless...if there are any additional websites, please let me know


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## e~shot

Thanks for the tutorial, good post again.


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## GIRLYPANTS

Very informative post, nice to read and look at your skills at work, good job


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## Hrawk

Post moved to the new tutorial section.


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## Skillmaster

That is a good idea I used it and it was a useful.


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## Hrawk

Cheers man, I'm glad you found it usefull.

Here is the same frame, 12 months later. Linseed finishes just get better and better as time goes by.


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## AJW

Thanks for the added information about router speed. Those extra details you found out while making the frame really pay off for guys like me. Thanks for sharing them.

Al


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## Bob Fionda

Very interesting and well made tutorial. Thanks for sharing.


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## JustDavid

You guys all know this, but that's an un-guarded router at mince meat rpm. One other maker puts a hole in the handle, which looks like it's for a lanyard. It's actually for him to locate a push stick, so that he gets to keep finders further away from the sharp spinning stub-maker. Exercise good care. It's harder too shoot cats without fingers.....


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## Hrawk

JustDavid said:


> You guys all know this, but that's an un-guarded router at mince meat rpm. One other maker puts a hole in the handle, which looks like it's for a lanyard. It's actually for him to locate a push stick, so that he gets to keep finders further away from the sharp spinning stub-maker. Exercise good care. It's harder too shoot cats without fingers.....


Thanks man, I appreciate the info and new comers to power tools would do well to heed the warning. At 30,000 rpm, it WILL take your finger off before you even feel it and can react. Then, so will a bandsaw, table saw, electric planer and a host of other tools.


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## Rapier

Nice post Hrawk. Just saw this one now. I see you've downgraded from the holden ute to the jag! Just watch the pot holes eh! She wont take 'em like the 'ol holden will... he he he he


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## Daniel_K

Hi,

New user here  and thought of making my first slingshot and think this one is the one want to do!
Do anyone have a template (preferable PDF) for this one, the link is broken. (I know the thead is quite old)

Thanks in advance and Happy New Year!


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## katana12

wow it looks very nice i will have to make one


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