# Natty shaping help



## SlipShot (Nov 28, 2016)

I often find my natural Catty's ending up plain and not shaped well. Anyone have any tips on how to shape them with more character and make them more unique as well as fit in the hand better? What tools to use? Templates? Should I start my shaping with a certain design in mind? Thanks for any help you can offer!


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## devils son in law (Sep 2, 2014)

Slip, I only use hand tools making natural fork shooters. I'll whittle it down to what feels comfortable then start filing away.

I file for a while then hold it as if I was shooting it and file some more. You'll be amazed how good it feels, because you're making it so it feels good to you. Then gradually sand it down so it looks good.

You can enhance it with butts, caps, inserts, colors or stain. Just look through the "homemade slingshots" forum, there's 100's of natural beauties and soon yours will be among them, good luck.


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## SlipShot (Nov 28, 2016)

Thanks Devil I'll have to take a look at some of the homemade slings. I had been using a power sander and it removed a lot of material very quickly and also removed the visual grain of the wood in the process. I'll have to try making one with only hand tools. Thanks again!


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## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

Word! You can take it from the soninlaw. Not only feel good they shoot awesome!


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## Tremoside (Jul 17, 2013)

Don't hurry the carving. Let the project go in a slow pace. Keep the slingshot at your hands and check it time to time before you make a decision.

My workflow is the following:

1. Clean up shape - remove bark (if needed), check structure (wormholes etc.)

2. Shape up views - define a general side view and front view - you may adjust symmetry as well

3. Still no heavy cuts or chopping material - till this point the shape is just "what was under the bark"

4. Use a pencil and draw the curves

5. Check the final length and mark it, but do not cut! Use excess as parts to be clamped in the vice.

6. Shaping and frequently checking comfort

7. Once the rough shape is ready cleaning is coming - make the forms clean-fluent-balanced-harmonic

8. Cutting off tips to final length - handle is still long (vice)

9. Test banding

10. Drills, grooves, etc rough sanding

11. Cut butt, final sanding, surface treatment.

This works for me, but I never add buttcaps and other parts afterwards. So this is pretty a plain and simple workflow.


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

As stated above: take your time, browse the Homemade Slingshot forum and have fun with them.

Sometimes I use a template as a guide, other times I let the natural shape guide me.

Also realize, your first few naturals will likely not be top notch. Looking back at my first couple, I have no idea what I was thinking. :wacko:


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## MikmaqWarrior (May 12, 2014)

When I carve a natural I just shape it to feel. Once the bark is stripped, I look at the fork from different angles and get a shape in my head and work toward it with a half-round rasp. They rarely turn out the way I vision them being, but it isn't a bad thing...usually I think they turn out the way they were meant to turn out.
I've never tried using a template, or drawing the shape onto the fork...i just don't want o commit to a specific shape...I think I enjoy finding out what it ends up being... it's a nice surprise even for me..

Sent from my B1-770 using Tapatalk


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