# Basic tools for maintaining slingshots



## DB_1982 (Mar 26, 2013)

Hi,

What tools would you consider essential for setting up/maintaining slingshots? I have an old slingshot that I want to start using again, and have just ordered some 1842 rubber for it, but I have very few tools at home. As well as attaching the rubber, I want to smooth off some of the pits and dents caused by too many fork hits over the years, so they don't catch and cause the rubber to break prematurely.

Thanks.

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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Most slingshots do not require much in the way of maintenance. Your suggestion of smoothing off the dings in the metal frame is very good. For that purpose, I would just sand by hand ... perhaps start with 250 grit at first, and then move up to 400.

As for attaching bands, if you are going to use tubes, you will probably just pull a doubled piece through each hole in the fork tips. Then slip a piece of bamboo chop stick or something similar through the loop and pull tight. I am guessing here, because I cannot clearly see what you have there. You can use a piece of string to pull the tube loop through the hole in the fork tip.

You will need to attach your bands to the pouch. There are a number of ways to do this, as you will see by searching the forum. Perhaps the easiest is to just put the tube end through the hole in the pouch, bend the tube end back onto itself, and tie it with a length of #32 rubber band, or something similar. You should probably pre-stretch the tube as you tie it, and for that purpose a pair of spring clamps would work very well. Grip the tube end against the tube with one clamp, and clamp the opposite end of the pouch with the other clamp. Then drive a couple of nails into a board just far enough apart that they will hold the clamps apart enough to stretch the tube out. At that point, you can tie the tube to the pouch using the strip of rubber band. With the tube pre-stretched in this way, there will be less flex against the pouch when you draw the bands, and hence less wear.

To be succinct, you need almost nothing in the way of tools to set up and maintain your slingshot. You probably have everything you need already.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## JetBlack (Mar 9, 2012)

2 hemostats, paracord inner string for tying or pulling through, old flat bands for tying flat bands, fine sandpaper, hole punch, leather for pouches or pre made ones, fresh rubber


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## bigron (Nov 29, 2012)

:yeahthat: what he said


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

If you plan on using flats a rotary cutter and mat is real handy. Other than that, some size 32 rubber bands or self cut strips of rubber for tying on pouches, a ball of twine and a pair of scissors or sharp knife and that's about it. I don't use hemostats I think they abrade the rubber, or jigs or vises just my fingers and a piece of string.


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## DB_1982 (Mar 26, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. I've purchased a couple of hemostats and I already have a sharp knife, so we'll see how it goes.


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## Berkshire bred (Mar 4, 2012)

use a file and some emery paper to smooth of the fork.


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