# My Frist Natural, my first failure...



## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

This is my first natural fork and is made out of huizache, a plant similar to mezquite. I carved it from a very large branch, I found on the streets, it was cut maybe two days before I got my hands on it. I used the burn method to dehydrated the branch, but I did not do it right, so after I finished it started to show cracks in diferent places, specially at the end of the poles. I still like it alot and I know because is huizache and its thickness that is not going to break. I made it very ergonomic to my left hand, so it fits me very nice. I have to reconize that my first slingshot natural proyect failed. Since is very pale in color, I named it after a cartoon caracter very popular in Mexico, named "La Catrina" a drawing from the master Guadalupe Posada. La Catrina is a wealthy lady dress with a Victorian hat and is all but bones or dressed with a Victorian dress. This is also my aportation to the Mexican ancient celebration of "Dia de muertos" (Day of the dead). Greeetings...


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

How on earth is that a failure!? That think looks amazing!!!!


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## Chepo69 (May 1, 2010)

go man! it's about time you started,

I think it will always occupy a place in your library privileges for being the first. even when you feel you could have been better.

Excellent name for it is thin and pale as catrina lol!


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

RecurveMaster said:


> How on earth is that a failure!? That think looks amazing!!!!


Thanks RecurveMaster, but since it split at different places, it was not done properly. Maybe next time I might get a decent job on a huizache fork. Saludos,


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

Chepo69 said:


> go man! it's about time you started,
> 
> I think it will always occupy a place in your library privileges for being the first. even when you feel you could have been better.
> 
> Excellent name for it is thin and pale as catrina lol!


Chepo!!
Thanks carnal and you are right it will always occupy a special place in my library privileges for being the first. I really learned from it and I hope not to make the same mistakes again. Saludos.,
Gracias carnal y tienes razon siempre tendra un lugar especial en mi  referencia de resorteras por ser la primera. Aprendi mucho de ella y espero no comrter los mismos errores otra vez. Saludos,


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

I wish my failures were that good, honestly it's a beautiful fork and unless the cracks make it unsound it's not a failure, possibly a learning experience but not a failure.....


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## Gib (Sep 21, 2010)

Looks gorgeous to me cracks or no cracks! Just make sure to dry out 100% first nexttime! Patience sucks with these naturals but if you want it flawless you must be patient!!!


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## Tom Krein (Oct 24, 2010)

That looks fantastic! I wouldn't call it a failure!!


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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

I cant see this as a fail either


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## Frodo (Dec 19, 2009)

That looks pretty good! If you don't like those cracks just shorten the fork a bit!


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

i agree with everyone else...not a failure


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## Chugosh (Feb 9, 2010)

If you had fun in the attempt, there is no failure!


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## Nico (Sep 10, 2010)

Xidoo,

You chose a wonderful name for that horqueta.. La Catrina is one of the most beautiful images of la huesuda mi reina.


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## Brooklyn00003 (Feb 28, 2010)

You can quick dry it in a microwave I heard.....


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

harpersgrace said:


> I wish my failures were that good, honestly it's a beautiful fork and unless the cracks make it unsound it's not a failure, possibly a learning experience but not a failure.....


Thanks man, I just don´t liket the idea that it cracked when finished and a think it has not stopped yet.


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

Gib said:


> Looks gorgeous to me cracks or no cracks! Just make sure to dry out 100% first nexttime! Patience sucks with these naturals but if you want it flawless you must be patient!!!


You are right, but I was told that the burning method to dehydrate the fork was quick and safe. I as was not told how long it takes to dry a branch this way. Next one will be better.


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

Tom Krein said:


> If you had fun in the attempt, there is no failure!


Well you guys, if you take a good look at the second picture, you will see a big crack in the main body. This and another crack are the ones that I totally dislike.


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

brooklyn00003 said:


> You can quick dry it in a microwave I heard.....


The microwave is broken, and I have not tried that method yet. Thanks for the advise.


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

Nico said:


> Xidoo,
> 
> You chose a wonderful name for that horqueta.. La Catrina is one of the most beautiful images of la huesuda mi reina.


Thanks Nico, I like the name right from the start and a lot more when I saw its pale colors. Feliz dia de Muertos ese.


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## lucifer93 (May 4, 2010)

i think it turned out great and any cracks use some super glue or wood glue should do the trick


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

if you have another piece of that you could mix some sawdust with epoxy to fill the cracks, or if you havent sealed it or put a varnish on it you could try soaking it in something like linseed oil it might swell the wood enough to make them less noticable. ( but you might want to check on that with the people who use linseed oil to finish theirs...)


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

Xidoo said:


> This is also my aportation to the Mexican ancient celebration of "Dia de muertos" (Day of the death). Greeetings...


Celebramos El Dia do los Muertos en Panama tambien.

This year Day of the Dead coincides with US Election day. It seems appropriate.


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

Henry in Panama said:


> This is also my aportation to the Mexican ancient celebration of "Dia de muertos" (Day of the death). Greeetings...


Celebramos El Dia do los Muertos en Panama tambien.

This year Day of the Dead coincides with US Election day. It seems appropriate.








[/quote]

That is good, I did not know that Panama had day of the dead. Yeah it looks very appropiate for the eleccions. Saludos.


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## Gib (Sep 21, 2010)

Mine has not arrived yet







Hopefully soon so excited hehe


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## HiCS (Aug 11, 2010)

I wouldn't tag it as a failure... seems very nice and those cracks can be filled with superglue (aka kola-loka).

Nice shape and the huizache truly will resist even with the cracks.

Mi estimado Xidoo, comprate un botecito de kola loka y deja caer algunas gotas en la cuarteadura y déjala secar, ya seco, pon otras más... y así, hasta que quede completamente tapada la cuarteadura e incluso sobrepase un poco el nivel de la misma.
luego, dale una lijada para que quede a nivel y listo.

Saludos.


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

HiCS said:


> I wouldn't tag it as a failure... seems very nice and those cracks can be filled with superglue (aka kola-loka).
> 
> Nice shape and the huizache truly will resist even with the cracks.
> 
> ...


Thaks, HiCS for the advice to fix the cracks. I never thought about crazy glue to fix the problem. Saludos.


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## Aras (Apr 2, 2011)

Xidoo... I've just found this post not so far ago. I can say you were born for naturals. Your current naturals look very simmilar to this


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## jskeen (Feb 7, 2011)

Don't try to hide the cracks, make them stand out. Get a red or green or blue ink pen, take it apart and mix a drop of ink in with some 5 minute epoxy to a nice bright color, then fill in the cracks, let it set good, and sand back down. Call it an accent stripe.

PS most ink sets CA glue instantly, so there isn't time to fill in the cracks after mixing.


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

Aras said:


> Xidoo... I've just found this post not so far ago. I can say you were born for naturals. Your current naturals look very simmilar to this


Master Aras,

This time I must state that I disagree with you. I have "*La Katrina*" with me, and It does not look like any other resortera I made. It kept cracking, so it has very deep cracks, but won't break. If I have the same fork again I will make a totally different resortera with no cracks.
I must state that I have kept this resortera just because is the very first one I made. I do not feel very proud of the results I got.
At this moment, I have the latest resortera that I have made. It is made of mezquite and does not look at all to "*La Katrina.*"
One thing is for sure, I have tried to improve. I hope, I have done so. Saludos







.


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## Aras (Apr 2, 2011)

I hope I will be making such nice slingshots like your in the future... Ahh by the way, could you translate those sentences in spanish, which I gave you? Thanks,
Aras


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## Xidoo (Aug 14, 2010)

Aras said:


> Xidoo... I've just found this post not so far ago. I can say you were born for naturals. Your current naturals look very simmilar to this


"No hace mucho tiempo, encontre este post. Puedo decir que naciste para las naturales. Tus naturales actuales se ven muy similares a esta."

You got it Master Aras.


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## tubeman (Mar 7, 2011)

Minor cracks add character but as 93 said, super glue will do the job. Leak it along the crack then sprinkle some fine sawdust from the natural itself onto it and smooth it down with a finger. It will then sand down to near invisible and the crack will be stable. Thanks.


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## Chepo69 (May 1, 2010)

Ya tiene mucho este post pero aún así es increible el parecido con la primera resortera que hice mi amigo Xidoo. asté ya la conoce de bulto.


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## Aras (Apr 2, 2011)

Xidoo said:


> Xidoo... I've just found this post not so far ago. I can say you were born for naturals. Your current naturals look very simmilar to this


"No hace mucho tiempo, encontre este post. Puedo decir que naciste para las naturales. Tus naturales actuales se ven muy similares a esta."

You got it Master Aras.
[/quote]
No, I mean the sentences I sent You as a pm. Didn't you get it? I'm sorry if so.
Aras


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## Papa G (Aug 19, 2011)

Lovely natrural not a failure a learning curve. would be proud to shoot a sling shot like that.


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