# How do you make your naturals ?



## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

Yes, seconded!


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## whipcrackdeadbunny (May 22, 2010)

I just use a saw and a file, the rest is in the wood ... Oak is always a winner, and Ash.


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## Gib (Sep 21, 2010)

whipcrackdeadbunny said:


> I just use a saw and a file, the rest is in the wood ... Oak is always a winner, and Ash.


I go find my wood of choice (preferably something that has been dead for over a year, You want it dry dry dry) just rough cut it out with a handsaw and bring it home, I then strip off the bark with a knife gently as to not gouge it by accident, Then sand your way down to smoothness, Start with a pretty heavy grit then go down to something very fine, I end up using 600-d water sandpaper for a SUPER smooth finish after its nice and smooth your ready to stain it (if you like) let stain dry then polyurethane it I go with atleast 2 coats poly, After first coat sand it down with very fine sandpaper (again i use the water sandpaper) then apply second coat, Makes for a very even coating.

Because of how smooth I get mine it can be hard to achieve a very dark stain.

Here is a couple I have done:







You can see a few tool marks, This was my first natural and coincidentally is my favorite and best shooter







One I made a few days ago, Very small


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

If I'm lucky I scrape the bark off with the back of a knife or a brass key, burnishing it at the same time. Takes little or no sanding, use a file to do some shaping and that that..


If I'm not lucky I use a knife keep it as smooth as possible and then do what little sanding and shaping is needed and finish 
  

I like to leave it as simple as possible and let the fork be as natural as possible


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## baumstamm (Jan 16, 2010)

here a old german video abt naturals: http://www.youtube.com/user/slingshotdude?feature=mhum#p/u/0/yWRyOHI4MaA


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

baumstamm said:


> here a old german video abt naturals: http://www.youtube.c...u/0/yWRyOHI4MaA


Those are some naturals


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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

_I have never boiled, I use the microwave or my trunk, most of the forks I get are from downed limbs or trees and take very little if any drying_


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

I only sand them down to about 350 grit. I think linseed oil is the best for finish. I do not like varnish because it can crack or chip and let moisture in underneath. But if the wood is soft and you can make marks in it with your thumbnail, then I varnish to protect the surface.


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## baumstamm (Jan 16, 2010)

you can boil them in salt water ore in oil. i´ve tryed it in salt water abt 1 hour and one day to let them dry. it works but i prefere the old school way!


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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

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## baumstamm (Jan 16, 2010)

if u boil them ore microwave them,u never know when they are dry. but what will happened when they aren´t? they shrink. so take care of the rubber attatchment on the fork. in the worst case, the rubber slips out.


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## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

baumstamm said:


> here a old german video abt naturals: http://www.youtube.c...u/0/yWRyOHI4MaA


Im sorry I saw that/them. I had to rub my eyes after seeing those wriggling giggling too toos and get a load of those veins. After seeing that image I may have to do a complete mental catharsis after being overcome with brutality subjected to the involuntary over active vivacious massive lipid pools of quivering flesh. I was drawn to it and captivated by it and I was held in its grip and mesmerized and neither could I avert my eyes but instead I was as a lamb to the slaughter as one having no power to turn from it though I tried but I could only give in to their intriguing passionate genius each being perfectly formed. What was she thinking?


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## lucifer93 (May 4, 2010)

NoSugarRob said:


> Hi guys, having seen the pics of naturals on the forums and my mate Bill
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love that video baumstamm it always make me chuckle. NoSugarRob use good earth and find yourself some local woods that has Ash or Oak trees growing in it. The travellers way of drying the catapult folks is to dry them over a open fire remember to keep the bark on to stop burning the wood, you can also bend the forks in or out after they are hot. After bending them with just your hands ..... using a old coat hanger or wire just quickly set them buy dipping them in a bucket of cold water. I do have a videos on making catapults this way that i will always trade with you mate


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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

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## lucifer93 (May 4, 2010)

NoSugarRob said:


> Cheers Lucifer93


Your welcome Rob just PM me your email. All you need is a penknife and some rubber my grandfather used to make my brother and I 100's of these when we used to holiday up in Scotland as children.


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

Here is my process: i rarely start with a dead/dry fork. besides it is a lot easier to find green forks during lawnwork and your neighbors trimming too, see my post on the 31 forks i just got from yardwork.

1. cut the green fork and trim it to your desired size, immediatly smear woodglue to every cut end. if you don't seal the ends the water will dry from the ends faster than the sides that still have the bark, that's why it would split if you didn't seal it.

2. once sealed just set it aside for a couple weeks.

3. after that, i just start shaping the slingshot how i want. if i have a bunch of wood to remove i'll use a bandsaw, but i mostly use my carving knives, a rasp and sandpaper.

4. i used to take a lot of time removing every file mark and scratch and finishing to a real nice polish, i soon realized that for me the fun was in making and shooting not spending all my time finishing and polishing. so now most of my naturals are finished with 100 grit sandpaper and many still have some file marks. i wipe on two or three coats of poly and get some bands on it.

have fun!


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

One of my best slingshots, I just used a jack knife on and a drill to pull some RR-t tubes through. Was a great shooter.


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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

thanks guys


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

This one was made with nothing but the tools shown and a drill and a small file, and yes I'm counting the key as a tool.


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## baumstamm (Jan 16, 2010)

dgui said:


> here a old german video abt naturals: http://www.youtube.c...u/0/yWRyOHI4MaA


Im sorry I saw that/them. I had to rub my eyes after seeing those wriggling giggling too toos and get a load of those veins. After seeing that image I may have to do a complete mental catharsis after being overcome with brutality subjected to the involuntary over active vivacious massive lipid pools of quivering flesh. I was drawn to it and captivated by it and I was held in its grip and mesmerized and neither could I avert my eyes but instead I was as a lamb to the slaughter as one having no power to turn from it though I tried but I could only give in to their intriguing passionate genius each being perfectly formed. What was she thinking?
[/quote]

dgui:What was she thinking?:
this whole catharsis thing is one of the major concerns of our art! lots of people missunderstood, but u ´re **** right!
btw. she will join this forum soon.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

baumstamm said:


> here a old german video abt naturals: http://www.youtube.c...u/0/yWRyOHI4MaA


Is that one of your girls, baumstamm?

Or did she eat them?


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## Chepo69 (May 1, 2010)

Hi NoSugarRob!

I hope my comment does not distort much the translator of the net lol!

It is true that when you find a fork of dry branch, we will have more certainty that will not crack after work. In the event that the branch is green, the fork must be cut with their ends envelope, then seal the ends and leave for a while in a shady and dry. (The trunk of the car is a good place lol!) Roasting fire is also good method of drying. I have not tried others.

Carving with a knife, files, sandpaper, and good patience may be enough lol!

I also really like the result of treating the wood with linseed oil.

I put some pictures on the matter.

Chepo


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## Frodo (Dec 19, 2009)

I tried the boiling method, too. I don't really like but it works.

The microwave method is good. I go for Oldschool!


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## jmplsnt (Jan 1, 2010)

I have almost always used deadfall or timber-felling limbs left behind. I let them season at least six months out in my shop building and proceed from there. I have also found leaving a green fork under my truck seat during the summer for a month or so results in a very dry piece of wood.

You can see from the wide scope of responses there are a lot of different ways to go about it. I personally don't do the boiling, microwaving, or fireplace drying as I prefer the simplicity of just letting them sit on an old table in the Shed but then again I have about a hundred of them sitting there right now and probably ten finished shooters so the need for a workable fork is not so pressing as it may be with you. I'm not knocking the three aforementioned methods; if those expert shooter-builders are using them then by all means they are viable. I have two from DH that are great and I believe he microwaved them. They are completely stable and he took them from green branch to catty in very short order so if you're in a bind you probably should try this. The fireplace method might also be pretty good; if the Travellers (one of the great slingshot cultures of the world, after all and whom I base my catties on) are doing it then it might be the ticket.


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## whipcrackdeadbunny (May 22, 2010)

If you want to force dry wood, and have the catty hang around for years on end, I suggest you buy a good one from one of the vendors. For me, the beauty of a natural is in the 'natural' part of it; Oak, when properly seasoned, sheds its bark and has a ribbed look to it (look at the branch on a tree and you'll see alive and dead ones, do it before the leaves fall though) Get a dead branch and inspect it for forks, saw it to shape, file the fork, add rubber and pouch ... easy. And Oak, is one of the hardest woods out there, so even with splits in, it is unlikely to break.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Jump, each of those forks were boiled in salt water. I have never used the microwave. As far as aging a fork for 6 months goes, I guess that depends on how far along one's own aging process has come. I'm 65. I don't have that kind of time left.


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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

usually most tree trimming is done in fall or early spring when the sap is down...so if you aren't taking off a huge branch you probably wont need to seal the cut...but if you want to you can get a small can of sealer at almost any garden supply store....


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## lucifer93 (May 4, 2010)

Thanks for the photos Chepo i think your naturals are one of best looking here. I like the photo of shaping with the piece of broken glass i have used used flint for this job before.


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## Chepo69 (May 1, 2010)

lucifer93 said:


> Thanks for the photos Chepo i think your naturals are one of best looking here. I like the photo of shaping with the piece of broken glass i have used used flint for this job before.


Lucifer anything my friend, I know there are much better tools, but I can say is that making it to the old school is very pleasant. lol!

And I agree with the attributes of oak, even when crack is very difficult to break. besides its tendency to chipping is almost nil.

Chepo.


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