# A little something special for Slide Easy



## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

I'm finally getting a little time to create a little something special for Slide Easy...

It'll have the shape and form of the illustrations but will be made from purple heart, black G10, ivory G10 decorated with file work spacer and a filled with mammoth ivory logo.

I'll do a video and show the process on this thread as well.

Rhino rendering:









Mesh 3D mockup:


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## Cass (Nov 16, 2020)

Nice!!!


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Great Day in The Morning!
This design is the absolute most comfortable fork I have ever shot.


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

Can't wait to see it finished Bill, that's nothin' but cool !!!


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

devils son in law said:


> Can't wait to see it finished Bill, that's nothin' but cool !!!


Kindness begets Kindness.


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## SLING-N-SHOT (Jun 5, 2018)

That is going to be amazing, the color combo is gonna POP !

Darrell.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Good stuff Bill!


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Oh man, that’s going to make for one great looking slingshot.


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## hoggy (Apr 17, 2017)

SWEET


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## David D (Oct 20, 2020)

Looks very comfortable.


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## StringSlap (Mar 2, 2019)

That should be something special! And @Slide-Easy you were worried about not getting your mitts on a custom?! I think that'll do!


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

StringSlap said:


> That should be something special! And @Slide-Easy you were worried about not getting your mitts on a custom?! I think that'll do!


Yes Sir! 
It will never end up on here, or there, for sale or trade. 
This style of fork really works for me.


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

David D said:


> Looks very comfortable.


The felt band pull is very well distributed. It feels like sliding your foot in a well made shoe for the first time in your life.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

I wonder if it's going to be available to all on the Pocket Predator website in time . Looks like a winner .


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## Island made (Aug 14, 2019)

The prototype you made is an amazing frame, I can’t wait to see that final custom. That will be one high end slingshot!


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Island made said:


> The prototype you made is an amazing frame, I can’t wait to see that final custom. That will be one high end slingshot!


I'm a High-End-Red-Neck.


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## Tobor8Man (Nov 19, 2020)

Remarkable!


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## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

Very Nice


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## andypandy1 (Apr 8, 2016)

Dangggggggg 🤤🤤🤤🤤


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## andypandy1 (Apr 8, 2016)

Hope to see a TTF like this, maybe a new design scorpion


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Those look amazing👍


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Bill, that looks very, very nice and clean, I like it ;- )

wll


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## sbevans311 (Apr 9, 2019)

Hopefully it will hit the market soon Bill.
Steve


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

You might have a market here for that interesting design, if ever:









Slingshots Switzerland | Shooting Sports


Grösster Onlineshop der Schweiz für Schleudern, Zwillen, Slingbows, Sportmunition und Zubehör. Bei uns findest du alles für den professionellen Schleudersport.




slingshots.ch


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## High Desert Flipper (Aug 29, 2020)

sbevans311 said:


> Hopefully it will hit the market soon Bill.
> Steve


I will second that!


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Okay Guys... well I tried to get a make video... Documented everything step by step.... looked great while doing it... got to the editing and.... all except for the first hour of video, it all came out as "file format error".

Sooooo, here's a few pictures of the final piece instead. Looks like I may need to new camera





































This'll be off to Slide-Easy tomorrow!


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Bill Hays said:


> Okay Guys... well I tried to get a make video... Documented everything step by step.... looked great while doing it... got to the editing and.... all except for the first hour of video, it all came out as "file format error".
> 
> Sooooo, here's a few pictures of the final piece instead. Looks like I may need to new camera
> 
> ...


Eh, no worries about the video Bill. That came out truly amazing! I absolutely love the white design running up the side of the handle. Classy, classy look and beautiful craftsmanship. Ole S-E is getting one handsome sling. I know I don’t know you but, good on you. 👌👍


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Hmmm, as to adding to the product line.... I do have some ideas.
The thing is, this particular design is about 2 inches thick... so if done in G10, it would be pretty expensive, but if done in HDPE or maybe nylon I'm not sure how it'd feel.
What I'll probably do is come up with a semi-custom that uses dymondwood and G10, or something like that.

Regardless, I finally got my new machines in this week, so after I get everything set up, it'll hopefully be sometime this next week that I'll be able to add a few more things.... most are very requested pieces, like a sideshooter standard in OTT, a Boyscout in 3 different widths, and of course one I've been putting off for a while, some additions to the Ranger lineup.

Anyway, I'm open to suggestions and or requests for slingshots anyone may want... we already offer many different designs and any of those can be modded to fit a person's particular tastes or desires... but we can and do make pretty much anybody can dream up if they'd like.

I'm fairly adept at CAD and 3D work as can be seen from the first pictures in this thread, so if you have ideas you'd like to make real... contact me via email through our website and we'll get something going.


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Bill Hays said:


> Hmmm, as to adding to the product line.... I do have some ideas.
> The thing is, this particular design is about 2 inches thick... so if done in G10, it would be pretty expensive, but if done in HDPE or maybe nylon I'm not sure how it'd feel.
> What I'll probably do is come up with a semi-custom that uses dymondwood and G10, or something like that.
> 
> ...


How are your lungs holding up these days? Do the new machines help with cutting down the dust at all? That G10 is pretty nasty stuff.


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

My lungs are fine... I work completely masked up.
I've gone through and have used many different types of CNC machines now. It's come a long way in the last couple of years.

The new machines are fully custom ordered.... every option I wish I had on my old machines is on the new ones. 
They have 3 HP water cooled spindles, 
full linear rail guides for all axis' (almost zero flex or play in other words) so more precision, 
all direct drive no belts or slack, 
extra heavy duty gantry (all steel not aluminum), 
a DSP system for each machine so no computer or additional software is needed to run gcodes, 
closed loop stepper motors on all axis' (means X-Y drift is a thing of the past) so a LOT more accurate even with higher production per session,
and because I'll be cutting stuff like G10 which has very bad dust when working it... the whole bed has a water/fluid holding capability, so you can literally cut the piece under water for ZERO dust!


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Bill Hays said:


> My lungs are fine... I work completely masked up.
> I've gone through and have used many different types of CNC machines now. It's come a long way in the last couple of years.
> 
> The new machines are fully custom ordered.... every option I wish I had on my old machines is on the new ones.
> ...


Sounds like an extremely nice setup! It’ll be great to see what happens over the next year or so. Seems like there’ll be a lot of awesome stuff ahead! 👍
I haven’t purchased a frame from you yet. I’m still trying to figure out which one I want. Probably the HTS in G10. Or a Ranger. Congrats!


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Bill, your design shares similarities with this relatively new Chinese version:









36.15US $ |2021 New Metal Stainless Steel Flat Rubber Band Is Super Powerful High Precision Fast Pressure And No Binding Shooting Slingshot|Bow & Arrow| - AliExpress


Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com




www.aliexpress.com





Could your be made of metal, i.e. aluminum or stainless steel too?


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Bill Hays said:


> Okay Guys... well I tried to get a make video... Documented everything step by step.... looked great while doing it... got to the editing and.... all except for the first hour of video, it all came out as "file format error".
> 
> Sooooo, here's a few pictures of the final piece instead. Looks like I may need to new camera
> 
> ...


Bill, I have had the covid really bad for nigh on two weeks. My old lady is 3 days behind me. We are still in the throws of it. This is a ray of sunshine in a world of fevers, low oxygen levels, pure pain and sadness. A ray of sunshine in a world of an evil virus that has crept into my loving home. I name all my high-end guns. This fork will need a name. It will come to me.
It is without a doubt, the most beautiful, unique and classy fork I have ever seen. Thank you.


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## SLING-N-SHOT (Jun 5, 2018)

WOW……..that is friggin amazing Bill [mention]Bill Hays [/mention] 

[mention]Slide-Easy [/mention] hope you and the wife continue to improve.
I had Covid back in January and it’s no joke

You are getting one gorgeous sling.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## andypandy1 (Apr 8, 2016)

Came out amazing, congrats Stuart!


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Pebble Shooter said:


> Bill, your design shares similarities with this relatively new Chinese version:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What you mean to say is that Chinese slingshot shares similarities to many of my older designs... specifically the Hammer designs from about a decade ago.
With it's extended beavertail, and slotted interchangeable forks concept, the Chinese version of a Hammer IS very nice.... and IF we as innovators and builders were supported by both the Chinese government AND the US government like the wholly fake economic system the Chinese get to sell against us with... Then we might be able to sell for prices similar to their's as well.

But right now, and for the foreseeable future, because of the advantages they have in everything... from not worrying about stealing and calling others intellectual property their own, to being able to sell complete products including mailing to your front door... for less than it would cost us for either the raw materials alone, OR the cost of postage, to the ability to have access and use of very high tech machinery for basically free compared to us as citizens of the USA having to pay premium prices for everything we do....

It gives the Chinese slingshot makers a huge advantage over us makers who are just trying to make a living and support the thing we love...

Then to have people come along and actively support and promote the Chinese products over those who actually came up with the design concepts in the first place.... Well I'm sure you can see how it "really does make my day".

Now keep in mind... prior to about 2012-2013 pretty much the ONLY uniquely Chinese slingshot design was the looped tube slingshot made from bent rod... since that time they've pretty much taken and used almost all the Western concepts and are now selling them back to us at cut rate prices.... Prices we as westerners can not compete with... because we are forced to actually make a real and actual profit or go broke.

Just for the sake of others to see what you're talking about and see the comparisons for themselves, I'll post pictures...












Chinese slingshot I supposedly copied









One of my first Hammers... note the elongated beavertail... the interchangeable fork concept etc etc...









Same concepts...









and again....









All the way to the SERE designs I came up with and have been used by many others both here and abroad.


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Slide-Easy said:


> Bill, I have had the covid really bad for nigh on two weeks. My old lady is 3 days behind me. We are still in the throws of it. This is a ray of sunshine in a world of fevers, low oxygen levels, pure pain and sadness. A ray of sunshine in a world of an evil virus that has crept into my loving home. I name all my high-end guns. This fork will need a name. It will come to me.
> It is without a doubt, the most beautiful, unique and classy fork I have ever seen. Thank you.


Thank you very much Stuart... the pictures really don't do it justice. I think you'll really really like this one... pretty much made to the exact specs you requested after using and shooting the mockup concept piece.

Covid.... yeah I've had it twice now, the second time a couple weeks ago... Fully vaccinated (I'm a little older than you are) and live a fairly healthy life style... sure a little (lot) overweight, but exercise, work and sleep well....
Of course I do have one huge reason I get it though... and that's because we babysit our grandson almost every day my Daughter is at work... She is a trauma specialist and works exclusively in the emergency room of our biggest hospital... so she pretty well comes in contact with everything at some time or another.... and there you have it, patient to my Daughter to her son to us.... it's pretty much inevitable. 
I'm kind of at the point of believing the vaccinations do close to nothing for the new variants....

One thing I've found (well actually several) is simply doing deep breathing exercise like you do for warm up meditation before karate class.... Do that and take a full schedule of vitamins plus extra zinc and magnesium, get plenty of sun... stay hydrated and you'll be golden!


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Bill Hays said:


> Thank you very much Stuart... the pictures really don't do it justice. I think you'll really really like this one... pretty much made to the exact specs you requested after using and shooting the mockup concept piece.
> 
> Covid.... yeah I've had it twice now, the second time a couple weeks ago... Fully vaccinated (I'm a little older than you are) and live a fairly healthy life style... sure a little (lot) overweight, but exercise, work and sleep well....
> Of course I do have one huge reason I get it though... and that's because we babysit our grandson almost every day my Daughter is at work... She is a trauma specialist and works exclusively in the emergency room of our biggest hospital... so she pretty well comes in contact with everything at some time or another.... and there you have it, patient to my Daughter to her son to us.... it's pretty much inevitable.
> ...


Thanks Brother!


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Bill Hays said:


> What you mean to say is that Chinese slingshot shares similarities to many of my older designs... specifically the Hammer designs from about a decade ago.
> With it's extended beavertail, and slotted interchangeable forks concept, the Chinese version of a Hammer IS very nice.... and IF we as innovators and builders were supported by both the Chinese government AND the US government like the wholly fake economic system the Chinese get to sell against us with... Then we might be able to sell for prices similar to their's as well.
> 
> But right now, and for the foreseeable future, because of the advantages they have in everything... from not worrying about stealing and calling others intellectual property their own, to being able to sell complete products including mailing to your front door... for less than it would cost us for either the raw materials alone, OR the cost of postage, to the ability to have access and use of very high tech machinery for basically free compared to us as citizens of the USA having to pay premium prices for everything we do....
> ...


Hear! Hear!!


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Bill, I certainly did not want to step on your toes by mentioning that a similar design to yours is available at sites such as Aliexpress, but that is the hard reality. Competition.

Any new product that comes on the market will invariably be copied in some form or other, unless it is efficiently protected by valid patents with a global reach. As for knowing who truly came up with the initial designs of slingshots now sold for alluring prices by the Chinese benefiting from super low postage costs (see the International Postal Union Treaty), labeling everything they make as a copy of something designed in the US or Europe is a bit too simple. Indeed, some of their slingshots sold online are clearly inspired from slingshot designs that you and other US makers (namely "Simple Shot") initially came up with, but the fact that there was (is) no patent guaranteed protection of those designs implies that the Chinese makers are not breaking any rules whatsoever - whether we like it or not. 

Another sector that suffers from such development is the watch industry, where even highly respectable Swiss brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, etc. are copied to the finest detail and sold at a fraction of the price of the originals, but these are perfectly legal as long as the original brand label does not appear marked on the "homage" product being sold. Using the brand label makes a counterfeit, which is illegal. 

That said, many of the Chinese slingshot designs were very likely created from the ground up, even if maybe some of the basic features, such as "pinch grip", can be traced back to other origins. Given the fact that the Chinese have stringent laws that even apply to airguns and crossbows, making and improving slingshots, with a focus on competitive shooting (truly a national sport in China, unlike the rest of us), has led to some amazing products in this field - some of which stand well above anything available in the US or Europe, regardless of price. 

When it comes to the sensitive issue of copying what others have worked hard to develop, the US has done quite well with regard to the military and space exploration - think Horten brothers (Germany) and the current B-2 stealth bomber, or the entire NASA space program (Werner von Braun and his research). Looking back in history, numerous developments were copied by the Europeans from China: look at the "trebuchet" and black powder as good examples. In my view, copying successful ideas or designs is a fairly normal process, which is why the whole concept of intellectual property came about in the first place to protect the hard work and subsequent income of the original designers.

Unfortunately, global coverage comes at a price that most designers like yourself simply cannot afford. I am certain that your design will be very successful among the slingshot shooting community when it eventually hits the market. It is a very good ergonomic design with low forks to minimize wrist torsion.

Now, when it comes to choosing the best option in terms of technical practicality and cost factors, I personally definitely have a marked preference for Chinese-made slingshots made of stainless steel and/or titanium, as they are far better made than anything else out there on the market - even if some of them are clearly copies of foreign designs.


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Pebble Shooter said:


> Bill, I certainly did not want to step on your toes by mentioning that a similar design to yours is available at sites such as Aliexpress, but that is the hard reality. Competition.
> 
> Any new product that comes on the market will invariably be copied in some form or other, unless it is efficiently protected by valid patents with a global reach. As for knowing who truly came up with the initial designs of slingshots now sold for alluring prices by the Chinese benefiting from super low postage costs (see the International Postal Union Treaty), labeling everything they make as a copy of something designed in the US or Europe is a bit too simple. Indeed, some of their slingshots sold online are clearly inspired from slingshot designs that you and other US makers (namely "Simple Shot") initially came up with, but the fact that there was (is) no patent guaranteed protection of those designs implies that the Chinese makers are not breaking any rules whatsoever - whether we like it or not.
> 
> ...


Sir, you have lost your swiss mind to put Bill Hays in a catagory of Aliexpress. Why on earth would Bill emmulate cheap chinese forks? Maybe you could spent some time researching Bill Hays, his work, his ability and what he has done for the sport on this side of the pond before you call him out. Don't read anything more into my words than what is written. 

Stuart Bell


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Beautiful craftsmanship Bill👍 Sorry to hear about your bout with Covid. Slide-Easy I hope you get fully recovered also.


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Slide-Easy, that is definitely not what I said or implied. 

However, the market sets the price at which a given consumer item sells best with regard to the competition, depending on multiple factors - namely designs, materials used, production costs, and perceived quality. The very reason why many Americans shop at Walmart is because their steadily falling purchasing power (and 6% inflation!) leaves them no other option but to look for cheaper alternatives. This logically also applies to slingshots.

Hope you're feeling better again.


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Pebble Shooter said:


> Slide-Easy, that is definitely not what I said or implied.
> 
> However, the market sets the price at which a given consumer item sells best with regard to the competition, depending on multiple factors - namely designs, materials used, production costs, and perceived quality. The very reason why many Americans shop at Walmart is because their steadily falling purchasing power (and 6% inflation!) leaves them no other option but to look for cheaper alternatives. This logically also applies to slingshots.
> 
> Hope you're feeling better again.


I grew up poor, but was bought quality products and taught to take care of them. So as an adult, I oil leather, keep guns clean, take care of good clothes, don't abuse tools. See, I would rather have a used John Partridge coat than a new chinese coat with a recognized badge on it. I did take the time to reread your diatribe. I feel the same as I stated. Thanks, I do feel 15% better today...but I felt like this 4 days ago and the virus rallied by night fall.


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Your principle of making things last is very respectable, and ought to be taught in schools. As someone who grew up in the 1970's, I also think along those lines.

The real question is how many consumer goods are still manufactured in Europe and the US. I remember a time when for instance high quality steel frame racing bikes were made in Europe, when good quality leather shoes generally came from Italy, and various electronic goods were still made in the West. It was the same in the USA. Fast forward to now, and you'll find that all bicycle frames are manufactured in either Taiwan or China, and that the well-known names of the past are long gone. The same applies to all sorts of goods for which the production was outsourced to the far east (how we all groaned at "made in South Korea" decades ago) to streamline production costs and to maximize profits. The cheapest present option is now Vietnam, as even Chinese workers now expect better pay for their work - fair enough.

What greedy boardroom managers forgot in the process of outsourcing is that related jobs and essential skills would be lost forever in key sectors of the economy, and that consumers need good steady wages to buy their products. It really is a race to the bottom now, as built in obsolescence forces consumers to replace items that previously lasted for umpteen years within just a few years. Last but not least, I believe that the strategy of the Chinese government was, and is to undermine Western economic prosperity and stability by the means of currency manipulation to artificially lower Chinese export prices and highly subsidizing certain Chinese business sectors, i.e using Western capitalism for the communist regime in China to acquire global hegemony without military force. It seems to be working, which is increasingly dangerous for all of us.

Now to the key question: so why buy Chinese-made slingshots then? Because there is nowhere else where you can find a slingshot made of stainless steel, precision wire-cut flat band attachment clamps, fiber-optic sights, and a grip often made of some nice hardwood for a price between USD 25 to 30 USD. It is hard to say "no" to such an option, and I have become a much better slingshot shooter thanks to my Chinese-made frames.


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Pebble Shooter said:


> Your principle of making things last is very respectable, and ought to be taught in schools. As someone who grew up in the 1970's, I also think along those lines.
> 
> The real question is how many consumer goods are still manufactured in Europe and the US. I remember a time when for instance high quality steel frame racing bikes were made in Europe, when good quality leather shoes generally came from Italy, and various electronic goods were still made in the West. It was the same in the USA. Fast forward to now, and you'll find that all bicycle frames are manufactured in either Taiwan or China, and that the well-known names of the past are long gone. The same applies to all sorts of goods for which the production was outsourced to the far east (how we all groaned at "made in South Korea" decades ago) to streamline production costs and to maximize profits. The cheapest present option is now Vietnam, as even Chinese workers now expect better pay for their work - fair enough.
> 
> ...


I use their latex, crystal string, amber belt, and pouches. I feel cheated when I buy something 'Made in China'.


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Pebble Shooter,

Honestly I can not believe in this day and age that ANYONE, other than a Communist, a Communist sympathizer, or someone who actually does believe in real and actual slavery would support and actively promote the Chinese agenda over anybody or anything else.

Hey, Hitler was a bad guy... but at least the trains were on time.... Pol Pot, bad guy, but look at all the fertilizer he was responsible for... Stalin, bad guy, but at least the Soviet Union became a powerful nuclear being.... Xi Jinping... bad guy? leader of the CCP.... history is written by the victors.

Price does not make right. 
And the fact of the matter is, whether patented or not the Chinese have and will copy whatever they want with no regard as to whom it may harm financially or otherwise. The difference is their actions are government supported, by not only their government... but because of lack of enforcement and the granting of special discounts and rebates through postal and straight up financial "give aways" they're supported by ours and many others all over the world as well.

Because of that I was advised by my patent attorney that unless I were to "jealously defend" EVERY patent infringement that happens both foreign and domestic, that a patent is basically meaningless, worthless... therefore, since I have neither the proclivity nor the funds to pursue every possible infraction I chose not to "tilt at windmills".

Anyway, back to the Chinese thing...
Yes, many of the Chinese products ARE very well made... Communist Government control and the real desire to destroy Capitalism is at play... so they support the destruction of business especially small business, here and abroad... giving financial, material and social support to that end... Selling products at below cost so as to create an unfair advantage for their products... and my ranting won't change a thing.

But when all is said and done, can you tell me which Chinese products are or are not made by what is essentially actual slave labor? And if you can in good conscience promote products that were made by a system such as the Chinese have in place.... then your belief system is very much in conflict with mine.


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

First of all, Bill, we would need to clearly define the very notion of "slave labor", while bearing in mind that such conditions prevailed during the industrial revolution in both Europe and America, until social revolts brought much needed changes. In the US, a wise gentleman named Ford paid his workers decent wages so they could buy his cars, instead of squeezing them like lemons. Chinese wages have been steadily rising as workers there demand decent working conditions and wages, a trend that has meanwhile led to many Western businesses thinking twice about having various products made there - hence the rise of Vietnam as a new cheap manufacturing hub in the far east. 

The rise of China is largely a consequence of shortsighted profiteering based on cost cutting by greedy boardroom managers in the US over the past 30+ years, because much of the present industrial know-how was exported to China by Western businesses - with the self-inflicted dire consequences we are now witnessing: think "rust belt". It only makes sense that the Chinese latched on to this unique opportunity long ago to modernize their country, particularly after having been (as they see it) patronized by the West for decades. 

Moreover, young adults in Asian countries focus on key subjects such as math and the sciences, unlike many of our young adults, who increasingly go for less demanding and useless arts degrees, only to end up flipping hamburgers. The PISA ratings of international education standards are a testimony that shows where the West, caught up in stupidities such as "cancel culture" and "political correctness", is headed in the long run: it ain't a nice picture. China will rule the world eventually through discipline and hard work - regardless of the political system running the show there. They will very soon no longer need us, except as (impoverished) consumers to buy their cheaply made goods (like slingshots).

It seems to me that many sectors in modern day America pay wages that have literally forged the huge numbers of "working poor", who are unable to cover basic needs such as decent food, good health care, and reasonable housing. The notion of "slave labor" is thus closer to you than you may think, particularly in view of the considerable number of homeless people in many American cities - not to mention the related widespread drug abuse problem. 

Europe also has numerous people that qualify as very poor in spite of working full time, but legally guaranteed minimum wages and access to proper social assistance prevents them from ending up in the streets in total misery without any prospects. Just north of you lies Canada, where a more social approach, like the one that prevails in Europe, provides some sort of essential safety net for people facing serious economic turmoil, and ensures that they can receive good health care without being bankrupt - unlike the US. The "winner takes all" approach of the US is hugely detrimental to the well-being of society in the land of starts and stripes. 

I know which system I definitely prefer, even if it does come with slightly higher income taxes and other drawbacks. 

How does all this related to slingshots? Well, Bill, you would technically need to have your slingshots manufactured in China or Vietnam to be competitive in terms of pricing - sadly. On the bright side, you could sell stainless steel and titanium versions of your well thought out designs.

Food for thought.


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## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

Bill Hays said:


> Okay Guys... well I tried to get a make video... Documented everything step by step.... looked great while doing it... got to the editing and.... all except for the first hour of video, it all came out as "file format error".
> 
> Sooooo, here's a few pictures of the final piece instead. Looks like I may need to new camera
> 
> ...


Wicked Cool 🤟🤟🤟


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

The Chinese system of government goes far beyond exploitation of under paid workers... it is literally taking advantage of actual slave labor, in all it's inhumane "glory."
Examples include, Ethnic minorities such as Uighur Muslims, some Christians and many who would be labeled as dissidents.

Because of that and other ongoing human rights atrocities, the USA is withholding diplomatic support of the Chinese hosted olympic games this next summer.

Sure much of it is purely hypocritical, and everybody knows the Chinese basically own many if not most of our politicians... but at least it is a start.

If you go back in history almost every ethnic group, race and or religion has been subjected to slavery and much worse atrocities... So it's not what's in the past that counts, it's what is happening now, and in the future.


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Bill Hays said:


> The Chinese system of government goes far beyond exploitation of under paid workers... it is literally taking advantage of actual slave labor, in all it's inhumane "glory."
> Examples include, Ethnic minorities such as Uighur Muslims, some Christians and many who would be labeled as dissidents.
> 
> Because of that and other ongoing human rights atrocities, the USA is withholding diplomatic support of the Chinese hosted olympic games this next summer.
> ...


Check this out, Bill. 'You're Not Invited': China Laughs off Joe Biden's Olympics Half-Measure


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Yeah, Biden and his family are probably the biggest political hypocrites of all... with Hunter getting over a billion dollars to invest however he pleases with no set returns or standards in place, and 10% going to the "big guy"... These people should be UNDER the prison. Disgusting bunch, the whole putrid swamp needs to be cleaned.


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Bill Hays said:


> Yeah, Biden and his family are probably the biggest political hypocrites of all... with Hunter getting over a billion dollars to invest however he pleases with no set returns or standards in place, and 10% going to the "big guy"... These people should be UNDER the prison. Disgusting bunch, the whole putrid swamp needs to be cleaned.


75% of our population will do anything they are told to do by anyone that they view as a position of authority, elected or other. They were conditioned to do so as early as First Grade...they taught our babies that the public shcool teacher was In Charge, when really she is working for the kids as a public servant of the county. That is another problem, 99% of Public Servants have forgotten that they are Public Servants. The system was flawed in it's conception, and today fully broken, but propped up by Public Servants that call themselves Executives and bleed us dry in taxes to pay for their high salaries and ultimately pay for their personal agendas and agendas of their buddies. After the last two and a half weeks of being exposed to a weaponized SARs Virus and it's effects, I can no longer view the world and those in it the same as I have for the last 53 years. I will now make every concerted effort to severe all ties to the Federal, State, and Local Governments. They have proven to be no good for the health of myself and my family. Just look at who is being represented in every commercial on TV today....it is not a reflection of my homeland.


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## Slide-Easy (Aug 16, 2020)

Check this out Bill... Parents: LA Public Schools Vaccinated Children Without Parental Consent


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## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

wait till you see what the governor of oregon did.........


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## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

passed a bill that does away with reading,writing,and math in H.S. to make it"easier" on the "children of color" FFS.....


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

The leveling down of education standards is part of the socialist (Democrat) agenda, where everyone has to walk in lockstep. This sort of authoritarian idealism, where free thinking and creativity is banned, eventually pulls a country down into the abyss, particularly in view of the rising international competition. Math and the sciences are where the source of innovation and success is to be found. That Oregon governor should be thrown out.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)




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## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

Pebble Shooter said:


> The leveling down of education standards is part of the socialist (Democrat) agenda, where everyone has to walk in lockstep. This sort of authoritarian idealism, where free thinking and creativity is banned, eventually pulls a country down into the abyss, particularly in view of the rising international competition. Math and the sciences are where the source of innovation and success is to be found. That Oregon governor should be thrown out.


Exactly on all counts


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## KX4SAM (Oct 8, 2020)

Bill Hays said:


> My lungs are fine... I work completely masked up.
> I've gone through and have used many different types of CNC machines now. It's come a long way in the last couple of years.
> 
> The new machines are fully custom ordered.... every option I wish I had on my old machines is on the new ones.
> ...


Nice machines. Having done some Gcode programming. 

And an awesome frame. 


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## FlingShotLife (Jan 6, 2017)

@Bill Hays do you prefer rhino cad? To other programs?


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## S.S. sLinGeR (Oct 17, 2013)

Bill where are you??? I hope you safe and happy my friend.


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## Adam2 (Nov 14, 2019)

This was on another level of slingshot making! 
What a great thread

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