# Sticky  Beginner Slingshot Builders Kit



## Hrawk

We often get a lot of questions here from newcomers to the sport regarding what they need to get started. I thought I'd put together a quick post for all to see showing just how little an investment is really needed to start making your own quality shooters.

By no way will this be a definitive solution as people have created some awesome shooters with nothing but a small folding pocket knife but I hope some people will find this useful.

They way I see it, the most minimal amount of kit you would need for making board cuts and naturals is as follows:

Coping Saw
Rasp/s
Sandpaper
Finish (Optional)

*-Coping Saw-*

Coping saws are a great option for slingshot making. They are cheap. They can get into the tightest of curves and cut through the hardest of woods (with a bit of patience and elbow grease). The blade can be removed and inserted in a hole for cutting out shapes inside the frame. The blade can also be turned to face any direction for detailed work and ease of cutting. They are available just about anywhere for a small investment. They offer a large enough throat for the biggest of frames yet are capable of turning out even the smallest sized pocket shooter.

Coping Saw @ Harbour Freight $5.99

This particular one comes with a few different blades included, from rough cutting to extremely fine detailed work. I agree that a pruning saw or other hand saw would be better for cutting a natural fork from a tree, this particular saw is more than capable of doing the job.


*-Rasp/s-*

Similar in design to a metal file however the teeth are optimised for wood shaping and removal. There are literally hundreds of sizes, styles and tooth patterns available but don't confuse yourself with all the specifics. Your main concern right now is being able to shape the wood to your desired style. Rasps provide a very aggressive cutting action, getting your work done very quickly.

3 Piece Rasp Set @ Harbour Freight $2.99

This great set of rasps is ideal for putting final touches on your projects. The 3/4" flat rasp is designed for general purpose sanding and shaping on flat surfaces. The 7/8" half round rasp is built for flat, concave and convex surfaces. Finally, the 3/8" diameter round rasp is designed for shaving and forming tightly curved wood sections such as finger grooves, pinkie holes and even band grooves..


*-Sandpaper-*

I have heard it said time and time again that 90% of any form of woodwork is sanding and yup, it's pretty true. Having used the rasps to cut and mould your wood to shape, you will find the current surface of your project looks a bit ragged and for lack of a better word, crap. This where the sanding begins. Sandpaper is available in different grits, from very coarse to smooth as glass. The lower the grit number, the more aggressive it is at removing material. You will start with a lower grit and progressively move up to achieve the desired finish. After using the rasps you would probably go for a 40 or 80 grit paper, moving on to 120, 240, 360 and sometimes even higher. You will probably find that going to 220/240 is more than satisfactory for a good finish. If you want glassy smoothness, keep sanding







You want to spend time and make sure that your fork tips are as smooth as possible as this will contribute to band life. Rough forks will wear your bands very quickly. Smooth is good.

Sandpaper is cheap. If you are starting out, grab yourself a couple of sheets of 80, 120 & 220 grit paper.

Sandpaper pack @ Harbour Freight $2.99

This assortment of sandpaper comes with a variety of grits. The assortment includes two sheets of 60 grit, three sheets of 100 grit, three sheets of 150 grit and two sheets of 220 grit aluminum oxide sanding sheets to help you accommodate a variety of jobs! This sandpaper assortment is a great set for any do-it-yourselfer or professional craftsman to smooth metal, finish wood pieces and sand paint away for a clear, clean surface.


*-Finish-*

Finishing, oh wow, where do I start. As I mentioned above this can be an optional step in the build however most people like to bring out the best in their choice of wood and give it that bit of extra bling. The options for finishing are endless and mostly come down to personal preference. Here I will list two options that are cheap and easy to do.

The first I will mention is Linseed oil, a personal favourite of mine. Like all the above tools, Linseed oil can be purchased just about anywhere. It is available as a raw or boiled product. Boiled is the preferred option of most as it has a considerably shorted curing (drying) time. Linseed oil can be purchased for only a few dollars. It can be wiped on with a rag/cloth, or your project can be soaked in it for a few hours to a few days. It does take time though, as curing times can be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to achieve optimum results. It does however do an awesome job of bringing out the beautiful grain and colour in most woods. Linseed oil finish is usually further enhanced by a wax polish to bring out a nice lustre and shine. Expect to pay around $5 for a half litre bottle of boiled Linseed Oil.


Another option is aerosol based finishes. Once again you have a huge range of options here so I wont go into them all. Probably the most common of these finishes is spray on Polyurethane. Comes in a can just like spray paint and is very easy to apply. Usually you would hang your slingshot up and apply several THIN coats, emphasis on thin. It is very important to ensure that each coat has completely dried before applying the next. For best results it is also best to sand between coats for that super smooth glassy look. Common options here are to use 800 grit sandpaper or even steel wool. Whatever you do, don't try to do it all in one go as you will end up with a thick tacky coat and possibly drip marks. Multiple thin coats is the trick to a great finish. Myself I like to use a spray on marine varnish as this also offers great UV protection against fading. These products also offer the option of a satin, semi gloss or gloss finish. Expect to pay between $5 and $10 for a good spray on finish. One can is usually enough for 2 to 5 frames, depending on number of coats you use.










Well there you have it. Ignoring the finish for the moment, for an initial outlay of approximately $12 dollars, you are well on your way to building your very own slingshot.

Check out the Templates tab at the top of this forum for some great designs to get you started. Just print them out, glue them to your wood and get started !

_If you have found this post helpful, please click the 'Like This' button in the lower right hand side of this post







_


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## bullseyeben!

Good advise mate, apart from a dremmel, my main tool for making a frame, ... a hole saw is also a cheap, yet good investment that speeds up a round cut inside fork cut, and with many diff sizes available can be used to pre shape the waist and handle grip too.. good post mate..


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## Hrawk

Thanks Ben









I've answered these questions so many times in chat and in other places, I figured my life would be easier if I just had a thread I could refer people to.

Hole saws are awesome, that's how I do most of my fork gaps on board cuts.


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## Blue Danube

Blocks n wood dowels for contour sanding? Great job covering basics other wise


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## drfrancov

And here is a video of the whole process using most of the tools above:


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## drfrancov

A few good videos for begginers that deal with bands:


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## e~shot

This video helped me a lot


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## trobbie66

Syphacii said:


> Thanks for this
> I've not been building slingshots for long and I was just wandered what the best type of wood is I've mostly been using cheap multiplex and i'd just like to know what the best wood I could use?


for nattys try to choose Noble woods( fruitwood.tight grain hardwoods) and for boardcuts always check grain.Tight and fine is best.


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## dukanu

Well... I just ordered me some thera band gold ) about 150cm length. It-s arriving today  I got myself some pouches from an old belt, and a fork (natural from an old cut down tree). I-ll be posting some pics as soon as i-m done building it . The problem is that i don`t have a disc cutter like in the youtube movie and i-m afraid the bands will be cut wrong. Any suggestions ? Does a normal cutter work as well or ?


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## Hrawk

A rotary cutter really is the only way to go. A paper guillotine is also pretty good too.

Using scissors or a straight blade can cause many problems leading to greatly reduced band life.

If you had no other choice then to use a knife, be sure to have one that's razor sharp and has decent belly on it. Give it a good amount of silicone lube to stop it bunching and stretching the rubber as it cuts.


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## porcelanowy

Hello
There is/was a clip on youtube: guy is cutting strips of theraband with scissors after covering one side of TB with duct tape. It makes the bands stiffer so it does not move around when being cut. If buying a rotary cutter is not an option I would try that instead.
IMO you will buy a rotary cutter sooner or later  
Cheers
Rafał


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## trobbie66

If you must use scissors ,cover both sides of TB with masking tape. It is easy to mark and peels off easily. Remenber that any nick in the TB will drastically shorten band life!!!!! Good luck.


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## e~shot

trobbie66 said:


> If you must use scissors ,cover both sides of TB with masking tape. It is easy to mark and peels off easily. Remenber that any nick in the TB will drastically shorten band life!!!!! Good luck.


Yep, don't fully close the scissors when cutting.


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## SonOfNature

slingshot




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SonOfNature


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Jul 11, 2013


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4



just first one done in 2012 winter






dried 3weeks after sanding than attaching spanish style a gym band with heavy pouch.

what do you think about it?


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## Flycatcher

I think a vice or clamp is vital to making slingshots. I dont know what i would do with out mine.


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## Arber

This really isnt for beginners only. I have made 10 or more slingshots over the course of 2013 using these tools only, without a vise too. What I like to do is roll up a piece of sandpaper on a wooden dowel and using like a rasp to take of wood/metal more efficiently. I'm a 14 year old and if I could do it chances are you can too.


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## One Shot-Corey

for my cattys i only used a leatherman sandpaper and some linseed oil and some elbow grease dont need a lot to make one


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## Thewolf2000

I love using a crook knife to get the forks right and it helps with all the curvs


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## MikmaqWarrior

A friend gave me a huge peice of industrial plastic...it's about 1" thick....would it be suitable as a frame material?
I see videos on youtube of people using conduit pip so I didn't really see a problem with the thick plastic...any thoughts?


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## ryguy27

An Inch Thick Of Plastic Should Be Fine, If It's HDPE Or PVC It Definitely Will Be. Make Sure To Test It Before You Shoot Though!


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## pult421

Blue Danube said:


> Blocks n wood dowels for contour sanding? Great job covering basics other wise


Rolled up sandpaper works as well if yall dont wanna waste money on dowels


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## Zombieaustin

Is there any sort of preparation that needs to be done with a natural fork? I just got a beautiful fork of vine maple and want to make sure I do this correctly. 
Do I need to let it dry before I do any debarking/carving I guess is my main question.


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## Grandpa Grumpy

Unless you cut fork from a dead fall, the fork needs to dry before you carve. You can debark and seal the ends with something like wax or Elmers glue to keep the fork from drying too fast. I cut the forks and handle extra long in case the end grain cracks during the drying process. This is a slow process.

If you are in a hurry you can dry forks in the microwave. Short blasts and let cool completely before heating again. When no more moisture comes out the end grain it should be dry.


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## Zombieaustin

Is there an ideal length of time for it to dry? Or how would one tell. I'm hesitant to throw it in the microwave on account of it cracking


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## Grandpa Grumpy

Zombieaustin said:


> Is there an ideal length of time for it to dry? Or how would one tell. I'm hesitant to throw it in the microwave on account of it cracking


As I said drying can be a slow process. I like to cut forks from brush piles where some of the drying has been done.

You can speed up the process by putting the fork in warm dry places like the furnace room, the trunk of your car or if you have a black BBQ grill put under the top cover when not in use. The sun will heat it up and dry the fork. I usually just put mine in the shed and forget about then for a year or so.

I test for dryness by dropping the fork on a concrete floor. The wet fork will make a thud sound. A dry fork will have a much brighter clear tone.


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## Grandpa Grumpy

Zombieaustin said:


> Is there an ideal length of time for it to dry? Or how would one tell. I'm hesitant to throw it in the microwave on account of it cracking


If you cut a fork at this time of year before the sap starts to rise it probably won't take as long to dry.

The fork won't crack in the microwave if you only use short burst and let cool completely before giving another burst. Make sure there are no worms or other insects in the wood. Depending on the wood it might stink up your kitchen.


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## bingo

All I use is a file rasp sand paper min seed oil and a small multi tool pocket knife this turned out sweet and shoots great started the natty builds about 3years ago only material to buy was tbg and sand paper some leather for pouches hope tis is helpful????


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## Dr J

In my day all we used was White Cedar or guava fork, a knife and some broken bottles pus the tongue from a leather shoe The elastic was from a red inner bike tube. That was all it took and it provided many a delicious meal.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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