# Lathe-turned Natural Fork



## Holzwurm (Nov 5, 2010)

Hi , folks ,

.........had this idea at work today and put it to practise this evening using a natural birchwood fork , that I still had .

Did such for the first time and learned instantly , that the natural fork being used for turning down on a lathe just can't be big enough .






greetz , Holzwurm


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## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

I look forward to seeing you shoot it when its finished


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## lightgeoduck (Apr 3, 2011)

Cool.. I always contimplated trying to use a lathe for a fork, but couldn't figure out how to do it exactly... yeah I could see the potial danger using a natural on it... I was thinking about using a single log or something and turn first turn it in the shape of a maul.. then bandsawing the forks top/bottom/ gap

maul:


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## Ordie69 (Aug 25, 2011)

That is awesome. Can't wait to see more.


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## Holzwurm (Nov 5, 2010)

Thanks a lot , folks , ...surely gonna put my progress up in here , ....but please be patient , since I'm not the fastest of a slingshot builder .

@ lightgeoduck

I think by turning down the outer slingshot shape from a simple log , one does not have the stability advantage of a naturally grown fork in terms of the woodgrain supporting the fork ends .

But as said before , the lathe-work on a natural fork can be dangerous , if one does not exactly know , what he's doing .

A happy compromise might be a thicker branch fork with the fork ends not being much more than just stumps , this way one would not have these protruding fork ends likely to catch up with the lath's center stock , chisel rest or , even worse , the operators fingers , ........also the chisel won't bite into as easily , .......yet still the woodgrain of such a piece of timber would add to the rigidity of the slingshot .

But also such log would be hard to find without chopping down an entire tree , I guess ?

Anyway , ........today I've tested another small shooter that I just got done with , made from a fork of the same tree like this lathe-turned frame described in here , ........hopefully it would turn out as good as the carved catty in this new video :






Thanks for your interest , ...cheers , Holzwurm


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## kingmurphy (May 16, 2012)

ah but it doesnt take5 minutes to make something beutiful does it ?? (unless you akm







)

Alexander .s. Howson


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## Holzwurm (Nov 5, 2010)

kingmurphy said:


> ah but it doesnt take5 minutes to make something beutiful does it ?? (unless you akm
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hehe , .....we have a similar term in German language , .......actually I've been carving and sanding for a total of at least 2 1/2 hours(at lateshift thru breaktime and when all of my CNC machines were running)last night to shape the fork ends , .......now the shooter is ready for branding my initials and its linseed oil bath .









Cheers , Holzwurm


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## jskeen (Feb 7, 2011)

Sweet! I tried something similar a long time ago turning finger grooves on a laminated boardcut, using an offcenter chuck on my lathe. It worked, but was a lot of input for minimal result at the time. I could definately see doing something similar to turning a goblet on a large log where the branch point was far enough inside to enable the endgrain cuts to form the inner fork face and the spindle cuts to form the outter. Of course you would still have to saw off the "sides" of the "cup" to form the fork, and then shape them individually. Interesting concept. Might have to dig through the woodpile and give it a try.


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## Ordie69 (Aug 25, 2011)

Holzwurm said:


> ah but it doesnt take5 minutes to make something beutiful does it ?? (unless you akm
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hehe , .....we have a similar term in German language , .......actually I've been carving and sanding for a total of at least 2 1/2 hours(at lateshift thru breaktime and when all of my CNC machines were running)last night to shape the fork ends , .......now the shooter is ready for branding my initials and its linseed oil bath .

View attachment 23409


Cheers , Holzwurm
[/quote]

Now that is beautiful work. Well done!


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## Holzwurm (Nov 5, 2010)

jskeen said:


> Sweet! I tried something similar a long time ago turning finger grooves on a laminated boardcut, using an offcenter chuck on my lathe. It worked, but was a lot of input for minimal result at the time. I could definately see doing something similar to turning a goblet on a large log where the branch point was far enough inside to enable the endgrain cuts to form the inner fork face and the spindle cuts to form the outter. Of course you would still have to saw off the "sides" of the "cup" to form the fork, and then shape them individually. Interesting concept. Might have to dig through the woodpile and give it a try.


I dig what you are saying , ....you're talking about turning down a shape roughly like a champagne or cocktail glass .

Cupping out the inner sides of the two fork ends would be the problem , as the stock center spur would always stand in the way(unless you can utilize a special chuck for turning down plates or bowls , ...I don't have) , also you might need a chisel with a slender , curved cutting edge to be able to reach sideward into the fork's inner cupping still being able to support the chisel on the tool rest of the lathe .

I have done similar before on a smaller scale deeply cupping out the heads of popping fishing lures , utilizing a homemade curved chisel .

It worked quite well , but with a slingshot fork this cupping must be a lot deeper made than on a fishing lure ,........ I guess , that one can get only half as deep as required , if at all .....would have to cut out the rest of the inner fork sides with a saw after have planed off the two "face" sides of the fork ends .

Here are two pictures of that homemade chisel of mine , posted on a luremaking forum years ago ,..... hope , that they would still be visible without registration there :

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/12801-homemade-tools/#entry93075

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/12801-homemade-tools/#entry93092

Off course for turning down a slingshot frame this way all gear must be larger and sturdier compared to making fishing lures from comparably soft and light wood , ....would also take quite a big log of timber .

@ Ordie69

Thanks a lot , mate , ...progress will be posted in here , but takes at least three weeks , until the linseeed oil sealing proccess would be completed and I'd be able to procceed .

Greetz , Holzwurm


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## jskeen (Feb 7, 2011)

Holzwurm said:


> I dig what you are saying , ....you're talking about turning down a shape roughly like a champagne or cocktail glass .
> 
> Right
> 
> ...


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## Holzwurm (Nov 5, 2010)

@ jskeen

Thanks a lot for your extensive describtion about the working process on turning down a slingshot frame on a lathe , ...you're a really skilled woodworker .

Sadly I do not have such a faceplate , even so my little lathe won't handle bigger workpieces , ...this little birchwood fork was at about the diameter limit , ........simply it's more suited for fishing lures !

As far as for my work , .......I'm a grinding machine operator in the local metal industry , from 1979-82 I've done an apprenticeship as a die,-or toolmaker , but never worked in that trade , ......rather handworking on metal was already about to be gone from the factories by that time .

Here is a YouTube vid put out by the company I'm working for , showing some of my workmates , .......I do similar , but most likely hobs of carbide , not toolsteel as much , .......such like the one getting packed in the end of the clip :






But that little chisel I've simply ground freehanded from an old file on a statiorary grinding wheel at my work , .......also made two razorsharp carving knives this way , .......never litter old or blunt files , LOL !

Cheers , Holzwurm


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## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

hello Holzwurm, wonderful job on you natty, i have a request of you, i have been wanting to make the frame in your avatar, but i cant see your method of tie off, is it possible to post a larger photo? i am not looking to sell your sweet design, it just looks like such a comfortable shooter, and its inique, i have liked it forever but especially since you did your vid by the river, thanks in advance.


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## Holzwurm (Nov 5, 2010)

@ newconvert

I feel kinda honoured , that someone in here is so fond of my humble pocketshooter design intending to make a copy of it , ....... I had posted some pictures in here before , but also shot some new ones this morning , ...hope , that you could use them this way . Feel free to call back in , if you should need more info .

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/3458-newbie-in-here/#entry207343

Good luck making your own knock-off , .......greetz , Holzwurm


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## Holzwurm (Nov 5, 2010)

Hi there , folks ,

Finally got done with my lathe-turned slingshot , ......it turned out a bit diminutive , but shoots quite well , at least in regard of my poor shooting abilities .

Made the windings on fork ends and handle with some simple , natural fibred package twine , providing a kinda natural look , .......at first I've tried fishing rod winding laquer on it , but that did not fix the windings well , ...so I've applied two layers of modelling dope on it which fulfilled the job .

Also made another shooter recently , cut out from a kitchen cutting board of laminated bamboo , ........you can see both of my new slingshots at the beginning of this video , which I've done yesterday .






Thanks for your interest in my humble work , .........cheers , Holzwurm


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## Bob Fionda (Apr 6, 2011)

Cool!


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## Holzwurm (Nov 5, 2010)

Bob Fionda said:


> Cool!


Thanks , .....seems to me , that this lathe-turned shooter is my present favourite , ...can most likely handle it better than other of my homemade ones .

Gotta do all of my future slingshots with narrower forktips and bandsets exactly like the one shown in the following shooting practise videos , ..the specs are something like 18mm X 14mm X 270mm(gotta measure again and do some more bandsets exactly this way) , ...also the pouch is made of a soft kinda leather to provide more feel to where the projectile sits .

Due to jobwise sore arms I'm unable to draw very strong bands , ....I'm not a good shot , anyway , ...but increasingly stronger bands provide even more inaccuracy , ........due to pain in my draw arm I start to shake with stronger bands and often let go too early .






This one showing impacts and ammo recovery only , but a good share of shots done with that lathe-turned shooter as well :






And surprisingly the bands never show any signs of wear .

Greetz , Holzwurm


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