# Starship slingshot. From crutches



## FixItDuck

Hi all
I have been looking for sling shot ideas. I came across the starship and the funny posts of an ex member.
I find the starship design,shape very appealing and inspiring.
Different people have their own take on how to make it.
A common way seems to be to use crutches.
Here are the variations I came across:
I also included a wooden one, as that one is really nice.
I am now looking for old crutches from people, I am also looking to get smaller paediatric crutches for kids. I presume the tube diameter is smaller.might make for a better looking slingshot 
The crutch attachments and handles seem to be ideal for the job.
I'll keep you all posted on my new crutch collection.
if anyone has suggestions re design or parts , I welcome your suggestions.


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## alfshooter

Enthusiasm, experimentation, talent, I encourage me very much :wave:


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## Lacumo

Suggestion #1 = Keep your health insurance bills paid and your coverage current.

Suggestion #2 = Always wear the best safety glasses that money can buy when you're shooting slingshots made out of pieces of discarded crutches.

As for the posts of that ex-member being "funny"... Many here might disagree with that evaluation, most especially the admin and mods. As you noted, the person in question is an ex-member, which is a status he didn't attain by chance or without reason.


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## slingshotnew

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:


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## FixItDuck

Hi Lacumo
Thanks for your advice.
I am wondering about what you said re crutches. Are they a bad material for this project?
Aluminium does buckle under pressure. Or is it the handles you are weary of?
Or it could be the diy element that adds uncertainty.
I am wondering should I call off asking for the crutch collection and rethink this?


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## Lacumo

There are more than enough threads already here with lots of thoughts about the concept of slingshots made from discarded crutches parts. Use the search function and you'll find lots of information. I'm not going to repeat what's already been said here. If making slingshots out of discarded crutches parts was such a really good and safe idea, the Homemade Slingshots forum would be dominated by threads from the numerous slingshot hobbyists who'd be devoted to this approach. The fact that the forum isn't filled with threads about and pix of slingshots made of discarded crutch parts speaks volumes about the crutch parts concept. That idea had a very brief moment in the sun, but that moment (much like a bad case of hives) has passed.

Make yourself a nice natural or go DIY on a thick HDPE kitchen cutting board. There are lots of materials that are far safer and more sensible than discarded crutch parts. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.


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## grappo73

Wow!!!


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## FixItDuck

Lacumo.thanks again for your advice . I feel a bit deflated. The call for crutches has already gone out. I'll see what arrives and carefully consider what to do with them.
In the mean time, I'll look for alternatives to make the extended sling shot.


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## Viper010

Aluminum crutches can be used to make a perfectly safe and usable starship type slingshot, even if it will never be a beauty queen...

It was Shockly's mistake in thinking the people on this site would pay ridiculous amounts of money for his frankly quite fugly brain babies, and his callous reactions to any and all criticism and suggestions, that made him a persona non grata on this forum.

Had he made his Frankenstein-esque creations purely for personal use he might have gotten some quiet chuckles and some constructive criticism but without the outrageous hunger for profit and the bad attitude he would have never been banned.

By all means, make yourself some crutch star ships and enjoy shooting them. As long as you employ some common sense in the construction, you should be quite safe.

As for adequate eye protection, that's highly advisable in all forms of slingshot shooting, no matter how the frame was constructed.

Welcome to the forum.


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## FixItDuck

I got my first shipment of crutches. I fell over carrying the bloody things though. Not a good omen.
Now they are in my boot . waiting for my wife to sleep before I smuggle them into the house.post pictures when she is in bed.


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## FixItDuck

My crutches hidden in the frosty jag about to come out.
Ohh the tension


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## FixItDuck

The crippled eagle has landed


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## Viper010

Lol well should you be so unlucky as to hurt yourself falling over at least you have the crutches handy already????

Sorry, couldn't resist????


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## Lacumo

Hey F.I.Duck... Those Lofstrand crutches (a/k/a forearm crutches) in your picture above are actually very good crutches. I've spent several periods of several months each on crutches and those things are the best. It's a shame seeing them get junked. The cheap regular crutches that hospitals give away are definitely ready to be scrapped, but it'd be good to see if the Lofstrands could go to somebody who could use them (and toss the junky freebies they're presently using). Thus endeth today's sermon.....

Other than that, good luck with your SS-making efforts. Do be careful of how you join the SS forks to the main starship body, though. I'm paranoid about joints like that possibly failing and causing injury. Be safe!


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## gypo

I wonder if the crutches subconsciously remind people of injuries. All good advice so far which should apply to ALL slingshots. Be careful with any home made contraption and test fully before use.


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## gypo

Error post


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## FixItDuck

Hi Lacumo
I have attached the manufacture's details.
For this set of crutches its a bit too late as I have dismantled them. 
Where the arm support was is now going to be where the sling is attached. 
Not sure if I should keep the angled metal or saw it off and have a strieght tube.


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## FixItDuck

I got these bits to make the business end of the sling shot


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## Viper010

Lol down here in Euroland, those ARE the cheapo crutches. Who knew... I actually have a pair standing in a corner somewhere from when I busted my ankle a couple of years back. Figured I just hang on to them in case I ever need them again. Crutches can be used more than once and the healthcare system is wasting quite enough tax and insurance money already...

I'm quite curious what you're going to come up with Duckman, also whether it'll score a little better on the beauty scale than Shockly's creations did.


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## FixItDuck

I need to figure out how to best create the joint between the aluminium tube and the elastic holder.
The end of the tube is squared off already.

I am thinking of using one crutch for the extended SS 
And the other for a sling shot rifle.


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## Chuck Daehler

A crutch is just another source of good ole strong aluminum tubing and aluminum tubing has been made into star ships with much success.

Since crutches are adjustable one could assume that a partially collapsible or adjustable draw starship could be fabricated with fair ease. And yes the handle that comes with a crutch and arm pad could also serve well.

Making a metallic sling rifle, not a starship...by far longer.. occupied my time also, it is dead accurate but let's face it, I don't shoot it much for all the time I put into a steel lock mechanism blabla... but it's fun anyway and it was fun to make. Yes there are lots of threads on this already but look how many threads there are on ordinary ping pong paddle frames or clones of other's designs here. It's a slingshot forum, right? (Ducking behind a rock to avoid crony fire, LOL).

I might add that since a crutch is designed to hold the weight of a fat arsed lard butt burger and fry belching 'merican glug, it can surely be used for a darn slingshot.

A glug often weighs 250 lbs, dry weight, cholesterol plugged veins included, sometimes more. Half of that is 125 lbs and a crutch holds him in an upright position at the cashier at a McBurger joint.


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## FixItDuck

Chuck that is brilliant


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## Viper010

I would call it disgusting but hey potayto potahto.... ????

How are the crippleships coming along duckman?


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## SmilingFury

Lacumo said:


> Hey F.I.Duck... Those Lofstrand crutches (a/k/a forearm crutches) in your picture above are actually very good crutches. I've spent several periods of several months each on crutches and those things are the best. It's a shame seeing them get junked. The cheap regular crutches that hospitals give away are definitely ready to be scrapped, but it'd be good to see if the Lofstrands could go to somebody who could use them (and toss the junky freebies they're presently using). Thus endeth today's sermon.....
> 
> Other than that, good luck with your SS-making efforts. Do be careful of how you join the SS forks to the main starship body, though. I'm paranoid about joints like that possibly failing and causing injury. Be safe!


So you are basically saying that joints make you paranoid? Got it!


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## Lacumo

Viper010 said:


> Lol down here in Euroland, those ARE the cheapo crutches......


Just out of curiosity, I looked them up and I found some of them for ~$40. That was a surprise, because I paid ~$150 for mine--in the 1980's! When I looked further, I found that the the "orthopedic quality" ones (I think for long-term disabled users) are still quite expensive. So... I guess the ones you have are appropriate for recycling.

On another note.... SF-- I definitely am very wary of any joints in slingshot forks. The pictures I've seen posted of busted forks and injuries over the last couple years keep me that way. That's one of the reasons I stick with 1" thick commercial HDPE board. Those boards are formed under such high pressures that I know they'll never fail.


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## twang

FixItDuck said:


> Chuck that is brilliant


Kiss me


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## FixItDuck

Putting stuff together stage.

I drilled 2 holes to hold the sling mechanism to the crutch, the side where the handles were.


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## FixItDuck

Hi I am trying to figure out the positioning of the handle but I am stuck.
If I am right handed which hand do i hold the sling in?


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## SharpshooterJD

FixItDuck said:


> Hi I am trying to figure out the positioning of the handle but I am stuck.
> If I am right handed which hand do i hold the sling in?


Generally if you are right handed, you hold the slingshot in your left hand and pull the bands with your right. But it also depends on which eye is dominant. If your right eye is your dominant eye, then it works great holding the slingshot in your left hand, because the eye naturally closest to the bands and the one better positioned to see the sight picture is your right eye. If you are left eye dominant and right handed, it is more complicated. At that point it just becomes personal preference. There are many simple tests to tell which eye is dominant, all you got to do is google it . Hope that wasn't too confusing .


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## Viper010

Duck do you per chance own a regular slingshot already?

That would make things exceedingly simple. Just take a couple dozen test shots with both hands and you'll soon find out which feels more natural.

I'm one of those oddballs that's right handed but holds the frame in his right hand.


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## FixItDuck

Guys its settled.
Due to the weight of the sling shot.
I have to hold it in my right hand.
Viper my normal slingshot is still in Chinese airspace.I am waiting for it.
Next question.
Do I position handles so it turns out like this exhibit A


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## FixItDuck

Or like this
Exhibit B


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## FixItDuck

Question 2 related to the band holders.
Do I have them in position 1)


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## FixItDuck

Or position 2)


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## SmilingFury

Lacumo said:


> Viper010 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Lol down here in Euroland, those ARE the cheapo crutches......
> 
> 
> 
> Just out of curiosity, I looked them up and I found some of them for ~$40. That was a surprise, because I paid ~$150 for mine--in the 1980's! When I looked further, I found that the the "orthopedic quality" ones (I think for long-term disabled users) are still quite expensive. So... I guess the ones you have are appropriate for recycling.
> 
> On another note.... SF-- I definitely am very wary of any joints in slingshot forks. The pictures I've seen posted of busted forks and injuries over the last couple years keep me that way. That's one of the reasons I stick with 1" thick commercial HDPE board. Those boards are formed under such high pressures that I know they'll never fail.
Click to expand...

...those aren't the kind of joints I was talking about , but yes slingshot fork joints are the weak point. So much for joint jokes huh?


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## kooniu

HiCrutch is great material for very different slingshots, on picture is few, not all what I'm made in past


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## Viper010

I would say exhibit B and position 2.
You also probably want to engineer your crutch - fork assembly joint so, that the bands can't get snagged on any sharp protrusions either on the way forward or in recoil because your bands will get little nicks which is very bad for their service life span.


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## Lacumo

SmilingFury said:


> ...those aren't the kind of joints I was talking about , but yes slingshot fork joints are the weak point. So much for joint jokes huh?


Duhhh,,, My legendary linear, literal and tunnel-visioned perception triumphs once again... I vaguely remember those other ones. I think it was a couple hundred years ago, when I wasn't even 60 yet...


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## Chuck Daehler

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321545218577 shows a crutch like starship, actually pretty kewl.

If/when you get into starships and the shorter version affectionately called a shuttlecraft (evidently we're Trekies here), you can expand your collection by making some of various materials as you well know by viewing pics you posted. I've yet to make one myself, have a Marksman shuttle craft, adjustable fork model, good enough for me.

Many folks like extended fork slingshots for accuracy since the arm brace forces one to align to the target the same each time, and hard hitting due to extended draw length. A collapsible one would partly eliminate the objection of larger than pocketable size...but I think most starships are confined to home ranges rather than gadding around the bush with them...I say most...obviously there will be some who hunt and plink with them to much success and elation.

Many of us build contraptions which we get into and can't get out of til they're done. One such contraption was my sling "rifle". I was compelled to see it though. Do I shoot it much? No. I shoot it a little. It wasn't worth the time if you equate shooting time to making time but I learned a thing or two. Fortunately I had to buy nothing...had all the stuff in my shop, mostly scrap this and that.

You can usually get crutches at church affiliated Salvation Army or Good Will type (but not limited to Good Will) thrift stores galore....they somehow end up there. For a few bucks too. Actually the aluminum tubing is pretty useful for putzers like me for various projects. When I cruised such stores I often bought a crutch or two for the tubing for a couple bucks at most each. I noted some tubing was "better" than others...some seemed like Kelty or Camp Trails back pack frame tubing, aircraft T66 stuff etc..

Your nut and bolt and tubing project will be fun when completed...that's worth it, right? I would ignore any chastising or belittling statements by posters, but take the good advice, and just have fun making whatcha wanna make. I'd take the suggestion of eliminating sharp edges and corners to not nick/cut the bands. If a joint is sufficiently strong on a fork, fine..if not...you'll find out but use common sense so you don't have a mishap. Always make things twice or three times stronger than you think the minimum would be...

I'm also a right handed right hand holder (due to a half blind right eye). My dominant eye in this case is my left eye, i.e. MY ONLY EYE...LOL by default...hence my right handedness and my right hand frame hold, left hand pouch. Same0 same0 with my bow which is a left hand bow held in right hand pulled with left. Really it makes no diff... one adapts. I see no difference...it's just the way things are.


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## SharpshooterJD

Viper010 said:


> I would say exhibit B and position 2.
> You also probably want to engineer your crutch - fork assembly joint so, that the bands can't get snagged on any sharp protrusions either on the way forward or in recoil because your bands will get little nicks which is very bad for their service life span.


I second this ^


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## alfshooter

:king: :thumbsup:


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## FixItDuck

A little update.
It's almost finished.
Thanks guys for your advice along the way.
Now I can't find the bands!
So I will need to get some bands.
Here is the work in progress.
You will see the difference between its retretracted and extended states.
Notice the directional arrows that the projectile should head in.


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## SharpshooterJD

Just one small piece of advice, you might want to shorten it. With that long of an extension it's going to be insanely hard to hold on target, maybe even impossible. Basically the longer the extension, the more force is on the frame of the slingshot, and on your arm. Still, try it out first to see how you like it, and if your not able to get much accuracy out of it, then maybe half the amount of extension and try it again. Looks good though .


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## FixItDuck

Sharpshooter. I agree with what you are saying.I am just a bit too impressed with the length to shorten it just yet. I want to put the bands on first and experience this tremendous force that you speak of. If the ultimate power corrupts , then I will shorten it.


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## SharpshooterJD

I'd probably do the same . Be interested to see how it works.


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## Viper010

With that enormous length, you can use rather light elastics and still get very high velocities.

That's the very reason some people shoot full butterfly style - light draw weight, high velocity.

Somewhere in there is a balance to be found. I'm curious how it will pan out for you, Duckman. Keep us posted, plz.


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## FixItDuck

I had cave man flu, so my medieval weapon project was on hold.
The good news is I am back on track.
I had my lovely secretary gather some supplies to help me overcome my caveman flu. She got me an inside man in the physiotherapy department and local hospital supplies.
I got 2 meters of blue theraband
And 
2 meters of an unknown black less wide none named brand of band.


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## FixItDuck

I downloaded from the templet section here a pouch templet.
I copied it onto a a paper , then I choped what I thought was my old leather belt, this belt turned out to be a plasticy belt.


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## FixItDuck

Sling shot now slinged , with unknown stolen black hospital generic band. Length of about 40 cm


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## FixItDuck

Here is the mad bit now.
It's super easy to fire butterfly with this. The combined draw of the sling and butterfly is 
230 cm or
7ft 6inches
Or 
90 inches.
Utter madness
Makes me think I need a double generic band or a heavier band set. 
And I need a chrono machine to check what I have made.
Over and out


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## Viper010

Wow those are some long, long bands. Are you shooting that crutchship full butterfly? 
Most latex products will stretch up to around 550+% and need to be stretched to at least about 500% to get in the ballpark of acceptable efficiency.

That would mean stretching your bands to over 2 meters (80+ inches stretched)

Being how things are, such extremely long bands are often the main attributed reason in case a so-called RTS (return to sender) shot occurs.

Luckily such occurrences are rare, but personally I don't think I'd be brave enough to go butterfly with a crutch and 16 inch long bands. The crutch not being what worries me, but the chance of the long bands tangling, grabbing on to the ball in flight and sending it back at ya.


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## FixItDuck

Dãmn viper your pooping on my caveman style.
I take your point.
I will experiment with some harricot beans (hippy style)before I go to bb.


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## MakeSlingshots

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Deluxe-Ortho-Forearm-Crutches/121832306869?_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D35559%26meid%3D7d811beda09547b99631151bb3618ce6%26pid%3D100010%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D18%26sd%3D172086699858


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## pult421

Lacumo said:


> Suggestion #1 = Keep your health insurance bills paid and your coverage current.
> Suggestion #2 = Always wear the best safety glasses that money can buy when you're shooting slingshots made out of pieces of discarded crutches.
> 
> As for the posts of that ex-member being "funny"... Many here might disagree with that evaluation, most especially the admin and mods. As you noted, the person in question is an ex-member, which is a status he didn't attain by chance or without reason.


 well if the dude did something wrong to get him kicked shouldnt we all know what not to do? Im curious.. This isnt the first time i hear of this crutch ex member dude. I never hear the actual reason for his exile.


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## pult421

FixItDuck said:


> Dãmn viper your pooping on my caveman style.
> I take your point.
> I will experiment with some harricot beans (hippy style)before I go to bb.


 you can experiment.. But viper made a pretty good point. There are some latex bands that stretch beyond 550% im guessing viper meant thats the sweet spot of the elongation for max speed and power. I have latex bands with an elongation of 700% so even when i cut my bands to my desired active length there is always some more stretch allowed. But yea. Listen to viper!


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## Lacumo

pult421 said:


> Lacumo said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...As for the posts of that ex-member being "funny"... Many here might disagree with that evaluation, most especially the admin and mods. As you noted, the person in question is an ex-member, which is a status he didn't attain by chance or without reason.
> 
> 
> 
> well if the dude did something wrong to get him kicked shouldnt we all know what not to do? Im curious.. This isnt the first time i hear of this crutch ex member dude. I never hear the actual reason for his exile.
Click to expand...

The mods here don't take kindly to talking about the dear (or non-dear) departed, so I'm not going to go there. You'll have to do your own homework.


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## pult421

Lacumo said:


> pult421 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lacumo said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...As for the posts of that ex-member being "funny"... Many here might disagree with that evaluation, most especially the admin and mods. As you noted, the person in question is an ex-member, which is a status he didn't attain by chance or without reason.
> 
> 
> 
> well if the dude did something wrong to get him kicked shouldnt we all know what not to do? Im curious.. This isnt the first time i hear of this crutch ex member dude. I never hear the actual reason for his exile.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The mods here don't take kindly to talking about the dear (or non-dear) departed, so I'm not going to go there. You'll have to do your own homework.
Click to expand...

 lol okay.


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## PorcupineQuill

Cool, you should spray paint it or something. You may want to look at this youtube vid showing 2 take-down starship models also made from crutches


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## twang

I was thinking ,when you use it extended, you could use the second crutch to hold it up.or a monopod.


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## pult421

PorcupineQuill said:


> Cool, you should spray paint it or something. You may want to look at this youtube vid showing 2 take-down starship models also made from crutches


 interesting...


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## lunasling

It never hurts to venture into something new, always use caution 
Were applicable


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## Chuck Daehler

Fools rush in but get the best seats.

Well, I think the crutchshot is coming along nicely. It's been quite an involved journey with a ton of questions and five tons of opinions and replies from don't do it to do it. I've found the thread amusing and even contributed my couple cents' worth.

It's good in a way the poster of the thread asked so many questions to involve and stimulate the forum's digestive juices but were it me I'd just make the sucker and be done with it, perhaps post it perhaps not. Some here act like it's a field artillery piece and has to be made of space age NASA titanium alloys to be "safe" and some like me realize it is just a freeking slingshot and basically a toy and not to worry about it. There are a lot of male soccer moms here in my humble opinion who constantly worry about the nth degree of safety first. I say shoot the thing and have fun. BE DANGEROUS, IT'S MORE FUN. The best things in life are either regulated or illegal, i.e. alcohol, tobacco and fire arms...case in point. (I'll go back on tobacco, it is insane)

The video that Pult posted proves that crutchshots are a viable idea. It also displays the power of a starship over the power of an ordinary slingshot. I don't see why the hunters and preppers don't go for starships. Hitting a squirrel only in the head to kill it with an ordinary slingshot as opposed to just about anywhere with a starship makes my point. The idea is to kill an animal and eat it...you stand much more chance with a starship than a regular frame...it makes no diff if you have a head shot or a chest shot with a starship given ample bands and correct ammo.

There is a blowgun forum sister site to this one...just for kicks...


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## FixItDuck

Chuck Daehler said:


> Fools rush in but get the best seats.Well, I think the crutchshot is coming along nicely. It's been quite an involved journey with a ton of questions and five tons of opinions and replies from don't do it to do it. I've found the thread amusing and even contributed my couple cents' worth.It's good in a way the poster of the thread asked so many questions to involve and stimulate the forum's digestive juices but were it me I'd just make the sucker and be done with it, perhaps post it perhaps not. Some here act like it's a field artillery piece and has to be made of space age NASA titanium alloys to be "safe" and some like me realize it is just a freeking slingshot and basically a toy and not to worry about it. There are a lot of male soccer moms here in my humble opinion who constantly worry about the nth degree of safety first. I say shoot the thing and have fun. BE DANGEROUS, IT'S MORE FUN. The best things in life are either regulated or illegal, i.e. alcohol, tobacco and fire arms...case in point. (I'll go back on tobacco, it is insane)The video that Pult posted proves that crutchshots are a viable idea. It also displays the power of a starship over the power of an ordinary slingshot. I don't see why the hunters and preppers don't go for starships. Hitting a squirrel only in the head to kill it with an ordinary slingshot as opposed to just about anywhere with a starship makes my point. The idea is to kill an animal and eat it...you stand much more chance with a starship than a regular frame...it makes no diff if you have a head shot or a chest shot with a starship given ample bands and correct ammo.


I am loving your input chuck
I have taken the German artillery route with this one.
Since starting this thread I have made some upgrades, I'll post up later tonight some crutch pòrn updates, uhhhhhhhh


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## FixItDuck

Here is the list of changes
1) IKEA style furniture screw. Bands less likely to get tangled on

2) got a leather belt hole puncher ,as the leather was shearing where I had made a jaged cut.


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## lunasling

Those belt hole punchers are a life saver i use mine all the time for pouches and stuff .

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


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## FixItDuck

3+4) I replaced steel plate with an aluminium tube for end bit. To make it lighter.and put on tube rubber as the flat bands where not lasting any length
5) I shortened the crutch, by cutting off the slight angled tube of aluminium, in effect making the slingshot a strieght tube.
6) I removed excessive nuts and bolts, it was an over kill that added too much weight.


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## FixItDuck

Next is the paint job. I am thinking almost all guns are black. So I'll paint this piece of artillery black also


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## Viper010

Looks a hoot to shoot. How's it workin for ya?


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## FixItDuck

I find it OK to shoot. My office at work overlooks a forest type scene. So I bang off a few shots between jobs or when on the phone.
I have graduated from harricot beans to soya beans which are more uniformly round.
No return to sender shots.
Some times the beans explode as they are ejected!
Definitely faster than my normal sling shot


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## pult421

Chuck Daehler said:


> Fools rush in but get the best seats.
> 
> Well, I think the crutchshot is coming along nicely. It's been quite an involved journey with a ton of questions and five tons of opinions and replies from don't do it to do it. I've found the thread amusing and even contributed my couple cents' worth.
> 
> It's good in a way the poster of the thread asked so many questions to involve and stimulate the forum's digestive juices but were it me I'd just make the sucker and be done with it, perhaps post it perhaps not. Some here act like it's a field artillery piece and has to be made of space age NASA titanium alloys to be "safe" and some like me realize it is just a freeking slingshot and basically a toy and not to worry about it. There are a lot of male soccer moms here in my humble opinion who constantly worry about the nth degree of safety first. I say shoot the thing and have fun. BE DANGEROUS, IT'S MORE FUN. The best things in life are either regulated or illegal, i.e. alcohol, tobacco and fire arms...case in point. (I'll go back on tobacco, it is insane)
> 
> The video that Pult posted proves that crutchshots are a viable idea. It also displays the power of a starship over the power of an ordinary slingshot. I don't see why the hunters and preppers don't go for starships. Hitting a squirrel only in the head to kill it with an ordinary slingshot as opposed to just about anywhere with a starship makes my point. The idea is to kill an animal and eat it...you stand much more chance with a starship than a regular frame...it makes no diff if you have a head shot or a chest shot with a starship given ample bands and correct ammo.
> 
> There is a blowgun forum sister site to this one...just for kicks...


 man.. Chucks post are always informative and very understanding. For the record. I posted porcupines video  dont wanna steal his thundahhh


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## Chuck Daehler

Actually I try to instill a little humor with some of my posts... hope none take offense...were we at a campfire enjoying a bottle JD together, face to face humor is understandable whereas text humor often gets misread in black and white.

Your fork appears rotational which is OK, rotational forks however are found on ordinary hand held frames to help align things at right angles to the target each shot...given the bands are EXACTLY the same pull strength, otherwise the forks misalign slanchwise. (is that a word?) and defeat the purpose of a rotational fork.

All in all I think you'll be very pleased with your project and encourage you to devise more crutch recycling banded launchers. Aluminum is malleable enough that you can detect warped and fatigued metal before it fails or breaks to do apt repairs/replacements so I don't see any danger in using aluminum tubing especially crutch tubing which is designed to withstand a lot of weight and stress (check the body weight of some using them).

Paint doesn't like to stick to aluminum, actually you'd be painting sapphire. Aluminum oxidized IMMEDIATELY rendering a surface of clear aluminum oxide, aka sapphire (check the chemical composition of sapphire). Anodizing just makes this oxidation layer thicker. Once Al oxidizes in the air, the oxide, unlike iron oxide, provides a barrier for further oxidation...a self protection mechanism.

I wouldn't paint it and expect the paint to last long..the slightest abrasion will peel it off if you use ordinary spray can stuff. If you sand the aluminum to scuff it up before painting with 150 grit and make all the scratch lines parallel, like a brush finish, and use a primer designed to stick on aluminum, you might find better results. The metal has to be absolutely clean before painting, not one fingerprint...so it's best to use gloves. Powder coating aluminum is the way to go but I doubt you'd want to invest that much for just a prototype. A plastic fine powder is sprayed onto metal... it's a colloid actually with a liquid that evaporates leaving the plastic powder on the surface. Then the piece is put in an oven to melt the plastic to coat the metal thoroughly. The plastic can be peeled off however, it's not "forever". NASA uses powder coatings on much of it's space projects made of aluminum alloys and titanium alloys (titanium is another readily oxidized metal but like aluminum, it makes a protective barrier to prevent further oxidation).

I am eager to see this smack down rubber rifle on video shoting... you would be surprised on the lethality of it. I'd love to see a vid with it banded with 20mm - 25mm TBG flats... a sniper machine... and if you really wanna get mean, try 25mm tapered to 19mm - 18mm with 10mm steel or lead.

The adjustable feature lets you adjust the power too and telescopes into a smaller package too. Thumbs up for your experimentation...but you'll find slingshot experiments never end...that's part of the gold in the sport.


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## Viper010

To paint aluminum and make it stick you need to use a special etching primer.

You could also try sand blasting and hydro dipping. 2-3 top coats of semi gloss spray lacquer should improve durability of the finish.


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## PorcupineQuill

FixItDuck said:


> I find it OK to shoot. My office at work overlooks a forest type scene. So I bang off a few shots between jobs or when on the phone.
> I have graduated from harricot beans to soya beans which are more uniformly round.
> No return to sender shots.
> Some times the beans explode as they are ejected!
> Definitely faster than my normal slingshot


So how long did it take you to make it? Was it expensive?


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## FixItDuck

Like chuck said, I spent too long thinking about it. The process of making was easy enough.I spent about 3hrs . research and design , ie sitting on my ass reading this stuff : hourssss
If I was to donit again it would be a lot quicker.

Costs
Crutches: free, loads of people have unused crutches at home

Metal plates 3 euros and hook bolts 4euros ,Euros. I only used the bolts in the end, as I replaced the stainless heavy plate at the end with a piece of crutch tubing,as it cuts the rubber less.

I got 10 meters of rubber tubbing, 8 Euros

Soya beans and ball bearings 6 Euros

I spent most of the money on ammo and bands

Tools needed, metal saw, pliers or ratchet set.
My only suggestion is , it would be better shorter, I find it hard though to cut it down, cause I am gready


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## PorcupineQuill

Cool, did you drill any holes? you're lucky you got them for free, those forearm crutches are pretty expensive. Is that a rotating fork?


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## bigdh2000

Interesting post to follow. Crutches can be used very effectively. YoullShootYourEyeOut (Matt) has some outstanding designs that he is very effective with that you can look through for ideas.


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## yelper4

Wonder how this could be adapted to a slingbow?


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## bigdh2000

yelper4 said:


> Wonder how this could be adapted to a slingbow?


It already has been. However, be very careful which one you try.


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