# Altoid Box Mutant Ninja



## Charles

I was inspired by Bill Hays' Micro Hammer:

http://slingshotforu...an-altoids-tin/

Not so much for the particular design that Bill came up with (although it is ingenious) as by the concept of a slingshot that comes apart into pieces small enough to pack into an Altoid box. Some while back, I came up with a variant of a design based on an earlier design by Dayhiker; I called my variant the Mutant Ninja.

http://slingshotforu...__fromsearch__1

That design just seems to suit me. So I had a look at it to see if it could be made to fit into an Altoid box. It was just a tad too wide in the forks, but not by much, so I rescaled it slightly so that by making it in two parts, the pieces would fit. Here is what the design looks like.









From the design, it was obvious that I could cut two pieces with enough overlap that they could be screwed together. But the separate pieces would fit into the required size. Years ago I did some modifications on a large aluminum herring skiff, and I still have some aluminum plate from that project. So I decided to use 3/16 aluminum plate for the project. The pictures below show the result.

This is the Altoid Box Mutant Ninja, complete with bands, packed into its box.










Yeah, I know ... that's not an Altoid box. But it is the exact same size, and I think it is way more cool than an Altoid box. When you open the lid, this is what you see.










Those are full length #107 bands, which I shoot in 3/4 butterfly. They do fold up into the box, but tend to force open the lid. So I used some #32 bands around the box to keep the lid closed, and for spares if I need to re-tie the bands to the frame or the pouch to the bands. Those full length #107s can be made much shorter to suit your taste. But I like shooting the longer length, and if a band breaks, there is lots of length so that I could probably just shorten both bands and keep shooting. Anyway, unpacking the box, here are the bits and pieces.










I only use 2 screws (#10, 32 tpi) to hold the pieces together, but I threw in a couple of extras in case I lose one. The washer is used just as a screwdriver ... a dime would do, or I could use my Swiss Army knife, but the washer takes up almost no room. And here is the wee beast fully assembled.










Except for the very minor difference in fork width, it is the same size as my other Mutant Ninjas, and it shoots the same way. You will note in the photos that there are holes in the fork tips. I also set it up with braided #64s.










The bands are attached with Gypsy tabs held on by small bolts and acorn nuts. These braids are 8 units per side, which allows me to shoot 3/4 butterfly. To pack everything in the box, the tabs must be removed from the frame, but that is a very quick procedure.

It was a fun project and turned out very well. My Mutant Ninjas are all quite compact and very pocket friendly, so I guess I really did not need to make one even more compact. But the idea was challenging. I suppose it might find a place in my tool box or fishing tackle box.

If anyone is interested, I will attach a pdf of the design, sized for 8.5x11 inch paper.

Cheers ..... Charles

View attachment AltoidSizedMutantNinja.pdf


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## Knoll

Ingenious, man!


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## newconvert

Knoll said:


> Ingenious, man!


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## XxDollarBillxX

bloody nice.


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## Imperial

slingshot in an altoids tin build off ! ! ! would make a sweet contest ! nice slingshot and a nice tin with your pic on it, no confusing who it belongs to .


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## newconvert

Imperial said:


> slingshot in an altoids tin build off ! ! ! would make a sweet contest ! nice slingshot and a nice tin with your pic on it, no confusing who it belongs to .


great idea


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## NightKnight

That is great!!


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## Bill Hays

Very sweet Charles!
I've already got some ideas for the next one...


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## newconvert

Bill Hays said:


> Very sweet Charles!
> I've already got some ideas for the next one...


C.O.M.P.E.T.I.T.I.O.N.


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## SuwaneeRick

This sort of thing is what makes this forum so great. Thanks guys.


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## rockslinger

That is so cool, nice work Charles!


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## Charles

Thanks for the nice comments!

Bill, I am anxious to see what you come up with.

Cheers ...... Charles


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## BIG PAPA

Nice Sir Charles...very nice.


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## Bill Hays

newconvert said:


> Very sweet Charles!
> I've already got some ideas for the next one...


C.O.M.P.E.T.I.T.I.O.N.
[/quote]

No, not at all... just fun to push the limits of what's perceived possible... whether it's in shooting, or the maximum slingshot that can be packed in an Altoids can.
I've got several really good ideas in mind... time is my main limiting factor!


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## Charles

I agree, Bill. No competition on my part. It is just a challenge to think "inside the Altoids box"!

Cheers ....... Charles


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## Jim Williams

Very cool Charles! I love that concept!


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## Imperial

hows about the mini tin ? got to make a set.


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## linuxmail

We are on the same page charles, only I was thinking of a slot in the frame, the the forks would fit into. Not like Bill's, more like yours, I will try to post my sketch tonight.

Brian


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## tomshot123

Do you mind if I take this design and make my own (not for sales purposes) please?







it is one of the most ingenious slingshot ideas there are!
Tom


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## Devoman

Very fun! It sure will be interesting to see what fits "inside the box." Good work Charles!


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## tomshot123

Maybe you could get a few bearings in there aswell?








Tom


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## Charles

tomshot123 said:


> Do you mind if I take this design and make my own (not for sales purposes) please?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> it is one of the most ingenious slingshot ideas there are!
> Tom


I do not mind at all. That is why it is posted in the "shared design" forum, and why I posted the pdf of the design. Have fun with it!

Cheers ..... Charles


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## Charles

tomshot123 said:


> Maybe you could get a few bearings in there aswell?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tom


Certainly you could. There is actually a lot of room in the box. The bands do not fold in a convenient way and tend to spring apart; that is why I rubberbanded the outside of the box. But there is still room inside for other stuff. However, you cannot store a lot of ammo in there, and I figure I can always pick up some stones for ammo, so there is no real need to store ammo in the box. If I were thinking of a survival tool, I would be more inclined to include a razor blade, some fishing line and a couple of hooks. But we are all different, and others might prefer to put some ammo in the box.

Cheers .... Charles


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## JLS:Survival

Charles you always seem to amaze me, very nice idea!, Question: how did you thread the aluminum in order to accept the two screws? Do you think this could be achieved with a nut and bolt


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## JLS:Survival

oh and by the way that tin is much more cooler


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## Charles

JLS:Survival said:


> Charles you always seem to amaze me, very nice idea!, Question: how did you thread the aluminum in order to accept the two screws? Do you think this could be achieved with a nut and bolt


I just used a standard tap for #10-32 ... Mine are in a set, but you can probably pick up a single tap at a hardware store. In a pinch, take a Dremel with a small abrasive tool and cut a couple of longitudinal slots down the length of a #10-32 bolt and use that as a tap. Aluminum is quite soft, and even a mild steel bolt will cut threads in it. If you really need more info, just ask. I can look up the exact size of drill to use for 75% threads. I used 32 tpi because the aluminum is only 3/16 inches thick, and you want as many threads as possible to keep everything secure. Using 32 tpi in 3/16 stock gives 6 threads, which should be ample.

And of course you are right ... you could just use a couple of nuts and bolts to secure the two pieces together if you did not want to bother threading the one side. I just thought it would be more compact and look better if I did without the nuts. But to make it secure, be sure to use two bolts; if you just use one bolt, the two pieces can swivel.

Cheers ....... Charles


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## Sharkman

Wow Charles. Amazing is an over used word in this day and age but it's the only word I can think of to discribe this.


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## JLS:Survival

Charles said:


> Charles you always seem to amaze me, very nice idea!, Question: how did you thread the aluminum in order to accept the two screws? Do you think this could be achieved with a nut and bolt


I just used a standard tap for #10-32 ... Mine are in a set, but you can probably pick up a single tap at a hardware store. In a pinch, take a Dremel with a small abrasive tool and cut a couple of longitudinal slots down the length of a #10-32 bolt and use that as a tap. Aluminum is quite soft, and even a mild steel bolt will cut threads in it. If you really need more info, just ask. I can look up the exact size of drill to use for 75% threads. I used 32 tpi because the aluminum is only 3/16 inches thick, and you want as many threads as possible to keep everything secure. Using 32 tpi in 3/16 stock gives 6 threads, which should be ample.

And of course you are right ... you could just use a couple of nuts and bolts to secure the two pieces together if you did not want to bother threading the one side. I just thought it would be more compact and look better if I did without the nuts. But to make it secure, be sure to use two bolts; if you just use one bolt, the two pieces can swivel.

Cheers ....... Charles
[/quote]

Thank you very much for the info!!


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## lightleak

Very very cool and smart idea and design.

ll.


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