# natural forks galore



## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

i went to my kitchen at work today and a fellow coworker had left for me a fork of apple wood. its a bit thin and still very fresh.. but strong as heck it seems..
one fork is a bit over 3/4 of an inch thick and the other is a tiny bit under 3/4 of an inch... is that too thin?

then on a side not i found a fork walking home from work.. i dont know what it is but one fork is an inch and a half and the other is an inch.. feels dry.. feels strong..

i cut the forks down to a reasonable starting point before i start to sculpt them a bit.

i hope the apple is strong enough.. its thin but feels very nice in the hand.

here is a webcam pic ( i just bought a better cam today, but i m too lazy to do all that right now)

the one on the left is the apple.. the middle is the one i found, and the one on the end is the tip of one of the forks that i cut off of the thicker middle one.. to me, i see a natural PFS lurking in there.. it has a very tiny space between the forks..
anyways.,. i got natural fever..


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

The apple looks like a great fork in the making. Looks like the one in my avatar, actually. Maybe that's why I like it.
Apple is strong and has a nice color when finished, just make sure it's dried all the way.


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

M_J said:


> The apple looks like a great fork in the making. Looks like the one in my avatar, actually. Maybe that's why I like it.
> Apple is strong and has a nice color when finished, just make sure it's dried all the way.


wait to dry it before i work on it or shoot it or both?
i have never done this before. and i have heard of drying in microwaves but not totally sure why.. i do not own a microwave. i am a cook. lol


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## strikewzen (Jun 18, 2010)

the middle one is sweet man.. you seem to be doing so much slingshot work lately it's great

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/9946-drying-naturals
in this thread wingshooter said:

Use a gallon size freezer bag. Put the slingshot into the bag and place it in the microwave with the bag sealed. I set the microwave for one minute but just watch the bag when it swells up shut the microwave off should only take 30 seconds or so. You do not want to leave it until the bag breaks. Carefully remove the bag and let the steam out. Be careful when you open the plastic bag the steam is very hot. Remove the slingshot and place it in a paper towell let it cool about five minutes. Turn the frezzer bag inside out and dry. After five minutes repeat the process. I have a grain scale so I can moniter the water loss by weight. If you do not have a scale I would say reapeat 3 to 4 times. You don't want it to dry. I have done 4 green forks this way and none of them have drying cracks in them.

and check out gamekeeper john's video 



 if you want =D have fun!!


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

thanks man. i think i am going to have to do it in the oven. no microwave.. john said in the video to let it dry on the radiator. a low heat bake in the oven will do the same... just wrap in tinfoil.. sounds good to me.
i love that idea of bending the forks for the shape.. going to go saw a fork down on the way into work tomorrow.. probably more than one.


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Can't wait to see the finished ones


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## Bob Fionda (Apr 6, 2011)

Have a good work BJ, I can't wait to see 'hem.


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## mckee (Oct 28, 2010)

nice forks


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## monoaminooxidase (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm pretty sure you will love naturals. At the start I was interested more in multiplex frames, but since i did my first natural, I've been looking for nice wood all the time.
The way you do things, you'll probably have 20 lying in your apartment in all stages of production...
Have fun with those and don't worry about the strength of the forks. If you can't break it with both hands, you won't break it pulling the bands.


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

i am going to harvets some forks before work..
i will have a bunch in no time.
i gotta throw out all the crappier wood i have been collecting this month that probably will never get used anymore.


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

i harvested 6 forks on the way to work this morning..
!!!


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

i was going through my new forks to check them out again and there is one fork that seems heavier that all the others .. and is it not the biggest one.. i do not know what any of the wood is, to be honest but my girlfriend said the heavy one was "ironwood" 
i really wouldnt know.. if i took pics or recorded a high quality video, would anyone be able to identify my different forks? i kept all of the bark on to help with identification (if that helps)

EDIT:

i thought about grabbing leaves but i grabbed so many forks and i only had my sidebag... and i had to work 8 hours afterwards... next time i will think to take leaves with forks and take them straight home.


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## rockslinger (Nov 16, 2010)

I can see some great shooters in the making!


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

aww ya!


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

i never thought my kitchen skills would help me with slingshot making.

i am baking 6 forks in the oven right now. lol
150 degrees Celsius .. i will check on them in 20


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## Faust (Apr 5, 2011)

I just throw my forks in the top of my barn for a month or so. It's so hot here they just dry out on their own that way. Never really tried the microwave or oven method. I need to go find some new forks soon though I think I'm down to just 2 unfinished in the barn.


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## tubeman (Mar 7, 2011)

lol bj000, you really have the bug bad mate. If you are anything like I was you will see forks everywhere, including in your dreams and DIY Stores, then you will become selective with time and experience, and find a style of natural that really suits you. It is a lovely learning curve


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

tubeman said:


> lol bj000, you really have the bug bad mate. If you are anything like I was you will see forks everywhere, including in your dreams and DIY Stores, then you will become selective with time and experience, and find a style of natural that really suits you. It is a lovely learning curve


oh, man i totally see everything as a fork.
i just almost finished my first natural.. just need to trim the forks and maybe some minor adjustments. i still got some forks in the oven.. i took them out earlier, but they were still wet.,


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

here , i just cut the forks.. will sand em up later.


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## tubeman (Mar 7, 2011)

bj000 said:


> lol bj000, you really have the bug bad mate. If you are anything like I was you will see forks everywhere, including in your dreams and DIY Stores, then you will become selective with time and experience, and find a style of natural that really suits you. It is a lovely learning curve


oh, man i totally see everything as a fork.
i just almost finished my first natural.. just need to trim the forks and maybe some minor adjustments. i still got some forks in the oven.. i took them out earlier, but they were still wet.,
[/quote]
I Micro mine in an 850 for 40 seconds then take them out and let them steam till cool. I then repeat this process 3 times and have had no problems with splits mate. Just to be safe cut the forks and handle about 1/2" oversize to allow for any problems.


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## strikewzen (Jun 18, 2010)

that is amazing lol are you sure you are new to this

congratulations man, envy


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

thanks so much!
i honestly never used a tool in my life until i used them on slingshots.it all came very naturally to me,. i do have 2 dimensional artistic experience that has translated well to 3 dimensions, i guess.
i do a lot of my work in my head, thinking about what i am going to do when i have time to work on them.


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## mckee (Oct 28, 2010)

Looking good bj


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## cgriffs (Aug 7, 2011)

awesome job, man









planning on trying something like this out soon

thanks for this


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

i should have one finished tomorrow. hAd A BUSY DAY AT WORK. sorry caps. i need to go to bed... its been a busy week.
i will take a video once it makes sense to do so.


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

these are a few of what i baked yesterday. i actually forgot them in the oven when i left for work. i had to call my girl and get her to get them out for me.. she had said they look ok to her.. when i got home i checked them out.. and there were some cracks.. some not so deep.. some very deep..


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Looks nice family there... middle one looks much cracked


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

e~shot said:


> Looks nice family there... middle one looks much cracked


actually that middle crack is the most superficial of all the cracks. the one far left has a scary crack in it. i think i can work it out though.. if not at least i will learn something


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

im trying again with different wood..baking some new wood.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

That one you carved is outstanding!


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

Dayhiker said:


> That one you carved is outstanding!


thank you so much!
i picked up some more forks on the way home from work.. i think they are the best.. very thick.


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

this is what i just did.
will do final touches on them both in a couple days.
tomorrow is all slingshot hat stuff.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

You are _nailing _it, dude! You definitely have a gift for the naturals.


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

i just went through all of the forks that i have drying.. they are all wrapped tight in big pieces of paper , acting like paper bags.. i checked them out and then put wood glue on all the cut ends to help with the cracking.
i have 28 forks . a variety of, birch, elm, oak, crabapple, possibly ash and a bunch of others i couldn't identify. I truly love trees like i never have before. Whenever i walk anywhere , I just stare at the trees .
I have a few that were already dry when i picked them up so I will work on them soon.
I am almost done the deadwood natural that i started weeks ago too.
i have so many on the go lol.
i also told myself and others i will be cutting out a bunch of pfs's out of the 1/2 inch hdpe this week . i plan to rough them out , give them a quick once over and send them out to some people to finish up for themselves. I cannot spend too much time on them as I wish to work on a few special customs ones for a couple members of the site. Some of you know who you are and some of you don't. I just cant wait to see your faces when you get your hands on them. I can't say enough how amazing everyone here has been to me and I doubt I will ever be able to express that to them fully. I will definitely try by making them special slingshots.
thanks again everyone.


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## Chepo69 (May 1, 2010)

Dayhiker said:


> You are _nailing _it, dude! You definitely have a gift for the naturals.


Absolutamente de acuerdo. Tiene toque bj


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## Ted (May 27, 2011)

bj, I don't have a microwave oven either, so it's either dry for a month or more indoors, or put it in the oven. I bake them at 170 degrees F for 3 or 4 minutes and then take them out, wipe them off (if there is obvious moisture on the bark) with a paper towel, and then let sit for awhile. Nowadays I like to bake them once in the morning, take them out and let them sit all day so the moisture inside can redistribute itself (like a steak resting for 5 minutes after being cooked, right?), and then bake again in the evening for 3 minutes and let it sit overnight. Repeat a few times. The first few times, when starting with a green fork, I notice when I open the oven door after the 3 minutes, that a puff of steam comes out of the oven, but after a few times baking, that doesn't happen anymore. Then I think it's dry enough to work.


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

Ted said:


> bj, I don't have a microwave oven either, so it's either dry for a month or more indoors, or put it in the oven. I bake them at 170 degrees F for 3 or 4 minutes and then take them out, wipe them off (if there is obvious moisture on the bark) with a paper towel, and then let sit for awhile. Nowadays I like to bake them once in the morning, take them out and let them sit all day so the moisture inside can redistribute itself (like a steak resting for 5 minutes after being cooked, right?), and then bake again in the evening for 3 minutes and let it sit overnight. Repeat a few times. The first few times, when starting with a green fork, I notice when I open the oven door after the 3 minutes, that a puff of steam comes out of the oven, but after a few times baking, that doesn't happen anymore. Then I think it's dry enough to work.


yeah like a steak.
i will give this a try next time with a fork that i dont have my heart set on.. i have so many forks drying at the moment and i love them all.. but next time i will pick a random fork to try the oven again.. because honestly, last time, it seemed ok, until i wanted to give it a blast at high temp, then take it out before i left for work.. well i forgot them on high, walked to work, then realized it. i had to call home and get the girlfriend to turn the oven off and take them out.. i asked her if they were ok, but she did not know what she was looking for..
i got home and saw the damages lol. I will not give up on this . i will give it another try. maybe boiling the wood first, then putting in a cold oven, bringing it up to a low temperature and trying it that way. I am convinced that there is a magic recipe in there somewhere.


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## Ted (May 27, 2011)

With a new green fork I do put it in the oven at room temperature and then turn the oven on so it's a gradual heating, then let it bake for another minute or two after the oven reaches 170 degrees - all told about 3 to 4 minutes in the oven. I figure the wood cells are expanding in the heat and there's less chance of the fork cracking if it's gradual expansion. There's nothing magical about 170 degrees; it's just the lowest temperature my oven can be set at.

To fill cracks and knot holes that have been cleaned out, I've used QuikWood epoxy putty. It does sand and even carve after drying, but I get a sense that it's not as tough as wood, although I might be wrong about this. It comes in a few different colors to match (approximately) the wood of the slingshot.


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## bigfoot (Mar 27, 2011)

Boss you are taking to this slingshot thing like a duck to water great looking naturals.


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## KennyCannon (Aug 24, 2011)

Forks are everywhere around me because of the hurricane that rolled through. I picked up 5 or 6 over the past few days. I carry a small hand saw and some gloves and just keep my eyes open as I drive.


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

bj000 said:


> here , i just cut the forks.. will sand em up later.


here it is almost finished.. just needs a bit of sanding on the tips and base. and one final touch up of poly.. then banded.. first natural just about completed.
I am making this for a local friend who i work with.. he gave me a big piece of leather for the trade.

I am just curious, but if I was not trading this and was offering it up for sale. how much would it be worth to you? I spent many hours working on it, so I know what it is worth to me but I just would like to know if it should bother selling slingshots or not.


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