# A fork for Q



## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

I'm honoured to have a trade with Quercusuber. My end is already arrived. His end is in the making. Here's the beginning.


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## Clever Moniker (May 12, 2013)

What did you get from Q!?!?


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## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

Clever Moniker said:


> What did you get from Q!?!?


I'm the happy warden for this wonderful piece: http://slingshotforum.com/topic/28266-quercus-robur-natural-slingshot-minhota/?hl=minhota


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## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

Rough cutting the fork front and back with the axe and rasp to achieve equal thickness, slope and breadth:


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## Mister Magpie (Apr 10, 2013)

Looks like you have got a fine start and I am sure you will come up with a masterpiece. I love those high-tech tools that you use! 

Darren


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## TSM (Oct 8, 2013)

Alright, you've got my attention. What's next? What's next? Also, +1 on the hand tools. No school like the old school.


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

Wow! Nice hand tools! I love your axe, I use a Chinese meat cleaver for my rough work ????


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## Quercusuber (Nov 10, 2011)

My goodness!!!!

Even with some bark on, one can tell that is going to be a GREAT slingshot!!!

It is indeed a promising fork, and in your SKILLED hands it's going to be a blast!!! 

I just hope my "Minhota" will make justice to this one!!!

I've just came back from my family village Christmas festivities, only to depart tomorrow or Saturday for the New Year celebration ...had to take a peek, of course!!! 

Many Greetings Matthias!!!

Q


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Wow..... can't wait for the finished ones!


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## mr. green (Nov 3, 2012)

Can't wait to see the finished product. Please keep us posted.


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

I asked Matt what kind of Hatchet is the pics... he give me the details of brand and model name... after seeing this video I'm blown out wow....


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## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

Thank you guys for your interest. I will refrain from answering each post and instead post updates and progress.

So here's the next steps: Shortening the forks and narrowing the sides plus sketching out a general idea of the shape.


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## Quercusuber (Nov 10, 2011)

WOW!!!! :shocked:

Awesome work so far, my friend!!!

My way of making a slingshot is indeed very similar to yours!! I'm working now at a Quercus rotundifolia very seasoned fork, that I've found on my uncle's fireplace, on Christmas eve. This one was save from being a piece of charcoal!! 

Keep updating this tutorial!!! It's EXCELENT!!!

Cheers ...Q


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## Mr.Teh (Feb 28, 2012)

A good start for a great slingshot, have fun at your exchange with Quercusuber :thumbsup:


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## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

Well. I continued to rough shape the fork today. First I cut out the handle / fork area with a saw and straightened the bottom area of the fork with a rasp:



















Then I proceeded to hollow out the fork backside and bottom with a halfround rasp.



















Finally I egalized the curvature of the fork plate's backside. That's it for today.



















Next is the handle. My overall plan is to combine elements of "Maxwell's" fork with "Corkscrew Hazel's" handle. It will be a hammer grip style slingshot, shot OTT, with a low but rather wide fork, hopefully retaining some impression of the strength and vigour that characterized the raw fork.

Cheers, M.


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## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

As it turns out, it wasn't it for today 

Here's roughing out and marking the shape of the handle (the striated area will be cut away):


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## Quercusuber (Nov 10, 2011)

matthiasdaues said:


> As it turns out, it wasn't it for today
> 
> Here's roughing out and marking the shape of the handle (the striated area will be cut away):


 :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:

Cheers ...Q


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

wow thats a nice one cant wait for the update

cheers and happy partying


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## Bob Fionda (Apr 6, 2011)

Great work and love the work in progress shown.


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## Mr.Teh (Feb 28, 2012)

Thanks for this "making" photos, it is very interesting to follow your work steps !


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

Thank you Matthias for this step by step build log. Very interesting indeed.


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## flicks (Feb 16, 2013)

Looks great so far! Very impressive work and interesting step by step pics Matthias!


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## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

ok, friends, here we go from rough to half done. First - Cutting away the striated area:




























Second - shaping the transition from handle to fork:



















Third - switching from rasp to sandpaper and giving the fork tips and fork base the final shape:



















This is the current status:



















Next: Finding a proper shape for the base of the handle, applying saw and rasp and then sanding it once more with 120 grit till all bite marks have vanished. Thanks for watching. Cheers, M.


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## Quercusuber (Nov 10, 2011)

Das ist verrückt! :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
Einfach genial ... Ich liebe diese konkaven Oberflächen!
Arbeit des Monats!
Danke, mein Freund!


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## Mr.Teh (Feb 28, 2012)

I have no words :shocked: !!


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## HP Slingshots (Jun 12, 2013)

seing that transformation is incredible, amazing job 

-Epic


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## Mrs. Clever Moniker (Nov 3, 2013)

Love watching the evolution from chunk of wood to work of art


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## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

A Happy New Year to you all. Here's the handle shaped and sawed-off, all parts now preliminarily sanded to 120 grit. Next is tedious sanding and sanding and so on.


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## Y+shooter (Sep 10, 2013)

Wow! that looks so good....


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## Quercusuber (Nov 10, 2011)

matthiasdaues said:


> A Happy New Year to you all. Here's the handle shaped and sawed-off, all parts now preliminarily sanded to 120 grit. Next is tedious sanding and sanding and so on.


My dear friend!!!!

...what can I say??? ...I don't even know where to begin...

This is a FANTASTIC work. The only thing that puzzles me is what I ever done to deserve this piece of ART!!! 

My slingshot near to this one, makes a pale image. THANK YOU so much for your generosity!!

People here in this forum really excel in gratitude and comradeship ...If only other places in the world could mimic this behaviour!!

Of course, a great 2014 to you and yours!!!

Cheers ...Q


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

Wow!! What a beauty!! That is some amazing curves and shape ????????


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## Dr J (Apr 22, 2013)

Outstanding work! I just love those tools. Well done.


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## tradspirit (Jul 23, 2012)

Creativity and talent beyond reproach! Beautiful workmanship!!


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## Sharker (Sep 15, 2013)

Very interesting to watch how you made it , thank you for sharing!


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## alfshooter (May 11, 2011)

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: , que paciencia tienes amigo , excelente .

:wave: ....Alf


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## TSM (Oct 8, 2013)

I love this! What a work of art! You really are quite talented, sir.


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## Mrs. Clever Moniker (Nov 3, 2013)

Oh the sanding, and sanding, and more sanding  It just gets more beautiful every time I check this thread  I am very excited to see the end product


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## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

A package with fresh sandpaper arrived this morning and I was able to take her up to 2000 grit (dry sanding and cleaning often, as Q recommended). She's mirror smooth - apart from the one or other blemish I can't help but seeing even after sanding over them obsessively. So here she is, soaking up camellia oil:










And here's the the "Fork for Q" finished:


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## the gaffer (Apr 15, 2012)

Wow that looks brilliant some work gone into that what's the asking price on one of those


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## AnTrAxX (Jul 18, 2012)

What a beautiful result!

Congratulations


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

Jeez---And here I used to think those projects just jumped from raw fork to completed in half an hour. HA,HA,HA!!! Seriously... That's high-quality wood sculpture that most four year fine arts college degree holders couldn't pull off if their lives depended on it.

Out of personal curiosity... When you do a project like that---do you just get the idea and the vision in your head and then start working on the wood, or do you do drawings and maybe a mock-up in artist's modeling clay before you start working on the wood?


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## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

Lacumo said:


> Jeez---And here I used to think those projects just jumped from raw fork to completed in half an hour. HA,HA,HA!!! Seriously... That's high-quality wood sculpture that most four year fine arts college degree holders couldn't pull off if their lives depended on it.
> 
> Out of personal curiosity... When you do a project like that---do you just get the idea and the vision in your head and then start working on the wood, or do you do drawings and maybe a mock-up in artist's modeling clay before you start working on the wood?


No mockups, Sometimes drawings. But mostly I'm doggedly following what the wood and my imagination (fed by what I have seen on display here and at the other forum that shall not be named  ) can agree on to be generally possible. What gets made is somewhat restrained by ability and tools available. I'm in total control over what the thing will look like only after 220 grit sanding, when the grain really begins to show.

Thank you for your appreciation. It is very much appreciated in return. Cheers, M.


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## Quercusuber (Nov 10, 2011)

Well....

...what I can say about this...

The only blemish that this B E A U T I F U L piece will have on its surface will be my hands grabbing it!!!

Sir, without being partial at all, consider yourself being nominated to the next SOTM... I hereby declare it!!!

Its not the beauty of the slingshot, the functionality of its design, the smoothness of its finish ...

...It's the fact that you had all this labour for a person you hardly know, for a distant friend 

You fill me with proud and joy, as many others did in past or recent trades. But let me add that this one SURPRISED ME a lot!!!!! I'm OVERWHELMED!!!

I don't have more words to say....FANTASTIC!!!

Cheers ...Q


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## alfshooter (May 11, 2011)

Very good Master, you did it again, with all exquisite work.

:wave: ..... Alf


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

matthiasdaues said:


> No mockups, Sometimes drawings. But mostly I'm doggedly following what the wood and my imagination...can agree on


I have to tip my hat to you. I haven't done any wood sculpture since I was one of those studio art college students (and my kids are now 25 years out of college, so it's been a long time), but tackling a project like this without drawings and a clay mock-up is hard for me to comprehend. The sculptures that you, Bob Fionda and a couple other natural fork sculptors here create are inspiring. I may hack up a fat natural fork this year and see what happens. If it doesn't end up resembling a slingshot, it can always go into the wood stove next fall...


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## Mr.Teh (Feb 28, 2012)

WOW awesome design and execution, looks so beautiful this slingshot,

Q will be very happy, a nice evening yet mr.teh :wave:


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## Alexdermietzel97 (Oct 30, 2013)

Looking good mate. Looks like it would melt into my hands.


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## Stretch (Jan 8, 2012)

Fantastic! Great concept. Wonderful execution. Fine Art.


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## rockslinger (Nov 16, 2010)

Fantastic job MD!


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## Tyranta (Oct 30, 2013)

This is an absolutely gorgeous display of amazing craftsmanship!


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## Y+shooter (Sep 10, 2013)

I wish I was Q right about now. Beautiful work...


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## matthiasdaues (Aug 16, 2013)

Dear friends, thank you so much for your feedback, encouragement, and sustained interest in this little project of mine. Should any of you care for more imagery than this already rather pic heavy thread has on display, here's a google+ gallery with all shots I took at the several stages of completing the work: http://goo.gl/KRSGAw

It was a pleasure making and sharing the progress and I hope to do it again soon.

Best regards to you from an unseasonably warm Cologne,

Matthias :wave:


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## f00by (May 18, 2010)

Jawdropping Mattias! That is sculpture.You have an amazing eye. Cannot wait to see more from you.


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## Mr.Teh (Feb 28, 2012)

Awesome pictures in your goog..-gallery, a nice play with the camera, thank you !


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