# Small Natural Build-off



## Winnie

The Prize:

A Jorge Sprave Cougar frame.

The Contest:

Build a small natural made from a "shrub". By shrub I mean something that is not a tree. In the Pacific Northwest we have Salal, Laral, Huckleberry, Boxwood etc.. Check out your neighbors yard and see what they're growing . 

The contest was inspired by Charles' recent "Wee Wishbone" posting. His Wee Wishbone is a nice example of the type of slingshot I am thinking of.

The intent is that it not be a large piece cut way down. No laminations or inlays. Just a nice basic slingshot small enough to fit in the hand and pocket. You know how a nice natural has an organic feel to it? Judging will be subjective.

It would be nice to have a before and after picture.

The Deadline:

Thursday April 11th at Midnight Pacific Standard Time

Good Luck.


----------



## BC-Slinger

Hmm this competition sounds tailored to my brother and my style. We are gonna hunt for a good candidate and start right away. :naughty: This is a great idea winnie thanks for sparking intrest in the old naturals. :thumbsup:

Cheers BC-Slinger


----------



## Btoon84

nice of ya winnie!


----------



## Charles

This sounds like a great contest ... should motivate some of us to get out and about, now that spring is on its way. And thanks for the compliment on my Wee Wishbone. I will have to see what I can find to make something similar.

Cheers ...... Charles


----------



## Imperial

aww damm, all we have here in he!! is cactus, tumbleweeds and sand . :iono:


----------



## Winnie

I'm looking forward to seeing them. I've made a number of this type of slingshot through the years. I always enjoy shooting them but invariably someone will admire it and try it and then I end up giving it away. It's that "organic" feel that they have. People seem to really be attracted to the smooth, flowing lines of this type of slingshot.


----------



## Shawn Feltman

spring may be here but it still snowing here but this sounds like it's my kinda contest im in


----------



## Henry the Hermit

Imperial said:


> aww damm, all we have here in he!! is cactus, tumbleweeds and sand . :iono:


Well, he did say "not a tree". Plywood is not a tree. :rofl:


----------



## Charles

Henry in Panama said:


> Imperial said:
> 
> 
> 
> aww damm, all we have here in he!! is cactus, tumbleweeds and sand . :iono:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, he did say "not a tree". Plywood is not a tree. :rofl:
Click to expand...

The plywood shrub is a low growing, bushy plant, frequently found on waste ground in urban areas .... The leaves are microscopic and very difficult to detect. The stem is large and flat, and frequently becomes detached from the roots. Because it seems most often to have very regular geometric shapes with straight sides, there is some speculation that its growth pattern may be influenced by some internal crystalline structure.

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## Crac

How many entries are we allowed?


----------



## Winnie

Enter as many times as you like. All I ask is that the slingshot(s) be made during the next couple of weeks.


----------



## Imperial

Henry in Panama said:


> Imperial said:
> 
> 
> 
> aww damm, all we have here in he!! is cactus, tumbleweeds and sand . :iono:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, he did say "not a tree". Plywood is not a tree. :rofl:
Click to expand...









neither is metal . . . or plastic . . . or fake wood . . .


----------



## Winnie

Imperial said:


> aww damm, all we have here in he!! is cactus, tumbleweeds and sand . :iono:


I've seen some big tumbleweeds in my time.


----------



## M.J

A tumbleweed slingshot would be awesome!


----------



## Crac

Scrub and garden waste...

Here are the four starters I've collected... I have been very lucky today 

Still curious as to what is classed as a "shrub"? Who decides what is eligelable and who decides the winner.

Please comment:

1. C_forwards

2. C_red

3. C_Y

4. C_1


----------



## Winnie

Crac said:


> Scrub and garden waste...
> 
> Here are the four starters I've collected... I have been very lucky today
> 
> Still curious as to what is classed as a "shrub"? Who decides what is eligelable and who decides the winner.
> 
> Please comment:
> 
> 1. C_forwards
> 
> 2. C_red
> 
> 3. C_Y
> 
> 4. C_1


I am all powerful. I control all. But, don't worry. I am benevolent.

I will decide the winner and it will likely be subjective because I'm not looking for fancy. If you have ever made a fork from really dense, hard wood you know how great they feel. 90% of the shooting I do is with small slingshots and I've made most of them using wood from shrubs.

The point of the contest is to encourage people to go out and look at bushes/shrubs and not at trees for forks. Some of the nicest naturals I've made are made from shrubs. It's surprising how nice some of this wood is. Most are fairly slow growing and the wood tends to be dense and hard. The advantage is many slingshots made from this type of wood can be kept small because the wood is so dense.


----------



## flipgun

I believe that I will try to do this. Thanx.


----------



## M.J

Here you go, this is my new lillac bush fork that I call "Joan Jett" because it has a black heart (the "heartwood" of the fork is an older, dead branch):

























Read all about it here.

Thanks!


----------



## Charles

Nice one, MJ!

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## BC-Slinger

Just finished up this little cherry laurel harvested from my front yard shrub. Sanded it to 400 grit, linseed bathed for about an hour and finished with a beeswax mixture. Feels great in the hand. Will test out how it slings sometime tomorrow! :thumbsup:

Bush: 

Raw and unfinished:  

Linseed bathed and Beeswax finished:


----------



## M.J

That's a looker!


----------



## crapshot

a cannabis plant catapult


----------



## Winnie

They're looking good.


----------



## Winnie

I will be on vacation this next week and since I do most of my computer stuff at the office I will only be checking in sporadically. Have fun.


----------



## Shawn Feltman

the 1st pic is just cut the 2nd pic is after i worked with it for a lil bit and the 3rd is done and the last one is in my hand fits nice and feels great and it shoots very nice


----------



## BC-Slinger

Sweet fork Shawn :thumbsup: . What kind of bush did it come from. ?


----------



## Shawn Feltman

it's made from a monkey vine im not sure what kind of vine that is but we alwas called them monkey vines


----------



## rockslinger

Made this today from shaggy bark juniper bush.





























Kind of a rush job cause I wont be able to use my right hand for a couple weeks.

Shoots nice.


----------



## BC-Slinger

Great looking little natty RockSlinger. I hope more people join in on the fun, still lots of time for entrys. :thumbsup:


----------



## flicks

Thanks Winnie for this nice idea which encouraged me to make my first natural. It was a lot of fun and a new experience for me.

The shrub





  








the bush




__
flicks


__
Apr 1, 2013








the cut





  








cut




__
flicks


__
Apr 1, 2013








sanded





  








sanded




__
flicks


__
Apr 1, 2013


__
1







and the result after BLO finish





  








finish2




__
flicks


__
Apr 1, 2013











  








finish1




__
flicks


__
Apr 1, 2013








This little thing fits my hand perfectly.





  








finish3




__
flicks


__
Apr 1, 2013


----------



## BC-Slinger

Nice looker Flicks I like the curve that form fits your hand very neat. :thumbsup:


----------



## flipgun

Hello! Thanx for having this contest! I ordinarily make board cuts because I lack the patience to dry naturals. But this event directed my attention that I had been overlooking, shrubbery. My submission is made from Red Tipped Photinia.






Due to the drought many landscape settings are dieing. Because of that I was able to harvest a few from this patch of bushes.









I chose this one to work as it was the smallest.








This is how it finished out.




















Thanx Again.


----------



## BC-Slinger

Nice one Flip! Interesting wood and shape. The finish turned out great too :thumbsup:


----------



## Charles

That one is very nice, indeed, Flip. I suppose that for a fork extension, you could use it with the forks forward as well. Clever use of the materials, and the finish is very nice.

Cheers ...... Charles


----------



## flipgun

Charles said:


> That one is very nice, indeed, Flip. I suppose that for a fork extension, you could use it with the forks forward as well. Clever use of the materials, and the finish is very nice.
> 
> Cheers ...... Charles


Thank you Charles. The handle follows the curve of my hand almost perfectly, the forks are on the same line as my extended fingers and naturally tend to the front. Back tilting only a few degrees makes for a more upright presentation with no strain on the wrist .


----------



## M.J

This is turning into quite a contest!


----------



## Shawn Feltman

so this is made from monkey vine and im going to call it 2 face cuz thats kinda what it reminds me of but here it is hope you guys like it


----------



## Shawn Feltman

and id like to add that this is a very nice shooter


----------



## Charles

The colors on that look great!

I have a couple I am working on, but nothing like the colors you guys are getting.

Cheers ...... Charles


----------



## Winnie

There are some mighty fine looking slingshots in the running.

The fun thing about bushes/shrubs it you often have no idea what the wood will look like when it's completed. Also, I've found, many of these types of woods can be very tough and hard. Even though many are small they can still be loaded pretty heavy.

Hint For Finding Shrub Forks:

Your local cemetery.

Large cemeteries do a lot of pruning of their shrubbery and they invariably have an area where they dump the cuttings. I was out of town today on my motorcycle and I stopped by a cemetery and within 15 minutes I had 7 symmetrical forks of assorted woods.

Keep up the good work. This is going to be a tough one to judge.

winnie


----------



## Rayshot

flicks said:


> Thanks Winnie for this nice idea which encouraged me to make my first natural. It was a lot of fun and a new experience for me.
> 
> The shrub
> 
> the cut
> 
> sanded
> 
> and the result after BLO finish
> 
> This little thing fits my hand perfectly.


At first look. the crookedness looks like a negative but seeing it in the hand makes it a winner. Niiice!


----------



## Rayshot

flipgun said:


> Hello! Thanx for having this contest! I ordinarily make board cuts because I lack the patience to dry naturals. But this event directed my attention that I had been overlooking, shrubbery. My submission is made from Red Tipped Photinia.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 100_7298.JPG Due to the drought many landscape settings are dieing. Because of that I was able to harvest a few from this patch of bushes.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 100_7289.JPG
> 
> I chose this one to work as it was the smallest.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 100_7295.JPG
> 
> This is how it finished out.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 100_7309.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 100_7310.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 100_7313.JPG
> 
> Thanx Again.


looks good


----------



## WILD BILL

crapshot said:


> a cannabis plant catapult


Would that be a Starship or PickleFork?


----------



## WILD BILL

ALL BEAUTIFUL!


----------



## flippinout

I knew I had seen this contest mentioned somewhere and entered my piece in the wrong place: http://slingshotforum.com/topic/22380-palmetto-pickle/

My entry is made from Palmetto leaves










It is built in a Pickle fork style


----------



## Charles

I wonder if something has gone wonky with this thread?? Or maybe one of my two remaining brain cells is miss-firing again ... I was certain I had replied to the Palmetto slingshot. Anyway, I think it is very, very cool. Excellent job!

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## BC-Slinger

I belive that is from a tree Nathen. It does grow 65-92 feet tall it says on google. Sweet fork though. :thumbsup: The competition was made for small bush forks that were not to fancy. To raise awareness about how good bushes can be for a SS.

http://remarkablejourneys.net/2010/02/19/what-is-the-difference-between-a-palm-tree-and-a-palmetto-tree/

Cheers

BC-Slinger


----------



## flippinout

Thanks for that BC, I was under the impression that it was a non typical fork we were after and it was made with a pocket knife and a bit of sandpaper in about 30 minutes. My bad. Moderators, please remove my entry from this thread


----------



## BC-Slinger

Just whip together somthing from your area Nathen you are a beast when it comes to wood working. I am sure you can give us all somthing to go crazy over. :thumbsup:

Cheers

BC-Slinger


----------



## flippinout

I don't want the prize, I already have three of them. I made that fork because I recalled seeing this thread and in my clouded mind it seemed to fit the challenge. I just did not recall the specifics as it regards the rules.

Slingshots are everywhere indeed


----------



## PorkChopSling

See flippinout's almost made me want to hide mine... But, she'll be done and ready to be posted in a few days.


----------



## PorkChopSling

I was a lot more long then I thought :king: THANK YOU Winnie for this contest, you have open my slingshot building third eye, now I see forks everywhere, and it is awesome. The scrub is a pink flowered one I found in a parking lot near my house.






Here is the fork.






Here she is debarked, she has a very nice pink hue.






Here she is finished with a little knife work, and a lot of sanding from 60 to 400. And, rubbed with butchers block oil.






Here's what she looks like in my hand. She's got a great natural bend that fits the hand nicely.






Here's what she looks like with Flatband's 1/2' Linatex bands on.






Thank You again Winnie!! Hope you like Pinky.


----------



## BC-Slinger

Slick looking slinger Porkchop. :thumbsup: I would plinky that fork.

Cheers

BC-Slinger


----------



## PorkChopSling

Thanks BC!! Means a lot coming from you.


----------



## flipgun

Getting a good eye for picking forks.


----------



## Charles

Very nice job on that one, PCS. It looks like a real, all round workhorse. Never would have guessed the finished product from seeing the start photo. You did a good job.

Cheers ...... Charles


----------



## PorkChopSling

Thanks Charles!! Means a lot to me, since I love everyones work.


----------



## primitive power slingshot

i finished this mountain luarel a few months ago. last shrub of several i did. hope you like even if it doesnt qualify for contest, being made previous to start.


----------



## BC-Slinger

Great looking fork. I would wait for a response from winnie to see what he thinks.

Cheers

BC-Slinger


----------



## Charles

Love the laurel ... Interesting work on the handle.

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## primitive power slingshot

BC-Slinger said:


> Great looking fork. I would wait for a response from winnie to see what he thinks.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> BC-Slinger


oh yeah, its ok either way, just thought folks would like to see it


----------



## flipgun

"oh yeah, its ok either way, just thought folks would like to see it."

You were right. I love finger grooves. I just can't do them. Yours are very nicely done.


----------



## GHT

i really like the small shooters, have been away from wifi for a week and saw this thread last night, this morning i took a small hedgerow holly fork from my shed that i cut some time ago, and fashioned my entry to the build off, sanded with one sheet of 80 grit and one of 120, and couple of hours in the blo bath.


----------



## flipgun

I like that very much!


----------



## Charles

That is very sweet, indeed! All you guys using BLO are making me think I should try it. It sure gives lovely grain effects.

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## Dayhiker

Whoa! GHT, that's a real gem right there! I love it. :headbang:


----------



## GHT

thanks guys, looking at all the great lil shooters in the previous pages inspired me to have a go, i hope we see lots more in this thread before the 11th.


----------



## Charles

All right ... here is my first entry. I call it my Buddleja Buddy. Buddleya is a shrub common in Europe and North America, sometimes called the butterfly bush.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddleja

I was having tea with a neighbor, and I noticed the bush had a nice, small fork, so I asked if I could cut it. My neighbor agreed, so I brought the fork home. I began to remove the bark, but after one prong, I remembered to take a photo.









I removed the bark and then dried the fork with the aid of the microwave (30 second burst, let cool, repeat ... etc. until no more steam apparent). Then I cut it to size and did some light sanding and shaping. Sadly, when I removed the bark, I found there was a very deep groove between the prongs, and I was worried about strength, given that the fork is so small. So I used some epoxy putty to fill in the groove. That proved not to be the best aesthetic decision I have ever made!!! That darn epoxy putty mars the appearance in my opinion ... should have used clear epoxy mixed with sawdust. Oh, well ... I keep saying I am more into function than flash.

The prongs are only about 1/2 inch in diameter, so I dished the fork tips to help keep flat bands in place. Gypsy tabs would be another alternative. I gave it two coats of polyurethane finish. And here it is.









It is only 6 inches long, over all. The fork tips are 3 inches wide, with 2 inches clearance between them.









When I got my King Cat, I received a couple of extra sets of latex bands. So I put a set on Buddleja Buddy. The bands have a slight taper, from 1/2 inch down to 3/8 inch. Fork tip to pouch tie is about 8.5 inches. That allows me to have an easy draw length of 45-50 inches. Just for fun, I shot it over the chrony. This little sucker shoots 3/8 inch steel at 260-270 fps, and it shoots 130 grain lead ball at 210-215 fps. Now that's not too shabby, I figure. Easy to carry in the pocket, this wee beastie will take any small game you encounter.

Cheers ... Charles


----------



## Guest

I am so confused... That red tipped shrub that looks like walnut is quite beautiful.


----------



## BC-Slinger

Very nice looking Charles anything moving lead that fast will be a for sure nice little pocket hunter. Very unique style of bush to use. I have not heard of that before.

Cheers

BC-Slinger


----------



## flipgun

Looks fine from here Charles.


----------



## SHTF Slingshots

Aw snap.

Late entry but I'll see what I can do by Thursday.

Look out shrubs, here I come!


----------



## Rayshot

Slowly through the 3 years I have been shooting, my enjoyment of shooting naturals has been growing.

Here is a natural from a small Azalea bush that was at my house when I moved in 13 years ago. I was shooting from my 30 meter distance and it is right next to it. This one that I finished was from a dead shoot.

The bands on it as you may see in one of the photos is a tested band of .05 that fires a 3/8 at 220 FPS. This little guy won't suffer from small man syndrome as long as he has those bands ripping away.


----------



## BC-Slinger

Great looking fork ray this is now turning into a great competition.

Cheers

BC-Slinger


----------



## flipgun

Classic shape and took color very well. Nice.


----------



## Charles

Nice looking shooter, Ray. Is that a BLO finish?

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## Rayshot

Charles said:


> Nice looking shooter, Ray. Is that a BLO finish?
> 
> Cheers ..... Charles


My bad. I neglected mentioning the finishing of it. Stripped most of the bark and one coat of CA rubbed until dry. This way it reveals all the grain color vibrancy and leaves a satin finish.


----------



## flipgun

If I may? I should like to submit one more. This is also from that patch of drought killed Red Tipped Photinia that I pulled my first entry from. This is the raw fork.









This is how it came out.









































I banded it with double Theraband Black and my first three shots were, "Dead Rabbit".

Thanx for looking!


----------



## Charles

Another nice job ... That color is great!

Cheers ...... Charles


----------



## primitive power slingshot

you the man flipgun :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: beautiful work


----------



## The Gopher

Hey pork chop, i see you are taking aim at the Jameson! Nice slingshot.


----------



## SHTF Slingshots

Well I've got one already made, but I didn't think I'd ever really use it, so no pics of it being made :-(

But I've found a potential fork









First contest entry









Also, are hedges considered trees, or bushes?


----------



## Charles

Looks perfect for #64 rubberbands ... What are those bands?

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## SHTF Slingshots

Charles said:


> Looks perfect for #64 rubberbands ... What are those bands?
> 
> Cheers ..... Charles


I reused some fastening strips of TGB,

It's rather weak so 64s are causing some rather major flexing and the TGB strips give it an easy draw and launch bbs at some pretty formidable speeds


----------



## primitive power slingshot

Shtf Slingshots said:


> Well I've got one already made, but I didn't think I'd ever really use it, so no pics of it being made :-(
> 
> But I've found a potential fork
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> IMAG0041.jpg
> 
> First contest entry
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> IMAG0043.jpg
> 
> Also, are hedges considered trees, or bushes?


I built one just very similar to this last year when i was stuck in a hotel room for a month. shot it every night.


----------



## PorkChopSling

Hey Gopher, thank you, I just thought it would be a good background, I would never aim at a Jameson unless it was empty ;-)


----------



## Charles

This is my second entry for the Small Natural Build-off. There are several large, older houses in this area, and many of them have been converted into Condos. Last spring one such place up the street employed gardeners to do some work around the place, and they were pruning a hawthorn hedge:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_hawthorn

I sorted through some of the trimmings and came up with a decent, small fork, which has been drying since last year.









One reason hawthorn was popular for hedges is that it has nasty thorns!









Well, I cut off the thorns, stripped the bark, cut it to size and sanded it. I finished it with 3 coats of polyurethane.









I know ... there is a monotonous sameness to my little shooters!!! Anyway, I banded this one with Alliance Sterling #105s and a deer skin pouch.









The fork tips are dished to better keep the bands in place. It is 6 inches long, and 3.5 inches wide, with a 2.25 inch separation between the forks.

I took a few shots over the chony. At a 43 inch draw, it shot 3/8 inch steel at about 230 fps, and it shot 130 grain lead ball at about 200 fps. Those speeds are not as good as I was getting with the pure latex bands, but they are still quite respectable and perfectly adequate for hunting small game.

After finishing it, I noted that it has rather nice, subtle grain showing. I probably should have used BLO, but I did not want to take the time.

Cheers .... Charles


----------



## BC-Slinger

Awesome pocket hunter Charles. I just tried the dog bone style pouches out of that deer skin stuff and it is working great. You polished that one to look like a piece of Ivory great job buddy.

Cheers

BC-Slinger


----------



## Winnie

I'm really enjoying seeing what everyone is doing. I don't know how I'm going to judge them. There are some wonderful craftsmen in this crowd.
Last week I was on my motorcycle northeast of Seattle in the small town of Duval. I swung by the local cemetery and checked out their brush pile. I found 6 or 7 forks, one of which intrigued me because of the bark. I decided to make a slingshot out of it and so Saturday I microwaved it and yesterday afternoon I made a slingshot.
It can't be in the running of course but, having been inspired by what everyone is doing, I thought I'd post it just for fun.
I thought, by the leaves that it was a rhododendron but as I worked on it the wood was unlike anything I have seen before. If anyone can identify it for me I'd be grateful.

These bands will throw the 5/16 steel ball about 280fps.

Winnie


----------



## Rayshot

Winnie said:


> I'm really enjoying seeing what everyone is doing. I don't know how I'm going to judge them. There are some wonderful craftsmen in this crowd.
> Last week I was on my motorcycle northeast of Seattle in the small town of Duval. I swung by the local cemetery and checked out their brush pile. I found 6 or 7 forks, one of which intrigued me because of the bark. I decided to make a slingshot out of it and so Saturday I microwaved it and yesterday afternoon I made a slingshot.
> It can't be in the running of course but, having been inspired by what everyone is doing, I thought I'd post it just for fun.
> I thought, by the leaves that it was a rhododendron but as I worked on it the wood was unlike anything I have seen before. If anyone can identify it for me I'd be grateful.
> 
> These bands will throw the 5/16 steel ball about 280fps.
> 
> Winnie
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> small slingshot build-off 004.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> small slingshot build-off 010.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> small slingshot build-off 012.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> small slingshot build-of 001.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> small slingshot build-of 002.JPG


That is unlike anything I have seen. Especially the way the bark crevasse transitions to the line penetrating to the core.


----------



## Winnie

Rayshot, that is a perfect way to describe it, "the bark crevasse transitions to the core". It is further confounding in that the wood still has growth rings. It's hard to even imagine how it grows.


----------



## Charles

Winnie, that one is truly inspired! The bark beautifully contrasts with the whiteness of the wood, and the roughness is functional as well. You did a great job on that one.

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## BC-Slinger

That is quite the looker Winnie. :bowdown:

Cheers

BC-Slinger


----------



## GHT

Winnie, thats just beautifull, i hope you make a return trip to the source and delight us with more . i would be very interested to know the name of the wood if you ever find out.


----------



## flipgun

Very Fine!


----------



## Rayshot

Winnie said:


> Rayshot, that is a perfect way to describe it, "the bark crevasse transitions to the core". It is further confounding in that the wood still has growth rings. It's hard to even imagine how it grows.


This is in the top of naturals of all I have seen. Really fits my tastes. All the design elements compliment, highlight or reveal some other aspect of the catty. I would love to find that type of wood.


----------



## Winnie

You all are very kind. I've made a lot of slingshots from shrubs but this one was a special delight. I cut the fork thinking the bark should be retained for the handle. It wasn't until I started whittling that I began to realize what I had. If no one on the list recognizes it I will take it to the local Washington State University Agricultural Extension office and see what they say.


----------



## primitive power slingshot

winnie shes beautiful. i cant say anything more about its just awesome. i cut a forks of this exact bark and had the same look in the wood grain and i looked it up as mountain lurael.












my little lurael shooter


----------



## Winnie

primitive power slingshot said:


> winnie shes beautiful. i cant say anything more about its just awesome. i cut a forks of this exact bark and had the same look in the wood grain and i looked it up as mountain lurael.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> WP_000768.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> WP_000773.jpg my little lurael shooter
> 
> -----------------
> That's a beautiful slingshot. I really like the way you've added to the base. I bet it feels great in the hand.
> 
> I was hot on the trail of finding it myself but you beat me. I've been asking patients all day (I'm a dentist) and just before lunch one suggested that it might be "Kalmia". Kalmia latifolia is the scientific name for Mountain Laurel. I looked it up and the bark was very similar but there was no picture or description of the wood. I really appreciate the info. I need to start looking for it. It's not indigenous to Washington but it is indigenous to Alabama. Does it get large at all? The striations really add to the esthetic the wood.


----------



## primitive power slingshot

Winnie said:


> primitive power slingshot said:
> 
> 
> 
> winnie shes beautiful. i cant say anything more about its just awesome. i cut a forks of this exact bark and had the same look in the wood grain and i looked it up as mountain lurael.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> WP_000768.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> WP_000773.jpg my little lurael shooter
> 
> -----------------
> That's a beautiful slingshot. I really like the way you've added to the base. I bet it feels great in the hand.
> 
> I was hot on the trail of finding it myself but you beat me. I've been asking patients all day (I'm a dentist) and just before lunch one suggested that it might be "Kalmia". Kalmia latifolia is the scientific name for Mountain Laurel. I looked it up and the bark was very similar but there was no picture or description of the wood. I really appreciate the info. I need to start looking for it. It's not indigenous to Washington but it is indigenous to Alabama. Does it get large at all? The striations really add to the esthetic the wood.
Click to expand...

ive only found a few in alabama and they were small bushes not big enough to cut forks from. this one and the spiral cut fork i entered in this contest are both mountain laruel i cut from the north central georgia mountians while hiking a portion of the appalachain trail. and those ranged from 10 -15 ft in height. really tight and twisted bushes.


----------



## Charles

Well, the deadline for entries is coming up, and I did not quite get finished with my third entry. But I thought I would post it anyway.

Scotch broom is a terribly invasive plant. It is a very deep rooted leguminous shrub. It is not native to Vacouver Island, but is now found all over. I curse the fools that brought it here as a touch of the "old country". I fought it tooth and nail when I had my farm up island.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytisus_scoparius

Some time back I was driving out in the country and there was broom all along the road. So I stopped and cut a couple of forks. Scotch broom is multiply forked, but the forks are in general not large and do not spread very widely. I took a "before" photo, but lost it when I gibbled my camera shooting one of my Power Rangers sessions. Anyway, this is an example of another fork that I cut the same day.









I stripped the bark and all the small shoots. Then I dried it with the microwave. The fork was very narrow, so I decided to make it into a V shooter, rather than a Y. I have not yet put any finish on it, and the wood has a light green cast to it.









I call it my Wee Vee. Here it is in my hand for size comparison.









It feels quite nice, and I am anxious to band it up. But I will wait until I can put a good finish on it. Just thought I would share it with you before the end of the contest.

Cheers ...... Charles


----------



## Winnie

Very nice Charles. I am going to have to remember the V Shooter. I have never seen or considered one before. It does make a lot of sense though. I saw a fork yesterday that I might have cut if I had seen this first.
Scotch Broom is a pain in the neck when you are trying to get rid of it but I have made a number of slingshots out of it and it is a nice wood to work with. It's strong and dense, polishes up well and makes a nice slingshot.

We're coming down to the end. I've been working on a project or two to sweeten the pot a bit.
I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone has done. Good Luck.
winnie


----------



## SHTF Slingshots

Ok I'm gonna make his quick.
I am currently whipping up a slingshot made of a vine like shrub.
It's very thick and getting it off the tree it's growing up is not easy, but it's sapwood is so soft when it's fresh it'll be a breeze to shape and after a day of drying it'll be sanded.
No finish though, I can't get BLO anywhere near at a good quality for the price


----------



## Winnie

Shtf Slingshots said:


> Ok I'm gonna make his quick.
> I am currently whipping up a slingshot made of a vine like shrub.
> It's very thick and getting it off the tree it's growing up is not easy, but it's sapwood is so soft when it's fresh it'll be a breeze to shape and after a day of drying it'll be sanded.
> No finish though, I can't get BLO anywhere near at a good quality for the price
> 
> From my accounting you have 8 hours and 50 minutes. Go for it.
> winnie


----------



## SHTF Slingshots

Well I must have lost track of time.
Crud.


----------



## Shawn Feltman

well iv seen alot of very nice slingshots come out of this good luck to all who entered a slingshot


----------



## Winnie

I have made a decision. It was truly difficult. Let me begin by telling everyone how much I've enjoyed seeing everyone's effort. There are some wonderful craftsmen in this crowd.

It was hard because some were truly beautiful yet were just a little bit beyond the criteria set up.

What I ultimately did was decide that, of those that did qualify, which one would I like most to stick in my pocket and go out for an afternoon of shooting.

So, I have chosen Flipgun's Red Tipped Photinia bent shooter.

This has everything I was looking for including a beautiful piece of wood and the way it fits the hand is really neat.

I want to thank everyone for a very enjoyable couple of weeks. It has been a real pleasure seeing how you all responded to the challenge and I am hoping that those of you that did not win are pleased with the slingshots you have made for yourselves.

Again, thanks.

Now, Flipgun, if you would send my your particulars I will get your prize sent off to you asap.

winnie

PS I have another idea for a contest if anyone is interested.


----------



## SHTF Slingshots

Well done flipper, gotta love all the amazing work on the forum.
Another contest, so soon?
Well it's up to you if you want to post another contest so soon after another, I won't object.


----------



## Charles

Well done Flipper!!! Great contest, Winnie.

Personally, I find these build contests to be very interesting and stimulating. Personally, I think another would be most welcome.

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## GHT

Congrats Flipgun, and thanks for the fun idea and chance Winnie.


----------



## flicks

Congrats Flipgun and thanks for the contest Winnie. It was a lot of fun. I agree with Charles. Such contests inspire me to try new things so another one is welcome!


----------



## PorkChopSling

Congratulations Flipgun!! And, thank you very much Winnie for the contest, you totally open my world up to more possibilities. And, if you want to do another contest I'm always game.


----------



## flipgun

Winnie said:


> I have made a decision. It was truly difficult. Let me begin by telling everyone how much I've enjoyed seeing everyone's effort. There are some wonderful craftsmen in this crowd.
> 
> It was hard because some were truly beautiful yet were just a little bit beyond the criteria set up.
> 
> What I ultimately did was decide that, of those that did qualify, which one would I like most to stick in my pocket and go out for an afternoon of shooting.
> 
> So, I have chosen Flipgun's Red Tipped Photinia bent shooter.
> 
> This has everything I was looking for including a beautiful piece of wood and the way it fits the hand is really neat.
> 
> I want to thank everyone for a very enjoyable couple of weeks. It has been a real pleasure seeing how you all responded to the challenge and I am hoping that those of you that did not win are pleased with the slingshots you have made for yourselves.
> 
> Again, thanks.
> 
> Now, Flipgun, if you would send my your particulars I will get your prize sent off to you asap.
> 
> winnie
> 
> PS I have another idea for a contest if anyone is interested.


Thank you very much for choosing my shooter Winne! I really appreciate this opportunity and look forward to participating in any contest you may have. I must say that I feel like a multi-winner because I am coming out of this with 3 cool shooters that I would not have had if I had not participated. Thanx again! PM you soon!


----------

