# Ssshhh dont tell the wife..(or ya mum)



## bullseyeben! (Apr 24, 2011)

Was thinking back to days when as a young lad, although as much a ss enthusiest as I'm now, I used to shoot simple naturals or bent coat hanger frames.. the obvious bands for many kids of my age where the chained postie bands (the red ones), and I can still remember waiting for the postie to come every day so i could scab another handfull from him. But sometimes we simply just ran out. That's when, one day I was complaining to Dad to get me some, when he said.. " I've got a better idea,.... just dont tell ya mum!) So I watched Dad sneak into the kitchen and into the detergent cupboard only to pinch a pack of Mums un opened rubber gloves.. 
We went outside and i watched Dad cut the fingers and thumb off, essentially leaving the sleeve of the gloves left. From the sleeves he cut several rings and chained them into a band set.. 
These from memory lasted as long as rubber bands, but packed quite a punch! And with our better understanding of taper effect these days it would be too easy to cut the fork end rings thicker and thin them slightly approaching the pouch! this idea could be a emergency way to get some bands made, and more imortantly go shooting.. BUT DON'T TELL YA MUM! LOL


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## Jaxter (Jan 23, 2012)

Ha funny


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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

Lol, you should have seen the looks I used to get when I would walk into the local chemist and ask for 40 female condoms (dams).


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## bullseyeben! (Apr 24, 2011)

Lol can imagine.but hey when ya that good looking....


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## rdmiller3 (Jan 3, 2012)

Why would you cut a glove into rings when you could just cut tapered flat bands instead?


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Uses the rubber more efficiently.


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## rdmiller3 (Jan 3, 2012)

rdmiller3 said:


> Uses the rubber more efficiently.


How so?

Chained rings have dead rubber in the joints which adds unnecessary mass to the band.

Cutting the sleeve into a long strip (spiral cut) and then cutting that strip diagonally to form two tapered bands would seem more efficient to me.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

I'm talking about less waste in the cutting.


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## rdmiller3 (Jan 3, 2012)

Dayhiker said:


> I'm talking about less waste in the cutting.


So am I.

Cutting the material directly into flat bands uses more of the rubber for shooting.


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## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

rdmiller3 said:


> Uses the rubber more efficiently.


How so?

Chained rings have dead rubber in the joints which adds unnecessary mass to the band.

Cutting the sleeve into a long strip (spiral cut) and then cutting that strip diagonally to form two tapered bands would seem more efficient to me.[/quote]
I'd be very interested to see your attempt at cutting a tube of rubber into a spiral with a razor knife. The whole thing would become hamburger


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## rdmiller3 (Jan 3, 2012)

pop shot said:


> I'd be very interested to see your attempt at cutting a tube of rubber into a spiral with a razor knife. The whole thing would become hamburger


I'd use a scissors. It's not hard to do but you have to measure and mark guide lines with a straight-edge first.


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## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

Spiral straight edge? I doubt a kid would take the time to do anything but cut loops for chains. And adults would just buy rubber bands or flats


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## rdmiller3 (Jan 3, 2012)

bullseyeben! said:


> I doubt a kid would take the time to do anything but cut loops for chains. And adults would just buy rubber bands or flats


The O.P. said his _dad_ cut the gloves for him.

Chains are quick and easy but not as good as tapered flats. I'm just sayin'.


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## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

i'd venture to say that 33's in a 653 chain will hold it down against a set of flats with matched ammo. they pack quite a punch. maybe you should find ben's dad and ask him why. I'm just sayin'.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Braided chains have some advantages over linked chains, one of them being you eliminate the dead material at the knot. And tapered chains work very well, either linked or braided. If I were cutting up a latex glove, I would just cut rings and make braided chains. The rings are a bit easier to cut. And you can vary the strength of the bands and the amount of "taper" very easily by increasing or decreasing the number of loops. With straight cut tapers, once you cut it, you are pretty much stuck with it. Anyway, it was a good story.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## Jesus Freak (Dec 31, 2011)

Nice story!


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## Quercusuber (Nov 10, 2011)

_Amazing post and amazing memorys for me!!!_
_Back in those young days, we could make slings and other throwing weapons out of nothing._
_...by the way, electrician rubber gloves are also nice!







_


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

rdmiller3 said:


> I'd be very interested to see your attempt at cutting a tube of rubber into a spiral with a razor knife. The whole thing would become hamburger


I'd use a scissors. It's not hard to do but you have to measure and mark guide lines with a straight-edge first.
[/quote]

I never thought about cutting in a spiral. I think that technically you are right, RD, but as a practical matter it wouldn't be easy at all. With scissors and rubber gloves you would end up with a mess, and even after your most careful attempt the bands you cut would be extremely short lived due to breakage at small knicks on the edges of the cut. This is my opinion. I can't prove it because I wouldn't even try it.


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## bullseyeben! (Apr 24, 2011)

rdmiller3 said:


> Uses the rubber more efficiently.


How so?

Chained rings have dead rubber in the joints which adds unnecessary mass to the band.

Cutting the sleeve into a long strip (spiral cut) and then cutting that strip diagonally to form two tapered bands would seem more efficient to me.

[/quote] in theory maybe, but cutting a spriral strip with scissors...lol, id say 5 shots and snap! Too many knicks and jaggers would be formed in the bands.. and 2 layer per side at least would be need to get decent torque..so decreasing sized rings inturn are doubled, and is bet last a lot longer...


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## rdmiller3 (Jan 3, 2012)

Thanks, pop shot, Charles, Dayhiker and bullseyeben!

That's why I read this forum, to learn what I don't know. I hadn't even thought of how critical it is to have perfectly smooth edges in a single flat band.


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