# Natural Ring Shooter



## Henry the Hermit

I was digging through a pile of limbs that my neighbor cut off his Cashew tree and came across a fork that was quite disappointing at first glance. Further examination revealed enough meat to carve a stubby forked frame, so it went into my fork box. Today, I decided to make a ring shooter from it. Follow along as I go from raw fork to finished shooter. Here's the fork before debarking.









Here I have finished the rough shaping.









Now for some sanding.


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## Jesus Freak

Looks good so far can't wait to see it finished!


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## mckee

that should be awesome when finished!


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## Btoon84

love build logs from start. love seeing how it all came along. so far so good! can't wait to see it


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## cedar hunter

Nice so far!


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## newconvert

looks like alot of potential Henry, sturdy!, what size eye bolts will you use?


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## M.J

My next build will be a natural with rings, they're awesome!


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## Abe_Stranger

M_J said:


> My next build will be a natural with rings, they're awesome!


What size rings should one use?


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## M.J

The ones on my favorite boardcut are a little over 3/4". I'd say 3/4"-1". Use the good ones, not the ones that come four to a pack for $1.50. 2" of threads or more and epoxy them in.
Not too much epoxy or when it finishes curing you'll split the forks like one the one I gave to Philly.
Sorry again, man!


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## Henry the Hermit

newconvert said:


> looks like alot of potential Henry, sturdy!, what size eye bolts will you use?


They have a 2 inch long shank, a 1 inch OD eye, and are 3/16 inch thick.I'll show how to open the gap tomorrow.


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## newconvert

3/16" thats beefy, but you need beefy for this fork, should look great


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## Henry the Hermit

M_J said:


> The ones on my favorite boardcut are a little over 3/4". I'd say 3/4"-1". Use the good ones, not the ones that come four to a pack for $1.50. 2" of threads or more and epoxy them in.
> Not too much epoxy or when it finishes curing you'll split the forks like one the one I gave to Philly.
> Sorry again, man!


I use a drill bit that opens the hole enough that I can screw the bolt in with light finger pressure. It is very important not to put radial pressure from the inside or you can split the fork. I use a bamboo skewer to put epoxy into the holes.


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## Henry the Hermit

newconvert said:


> 3/16" thats beefy, but you need beefy for this fork, should look great


It also helps tube life. Mr. Stubby has 1/8 diameter rings and the bands sometimes break at the ring.


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## Abe_Stranger

Looks like I've found this week's project! Thanks for the tips, guys; more than helpful, as always.


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## M.J

Henry in Panama said:


> I use a drill bit that opens the hole enough that I can screw the bolt in with light finger pressure. It is very important not to put radial pressure from the inside or you can split the fork. I use a bamboo skewer to put epoxy into the holes.


That could be part of the problem, too. I drilled the holes but had to torque the eyelets down a bit.


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## newconvert

Henry in Panama said:


> 3/16" thats beefy, but you need beefy for this fork, should look great


It also helps tube life. Mr. Stubby has 1/8 diameter rings and the bands sometimes break at the ring.
[/quote]
on my bb shooter they are 1/8 also so i wrap the eyes with 107 rubber than the bands, seems to help.


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## Henry the Hermit

I'm tired of sanding, so decided to take a break and prepare the eye bolts. One nice thing about ring shooters is that you can start shooting them as soon as the epoxy cures, and finish sand, stain, seal, etc at your leisure. It also allows more shaping if you find you need a slightly different shape after shooting it, without worry about messing up the finish.

Here are the eye bolts.









I put them in the vise and open the gap with a junk knife blade and hammer.









Then I use an old screwdriver and light hammer taps to open the gap a bit more.









Here the eye bolt is ready for sanding the rough end. You want to get this part pretty smooth.









Later this afternoon, I'll post pictures of installing the eye bolts into the forks.


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## newconvert

darn henry that one old timer screwdriver, still works though, yup we also use the same method at work, just not with a knife, do you sand or polish the squared edges of the eye you just opened?


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## Dayhiker

That's gonna be a nice one.


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## Henry the Hermit

The next step is to prepare the fork by drilling the holes for the eye bolts. I start by drilling a pilot hole with my Chicago brand mini tool.









Here both pilot holes have been drilled.









Then both pilot holes are opened up with a drill bit almost exactly the same size as the eye bolts. I mark the bit to make sure the holes are deep enough.









Next I screw in the eye bolts to make sure they go as deep as I want and that they are easy to screw in. If you have to use force to screw in the bolts, you may split the fork. If they are too loose, you will need a lot of epoxy.









Next, I will show how to epoxy the eye bolts in place.


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## Henry the Hermit

newconvert said:


> darn henry that one old timer screwdriver, still works though, yup we also use the same method at work, just not with a knife, do you sand or polish the squared edges of the eye you just opened?


Yep, that screwdriver has been with me for a while. I sand the edges with crocus cloth.


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## Quercusuber

Fantastic fork!!!...but in the photo, I seem to notice some small cracks. I hope everything will be tight!!


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## Henry the Hermit

Quercusuber said:


> Fantastic fork!!!...but in the photo, I seem to notice some small cracks. I hope everything will be tight!!


I'm confident the fork is more than strong enough, but I sealed the small cracks with epoxy and will keep an eye on them. This is a very dense wood. In the morning I will pull test each fork individually at 50 pounds.


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## Henry the Hermit

OK, let's epoxy the eye bolts in place. Here's what you need, besides the prepped fork.









Start by mixing the two part epoxy. I used a plastic spoon for a container and a popsicle stick to mix. Then use a bamboo skewer to put epoxy into the holes. You don't need to fill the holes, just make sure the sides are coated all the way to the bottom.









Put a bit of epoxy on the bottom of the eye bolts and screw them into place.









Make sure the rings are properly oriented, smooth out or wipe off any excess epoxy and wait until it cures.









At this point I have a usable slingshot. I still have a lot of work to finish this one, but between shaping and sanding sessions, I can shoot the thing.


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## alfshooter

Great article Mr. Henry, is a very practical system.

Greeting .... Alf


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## Henry the Hermit

I pull tested the forks yesterday. I clamp the handle in a vise with a rag for cushioning, then attach a rope and pull with my fish scales until I hit the desired level. In this case, I tested each ring individually to 50 pounds. There is zero chance of me exceeding that level.









Spent yesterday afternoon and most of this morning shaping the fork to fit my hand. I used my camera and filmed myself shooting and found that I was leading a bit too much with the top fork, so I cut finger grooves to force me to grip it at the correct angle. I took off only enough wood to correct the fork angle and provide a comfortable grip. Most of this testing was done with a 20+ pound pull band set. This is one of the very few frames I own that I feel comfortable shooting at that power level without a lanyard.

To reinforce Dayhiker's contention that you can sand too much, I resanded the frame starting with 60 grit and working up to 240. I had originally sanded to 600 and the frame was just too slippery at higher power levels.

It is now soaking in its third coat of Teak Oil. I'll probably have pictures of the finished frame tomorrow.


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## Sean

Can hardly wait to see the finished piece!

sean


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## newconvert

she a beauty henry, i am anxious to see the finished sling


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## Btoon84

Henry, so excited to see the final product! Thank you for posting as you go. Very enjoyable to follow along. Good work sir.


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## f00by

Very cool. Great looking so far


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## Henry the Hermit

OK, here we go. Ringshooter #5 is finished, at least for the time being. If you were expecting a thing of beauty, you may be disappointed. The bark on this wood (Cashew) is very thick and quite durable, so I left a lot of it on. The finger grooves were cut for the express purpose of forcing my hand into the proper grip to align the upper fork with the lower, gangster style. I deliberately roughed up my original 600 grit sanding job because it was too smooth. The only finish is Watco Teak oil. All that aside, I can now answer the question "If I had to reduce my slingshot collection to just one, which would it be?" with a resounding "this one".









Note it is wearing my favorite 4:3 1842 tubes with a Jim Harris pouch. Visible in this picture is the epoxy with which I sealed the ends. Note the short pieces of Theraband Green tube which cover the gaps in the rings. They prevent a lot of tangling. I made the gaps a bit larger than absolutely necessary to permit using larger tubes. This is not just a slingshot. I call it a "Rubber Powered Weapons System" because with a 10 second band change it can shoot anything from .177 steel BBs to heavy lead balls producing more than 20 lb/ft of energy. I'm also working on an easily attachable adapter to shoot arrows. OK, enough gab, here's another picture, this time from the shooters view.









When I get all the bands I plan to use with this frame completed, I'll post more pictures.


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## Sean

Looks fantastic Henry. I like the finished look you gave it and thank you for the tutorial on it. I'd gone out prior to this
and bought some rings but ended up getting not the bolt flat ends, but the screw in type. Now I realize why we use what
we do, to prevent splitting.


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## Henry the Hermit

Sean said:


> Looks fantastic Henry. I like the finished look you gave it and thank you for the tutorial on it. I'd gone out prior to this
> and bought some rings but ended up getting not the bolt flat ends, but the screw in type. Now I realize why we use what
> we do, to prevent splitting.


The screw type should be all right, so long as they are long enough and the hole is large enough that you can screw them in with finger pressure. Because of the coarser threads, they will most likely need more epoxy than the bolt type.


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## Henry the Hermit

Here is the almost complete (for now) "Rubber Powered Weapons System". Still missing is the arrow adapter.

Band sets, left to right - 2040 single with short attachment loop, 4:3 pseudo-taper 1842, double 1842, 4:3 pseudo-taper Theraband Yellow, double 4:3 pseudo-taper 1842. Pull weights range from less than 5 lbs to over 22 lbs at 32 inches.

Ammo, left to right - .177 steel BB, .25 steel ball, .30 lead ball, .363 lead ball, .375 lead ball, .375 steel ball, .429 lead ball, .357 lead bullet, .495 lead ball. These range in weight from 5.3 grains up to 173 grains.

I can achieve velocities over 300 fps and power up to 20 lb/ft by mixing and matching ammo with band set. Band sets can be changed in 10 seconds.

Yep, I'm pleased!


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## newconvert

Henry in Panama said:


> Looks fantastic Henry. I like the finished look you gave it and thank you for the tutorial on it. I'd gone out prior to this
> and bought some rings but ended up getting not the bolt flat ends, but the screw in type. Now I realize why we use what
> we do, to prevent splitting.


The screw type should be all right, so long as they are long enough and the hole is large enough that you can screw them in with finger pressure. Because of the coarser threads, they will most likely need more epoxy than the bolt type.
[/quote]

my ring shooter was made with screw in type, it works just as well as long as the screws are long enough, to the the lateral pressure


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## newconvert

Henry, this is just cool congrats!


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## Elmar

I like this rustic finish and that's a ringshooter ;-)


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## Dayhiker

Great and ambitious project, Henry!


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## Sean

Yeah thanks guys I'll have to run and check what I bought, my shanks might not be long enough.


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## pop shot

You have the coolest woods down there, Henry- tamarind forks, cashew, teak. I've
Been meaning to make one of these for some time now. I like being able to change bands instantly and how there is so much wood to shape with. That one looks real nice


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## Henry the Hermit

pop shot said:


> You have the coolest woods down there, Henry- tamarind forks, cashew, teak. I've
> Been meaning to make one of these for some time now. I like being able to change bands instantly and how there is so much wood to shape with. That one looks real nice


Yes, we have some nice woods. So far my favorites are Nispero and Tamarind. Both produce very even symmetrical forks. Nispero is very dense and Tamarand is a bit easier to work but plenty sturdy enough.

Today was a red letter day. I've been making slingshots capable of producing 20 lb/ft energy for a long time, but until today the most I was ever able to get out of them was 18 lb/ft. My strong-as-an-ox 34 year old son hits 26 lb/ft with several of my creations, so I know where the problem is.







Anyway, today I added a 4:3 Theraband Red tube set to my system and proceeded to test it. At first I was disappointed, it was actually slower than the TB Yellow set. Then I recalled that up to a certain point that held true with Red and Yellow on my bent rods. So I started increasing ammo weight. I cut the eyes off some cast lead bank sinkers and finally broke the 20 lb/ft barrier with 486 grains at 140 fps for 21.12 lb/ft. I finally tired out and stopped shooting at 573 grains and 130 fps for 21.48 lb/ft.

To help put this in perspective 3/8 steel weighs about 55 grains and .50 lead about 180 grains.You would have to drive a 3/8 steel ball at 420 fps to get this level of energy.


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## harpersgrace

Great looking shooter Henry, one day I may have to get my courage up and try that type of set up..


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## Sean

Henry,
I am working on a ring shooter. I have some Chinese bands I would to try out. Is it important on this design to have the fork tips rounded? I would assume not? Thanks.

Sean


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## Btoon84

terrific job sir, i enjoyed following this post. thank you for taking the time


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## Sean

I had this tube of armor coat fast cure epoxy, just the tube applicator, and mixed it up and applied like tutorial said getting it
into the hole and on the threads. All went well but I'm just wondering how long it usually takes to "cure" and safely be able to
then shoot the slingshot? I unfortunately don't have the instructions with this particular glue anymore so just a ball park time
figurewould be o.k? Thanks.

Sean


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## Henry the Hermit

Sean said:


> Henry,
> I am working on a ring shooter. I have some Chinese bands I would to try out. Is it important on this design to have the fork tips rounded? I would assume not? Thanks.
> 
> Sean


Rounding is not necessary, but you should make sure there are no sharp edges to damage the tubes.


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## Henry the Hermit

Sean said:


> I had this tube of armor coat fast cure epoxy, just the tube applicator, and mixed it up and applied like tutorial said getting it
> into the hole and on the threads. All went well but I'm just wondering how long it usually takes to "cure" and safely be able to
> then shoot the slingshot? I unfortunately don't have the instructions with this particular glue anymore so just a ball park time
> figurewould be o.k? Thanks.
> 
> Sean


To be safe, 24 hours should be enough for just about any two part epoxy.


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## Sean

Thanks on both accounts Henry. So far it's going together well.







You did a super job on yours and thanks for the
tutorial, I've referenced it often.

Sean


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## cheese

Henry in Panama said:


> Here is the almost complete (for now) "Rubber Powered Weapons System". Still missing is the arrow adapter.
> 
> Band sets, left to right - 2040 single with short attachment loop, 4:3 pseudo-taper 1842, double 1842, 4:3 pseudo-taper Theraband Yellow, double 4:3 pseudo-taper 1842. Pull weights range from less than 5 lbs to over 22 lbs at 32 inches.
> 
> Ammo, left to right - .177 steel BB, .25 steel ball, .30 lead ball, .363 lead ball, .375 lead ball, .375 steel ball, .429 lead ball, .357 lead bullet, .495 lead ball. These range in weight from 5.3 grains up to 173 grains.
> 
> I can achieve velocities over 300 fps and power up to 20 lb/ft by mixing and matching ammo with band set. Band sets can be changed in 10 seconds.
> 
> Yep, I'm pleased!
> 
> View attachment 16233


i was expecting some really heavy bands.
nice slingshot.


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## smitty

Looks like a great slingshot!


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## Henry the Hermit

cheese said:


> i was expecting some really heavy bands.
> nice slingshot.


While I'm sure the frame could handle really heavy bands, I'm 69 years old and there is a limit to what I can pull. FWIW, when I started with slingshots almost two years ago, 16 pounds was hard to handle. I can manage 25 pounds today and still hit the target fairly regularly.


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## cheese

huh, i always thought of you as being much younger.


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## Henry the Hermit

cheese said:


> huh, i always thought of you as being much younger.


So do I. LOL


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## cheese

Henry in Panama said:


> huh, i always thought of you as being much younger.


So do I. LOL
[/quote]
at least you feel young


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## Sean

I've just finished mine, thanks Henry for the tutorial.

Sean


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## pop shot

Nice, Sean!


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## newconvert

Sean said:


> I've just finished mine, thanks Henry for the tutorial.
> 
> Sean


i envy you both, if i could just find a chubby fork to work with


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## Pelletor

Excellent Henry, thank you!

Sean did you use the same kind of 2 part epoxy on it too?


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## Sean

Thanks guys, I'm happy with it.









Yes, I used the epoxy mix in the syringe style applicator. I didn't want to chance doing much different from the tutorial for safety
reasons, so I also ended up getting the same style and brand of eyelets with the 2 inch shank, stainless steel and put it together.

sean


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## Henry the Hermit

You did a great job. I can't say enough good about the ringshooter concept. It's about all I shoot anymore. I wish I had invented it.


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## Sean

Thanks again Henry, well you did invent, if not the slingshot, "thee way" to put it all together safely! I just can't believe how easy it is
to swap out bands, Chinese style tubes with this SS.

sean


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## M.J

I have one that looks nearly identical to that except that it has some nasty looking splits in the forks. Repaired with superglue and sawdust, works fine.
Can't seem to miss with it


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## Sean

M_J, yeah I got lucky a bit finding this piece as it had already been cut and sitting for a season or so and it was
quite dry to begin with. Otherwise I'm sure I would have had to contend with filling in some cracks as well.


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## XxDollarBillxX

Looking real sweet at the moment.


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## The Gopher

very enjoyable read Henry, thank you.


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## Adirondack Kyle

Thanks Henry, very good tutorial.


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## ningaginja

How would one do this without a vise?


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## Dr J

Very interesting Henry, I have a nice chunky Guava fork that I am going to use to make one like yours. One question, the orientation of the eye hooks, I have seen some placed at right angles to the fork, and others paralell to the fork. In your experience is one method to be preferred over the other, or is it just a matter of personal preference ?


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## Henry the Hermit

Dr J said:


> Very interesting Henry, I have a nice chunky Guava fork that I am going to use to make one like yours. One question, the orientation of the eye hooks, I have seen some placed at right angles to the fork, and others paralell to the fork. In your experience is one method to be preferred over the other, or is it just a matter of personal preference ?


I orient mine as shown because it eliminates the need to dress the tubes. With the eyes perpendicular to line of sight, the tubes will tend to slip off the top of the eyes.


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## Dr J

Thank you very much, always wondered I have used them both ways but never real heard what the differences were


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## lifesucks

You inspired me to make my own natural ringshooter! It's a lot less chunky but I still owe you one for planting the seed of thought in my mind!


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## Dr J

A little further along


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## silverneedle

Perhaps when using the wood screw type eye bolts you could first drill the holes in the fork tops for the eye bolt then carefully drill a tiny hole in to the base of that hole at a right angle to it ie through the side of the fork. Blow some air through to check that the two holes are connected. Then an abundance of epoxy can be put in the eyebolt hole and on the threads and the eyebolt screwed in. The relief hole will guarantee that the fork wont split from the pressure as any excess glue will fall out. maybe rub in some saw dust to cover the hole before the glue dries.


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## Arnisador78

Very nice guys! Thank you for the tutorial Henry. I will be making one in the near future!


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## Individual

What is a "ring shooter"? o.o


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