# Slingshot Pouch Design



## mxred91

I am interested is what others think about pouch design. This is what I am currently making. Very strong weight,is 2 grams. These pouches held up to 58 pounds of tension without deformation. The leather I had been using broke between 30 and 35 pounds. Listed is a link to a full size PDF file if someone would like the template. 
http://www.4shared.c...O/ss-pouch.html










http://www.youtube.c...h?v=BNgdO4eNJfw


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## zille

Are all these holes good for adding grip or for reducing the drag?


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## mxred91

zille said:


> Are all these holes good for adding grip or for reducing the drag?


The hole are to "add lightness" (Colin Chapman quote). It also allows the pouch to flex more easily at the center.


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## ZDP-189

My first pouches were multi-perforated. Eventually I came around to simpler patterns because I didn't like the way they stretched.


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## Dayhiker

These looked so cool, I just had to make some. Thanks for posting, Red!


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## mxred91

ZDP-189 said:


> My first pouches were multi-perforated. Eventually I came around to simpler patterns because I didn't like the way they stretched.


Dan I will post an update after I have shot them in for a while. I did not see any evidence of stretching after applying 58 lbs of tension. It could be different after many shots.


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## mxred91

DH nice work, they look die cut. I am getting a S/S template laser cut at work, I will post a pic when I get it.


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## The Gopher

They do look good. my only problem is that I just shoot for fun so i am not wooried about performance all that much. I usually just use a 5/8" by 3" rectangle with holes for nad attachment. if i am feeling really artisitis i'l even trim the corners.









really though, i do like the look!


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## mxred91

The Gopher said:


> They do look good. my only problem is that I just shoot for fun so i am not wooried about performance all that much. I usually just use a 5/8" by 3" rectangle with holes for nad attachment. if i am feeling really artisitis i'l even trim the corners.
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> really though, i do like the look!


 Gopher I also am going more for something that lasts vs high performance. I recall you are a bowyer, my thoughts for a stronger pouch come from what I learned making bows. Narrow the width and reduce the strength a small amount, reduce the thickness and reduce the strength a lot. So by using slightly thicker leather (3/32" vs 1/16") I doubled the amount of tension (30 vs 58lbs) the pouch could withstand. My goal is to not have a pouch wear out or break. The extra holes reduce the weight a small amount without a noticeable decrease in strength.


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## Dayhiker

Hey Red, those first eight I made, pictured above?... I had to chuck them! This was some new leather I got recently and I never tested it. It just looked good. Well the first pouch I hooked up started tearing in the middle right away, and the pouch ripped apart after about 20 shots, darn it!









I made one today with a different leather and took it out and shot extensively with it. Worked real good. I love it. Made another just a little while ago and turned on a spotlight out back and put about 50 shots out of it -- great pouch! I am doing a trade with Frodo and I used it on his.

Thanks again for the pattern. I like it, it's really sharp.


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## dgui

Do you need a little wind resistance for the pouch to stay straight ?


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## Dayhiker

No, you just need to put you balls in.


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## Tex-Shooter

One of the main misconceptions about pouches is the more holes the less wind resistance. If you take a nice streamlined car and put anything that breaks up the air flow you increase wind resistance. That is why you have pavement spoilers and cowlings on race cars. When you fold a pouch around a good sized ball the pouches leading edge causes the most wind resistance until the ball leaves contact with the pouch. The ball actually helps to streamline the pouch arrangement until it has already left contact with the pouch. Now the multiple holes will lighten the pouch, but they also cause poor releasing action. Holes tend to hang fingers just a little and cause uneven pouch stretching. Stability is more important in pouch design for all around shooting than fine tuning the weight even though the smaller the pouch the faster a given set of bands shoots. In actual practice, the speed increase is not much as one might think though. The real trick is to make a light streamlined pouch that is stable, repeatable and can be mass produced. – Tex-Shooter


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## Dayhiker

Yes, Bill. I agree, but it just looks cool, know what I mean? There's lots of things we do to our slingshots that just look good but are unnecessary. And they are okay, as long as they don't mess up the function of the thing. Wind resistance never entered my mind because I know that the ball sits in front of the pouch and blocks the holes.
I figure this makes a lighter pouch and looks real nice and doesn't do any harm, right? So what the heck!


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## Dayhiker

This is how I make most of my pouches. I think I learned this from Baumstamm.


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## mxred91

Tex I appreciate the voice of experience weighing in on this one. I have only been at this about 5 months, so experimentation is how I am learning. My goal in adding the holes was just to reduce weight. I worked in the design of commercial ventilation for 20 years, so I realize holes would likely create more turbulence to the air stream and increase resistance. I would suspect, considering the velocities encountered, wind resistance is of little consequence. Weight would be key, but mainly I want a pouch that will last with little distortion. I never considered the possible drag on release. I did like the improved conformance of the center section, and was impressed that at 58 lbs of tension it did not deform. I would guess that an optimal solution would be to skive the center section and maintain the same strength through the entire crossection. I will shoot what I have and see how it works.


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## mxred91

Dayhiker said:


> This is how I make most of my pouches. I think I learned this from Baumstamm.


I will try one of these too. Thanks DH and Baumstamm


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## Devoman

That's what I love about this site, so much great information from so many knowledgeable people!


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## ZDP-189

Wind resistance of a pouch is negligable. Waste no time worrying over it.


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