# Your perfect natural,Your input please gents



## marcus sr (Jun 5, 2011)

the slingshot forum recently celebrated their 3000 member (congrats),and i noticed there were a lot of members without slingshots who had entered or were lacking experience in the making of one.could you please detail your own personal set up you would make if you had access to any brand of bands, pouches,any species of tree.i think this would give a newbie an excellent heads up to get started in this hobby /sport loved by many on here.no commercial or board cuts,just a fork straight from a tree,and your choice of bands and pouches.before you detail please state weather this a hunter set up or a target slingshot.mine is to follow-

Target

blackthorn fork,bark on,thorns removed,sanded,oiled and waxed
single tb gold attached to forks with red posty bands
rayshot pouch attached with thin strips of tbgold

cheers all

marcus sr


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

I wouldn't call this the perfect slingshot, but it is perfectly easy for a beginner.

Whatever hardwood fork is available (I prefer Tamarind)
Alliance Sterling #107 rubber bands for power
#64 rubber bands to tie the bands to the forks
Performance Catapults pouch

This makes a good all around slingshot suitable for target, plinking and small game hunting. It has enough power to penetrate a steel tuna can with 3/8 (9.4mm) lead balls.

Some tips.

The ends of the forks, including the last inch or so should be as smooth as you can make them with no sharp edges.
If you want a slinghot in a hurry, cut two forks and make the first one from green wood, so you can shoot while the other is drying.
You don't need to cut grooves in the forks unless you are using string to tie the bands on. I never cut grooves on naturals.


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## marcus sr (Jun 5, 2011)

excellent answer to get the ball rolling,cheers henry


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

- Red Oak or Maple fork, I like different woods though.
- Larger in size
- Polyurethane or super glue finish
- Giaiam blue bands, thera gold coming in second.
- Performance Catapults pouch.


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## flippinout (Jul 16, 2010)

-Oak or Dogwood fork
-just about any band except chains(sorry, I just don't like the way they pull)
-Rayshot/SuperSure Pouch
-Danish oil finish

Keep it simple and pay close attention to how it feels in your hand as you are crafting it. I also like to band it up and shoot it several times during the process to see how it shoots as I go.


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## marcus sr (Jun 5, 2011)

superb answers so far guys


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## Jacktrevally (Feb 14, 2011)

From my side of the world,

Guava, Tamarind and mangrove wood.

Cut, immediately debarked with glass shards. No polishing with sand paper, only scraped with a knife or glass shards.

Heat over a pit fire and use wires to get the form right. Smear with sump oil and re-heat, leave to cool.

No varnish, only motor oil or candle wax polish with warm steel wool.

1hr job and it las for years.

Rig with 2mm leather with double square bands using the simple african attachment.


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## cgriffs (Aug 7, 2011)

*Uses:* multiple-- versatile; fun target/plinking/small game shooter
*Woods*(any of these)*:* beech, oak, pine, maple are what I'm able to find in my area
*Elastic:*
tubes!: 1842 tubes, 2040 for BBs or lighter pull (4-strand through hole, Alliance Sterling #32 rubber for pouch ties)
bands: Alliance Sterling #107 bands, Alliance Sterling #64 for BBs or lighter pull (attached to fork with #32 or #64 and to pouch with #32)
*Pouches:* Rayshot's 1/2" magnetic pouch for BBs, 5/8" magnetic pouch for 1/4-3/8" steel shot, 3/4" pouch with 5/16" center hole for 1/2" steel, lead shot, big ol' marbles, etc
*My preferred tools/materials for making naturals: *hand saw for cutting forks*, *sharp knife for debarking, rat tail hand file(s) for shaping, coarse through fine grits of sandpaper for smoothing, oven for drying, polyurethane for finishing, two hands and some creativity (you can get power tools if you'd like such as a Dremel, jigsaw, and whatever else! have fun with it-- there's no wrong way to make them)
*Ammo Sources: *Trumark (5/16" steel, 3/8" steel, 1/2" white marbles at great bulk prices), TrulyTexas (1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 1/2" steel at good bulk prices), , APlusSlingshots (scroll down: LOTS of choices; 3/8"steel, 1/2" steel, .32. cal., .36 cal. .44 cal., and .50 cal. lead at good prices)

Also, here are some self-shot pictures of Rayshot's pouches for anyone interested!

I love them.

have fun, guys









(from top to bottom: 3/4" new style pouch with 5/6" center hole & 1/2" steel shot, 5/8" original style magnetic pouch with 1/4" steel shot, and 1/2" original style magnetic pouch with BB)









(stack of pouches from Rayshot)​


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## Jacktrevally (Feb 14, 2011)

Before heating the form to form it to shape

http://postimage.org/image/1aboe9hxg/

Forgot to add linseed oil and french polish also call Shellac finish.


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## Jacktrevally (Feb 14, 2011)

Finish Guava fork

http://postimage.org/image/1ac9w90ck/

Guava wood is used for, hammer handles, axe handle, hoe handles, pick handles and there all locals will tell you that is used best for huge sledgehammer handles produce locally.

The fork look thin but a tough wood.


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

Jacktrevally said:


> Finish Guava fork
> 
> http://postimage.org/image/1ac9w90ck/
> 
> ...


Don't know where location "MRU" is, but down here we call ho handles "breasts".

Then again, I might've missed sumphin'...

: )


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## Jacktrevally (Feb 14, 2011)

I'm from Mauritius.


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## Jacktrevally (Feb 14, 2011)

p.s, did many fighting escrima sticks, fighting clubs, bats amd nunchaku with guava wood.


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

Jacktrevally said:


> I'm from Mauritius.


I'm from Adam and Eve.

: )


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

a branch from what ever I can find, stripped with a pocket knife, scraped with the back of a key,shaped only as needed with pocket knife, sanded (optional), cut grooves or drill holes, coat with poly (also optional), use what ever band material I have handy.. Chinese tubes, gum rubber flat bands, 107 rubber bands, etc.. and a scrap of leather cut into a rectangle or oval.

or skip every thing before cut groove and just attach bands to a unfinished fork..

Tools needed saw, knife, house key, file and or drill, sand paper (optional)


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## bullseyeben! (Apr 24, 2011)

Tube and band friendly I love this one.... unknown tree..., its great..


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