# (modified) (shorter Forks And No Gypsy Tabs) Tutorial/build Log Rhododendron Natural/straight Wrist/gypsy Tabs Full Pictortial



## WILD BILL

THIS IS THE BUILD LOG FOR MY FIRST "NATURAL FORK". THE PICTURES SHOW THE PROGRESSION, FROM "RAW" FORK TO FINISHED, SLINGSHOT.

THE FORK IS FROM NORTH CAROLINA, RHODODENDRON

AFTER BARK REMOVAL, I PLACED THE FORK UNDER AND AROUND MY WOOD STOVE (WITH A GUARD) FOR 1 1/2 WEEKS. THE RHODO, THIS TIME OF YEAR IS ALREADY PRETTY DRY.

MY LEFT WRIST IS NOT SO GOOD, SO I HAVE TO SHOOT WITH A "FULL" STRAIGHT WRIST. WHEN LOOKING FOR FORKS, I SEARCHED FOR A "RECURVE" SET OF FORKS.

AFTER DRYING I BEGAN A "GRIP FIT" AND ROUGHED IN THE GRIP USING MY BELT SANDER (180 GR).

I WANTED THE FORKS PERPENDICULAR TO THE GROUND, SO I HAD A HELPER TO LOOK FROM THE SIDE AND LINE UP TH FORKS. USING THE TORPEDO LEVEL I PLUMBED AND MARKED THE FORKS WITH MY WRIST STRAIGHT AND IN SHOOTING POSITION. .

UPON FIRST LOOK, IT LOOKS LIKE I MESSED UP AND CUT THE FORK TOO SHORT. NOT!. IT IS LIKE THIS ON PURPOSE. WHEN I GRIP THE SLINGSHOT, THE FORKS ARE PERFECTLY PLUMB AND MY WRIST IS STRAIGHT.

I CUT THE FORKS ON BAND SAW AND FINAL CHECKED THE PLUMB.

I COMPLETED THE SANDING AND PLACED THE FORK IN A LINSEED SOAK FOR 3 HOURS.

AFTER THOROUGH DRYING AND RUBBING I BEGAN TO FIT AND FABRICATE THE "MODIFIED GYPSY" TABS. THE TABS WERE CUT,SOAKED IN NEETS FOOT OIL (MOISTURIZE THE LEATHER) AND READIED FOR SEWING.THEY WERE SEWN INSIDE OUT WITH SINEW (SYNTHETIC).I HAVE MENTIONED SYNTHETIC SINEW SEVERAL TIMES AND CAN'T SPEAK ENOUGH ABOUT IT. I SHOW A PICTURE OF A FULL PIECE AND A PICTURE OF A PIECE SPLIT. IT CAN BE SPLIT MANY DIFFERENT THICKNESSES. I SPLIT IT ONCE TO SEW FOR LIGHT USE, FULL FOR MEDIUM AND DOUBLED FULL, FOR HEAVY ( SHOES,BUTT COVERS (GUN),SADDLE ETC.) YOU CAN'T BREAK THIS STUFF. YOU CAN BARELY CUT IT AND IT IS SUPER LIGHT WEIGHT.BUY IT CRAFT STORE, CHEAP AND BIG ROLLS. SOME IS BETTER. THE MORE WAXIER IT IS THE BETTER. I HAVE BEEN USING THIS ON POUCHES,BANDS, TABS, LEATHER FOR MANY SHOTS AND NOT PROBLEMS..

AFTER SEWING THEY WERE TURNED RIGHT SIDE OUT AND SLID/WORKED O N THE FORKS AND SECURED WITH SINEW. I POSITIONED THE TABS TO LAY, CENTERED ON THE FORK TIPS.

I EXPERIMENTED WITH BAND ATTACHMENTS AND ARRIVED AT A DOUBLE SLIT METHOD.AS SHOWN. THE POUCH I HAD AVAILABLE IS A CHEIF AJ MAGNETIC. IT IS A BIT HEAVY FOR ME BUT WORKS WELL UNTIL I CHANGE.

AFTER TYING THE BANDS TO THE TABS WITH SINEW IT WAS READY TO SHOOT, AND SHOOT IT DOES! AFTER SEVERAL SHOTS, I BECAME VERY CONSISTENT AND FAIRLY ACCURATE..

PICTURES WILL BE READY SOON.


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## Iryman

Sounds exciting mate, cant wait to see the pics!! I love naturals, you just never know exactly what you're gonna end up with


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## Iryman

Wow that looks really awesome! Good job man!!


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## Jesus Freak

Thanks for the tutorial!


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## WILD BILL

Jesus Freak said:


> Thanks for the tutorial!


YOUR WELCOME!


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## Dayhiker

Interesting... I have been trying to get my hands on a decent Rhodie fork for yrs now.


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## WILD BILL

Dayhiker said:


> Interesting... I have been trying to get my hands on a decent Rhodie fork for yrs now.


Where do you live?

Rhodo and Mtn. Laurel are the primary bushes/trees/shrubs in my area. In past four years, I have had Double,Total Knee R &Rs, One right Total Hip R&R and two back surgeries. I am now getting to where I can hike/hunt/fish (walk) again and I spend as much time in the woods as possible.

About three weeks ago I harvested 13 promising forks. I only found two Mtn. Laurel and the rest is Rhodo. Several of the forks have a natural "Gangster" shape. A couple are really "Beefy". I found several different sizes and shapes. After debarking (very thin bark) they stayed under and around my wood stove, being rotated regularly. They have been smoothed to almost finished. If you did do much carving. Nothing much to do. They were all cut long on the handles and forks.

I would be interested in trading/bartering on most anything. PM me.

Here are pictures.

Bill

.


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## WILD BILL

I am heading on a hunt next week and hope to find a bunch of "good" ones. Right now (not for long), the sap is still low and they are pretty dry, green.

Bill


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## WILD BILL

The last log, in the build, is a CA Glue Finish (instructions by FlippinOut)


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## WILD BILL

treefork said:


> NOW THAT'S A NATURAL WITH CHARACTER. I LIKE IT. I ALSO LIKE TYPING IN CAPITAL LETTERS.  "CAPS RULE"


THANK-YOU! SIR

The cool thing that I notice now, is that the SUPER GLUE FINISH (FlippinOut method), gets shinier and warmer feeling, the more I handle it. I suppose that "Hand Oils", just keeps shining the GLUE. I haven't banded it with anything but 3/4 x3/4 x7/34 TEX LEX. It shoots really well for me, now. I have the .040 that I'm working on tapers.

The little MINI is in a OIL BATH and should be done in a few days.If it turns out, at least as well, as this one I'll be most pleased.

Bill

OH! TREEFORK,







BTW. I'VE BEEN HIJACKED AGAIN!


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## jskeen

Hrawk said:


> That is the date I first started using internet based communications. (ARPANET)
> 
> I will take it as a compliment that you think I am only 28


Ahh, another ARPANET Refugee. We had terminals at the U of A that still ran NCP my freshman year, and we helped the grad students brute force the code to convert them to tcp/ip. Argh, I still hate manual compilers!


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## crazymike

Just a heads up Mountian laurel the whole plant is poisonous deadly to humans that is all,even the pollen can mess up your day.


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## WILD BILL

Mike , I appreciate information and your concern

I wanted to link another post."WENT HUNTING TODAY AND LOOK WHAT i CAUGHT"

I moved it ahead on "GENERAL DISCUSSION".

Scroll down, and there is some conversation about this subject.

Thanks

Bill


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## Dayhiker

I just came back to this thread. Sorry, Bill, I didn't know you had answered me. pm is comin' at you.

I like this tutorial and your unique approach, especially the leather attachment.

By the way, I used to carve spoons out of rhodie. It was actually known as spoonwood in these parts back in colonial times. So much for the toxicity angle, huh?


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## WILD BILL

Dayhiker said:


> I just came back to this thread. Sorry, Bill, I didn't know you had answered me. pm is comin' at you.
> 
> I like this tutorial and your unique approach, especially the leather attachment.
> 
> By the way, I used to carve spoons out of rhodie. It was actually known as spoonwood in these parts back in colonial times. So much for the toxicity angle, huh?


I sure understand the " spoonwood", it is quite hard and sturdy wood

PM me Dayhiker

Bill


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## Imperial

i like the sleeve tab on the tips . that wood looks like bone in a couple of the photos .


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## WILD BILL

Imperial said:


> i like the sleeve tab on the tips . that wood looks like bone in a couple of the photos .


The RHODODENDRON does have a "Bone" look to it. The Boiled Linseed oil and CA Glue finish is working nicely. The more I handle the SS, the prettier it gets. In my opinion and in my hands, the CA glue finish is a "warmer" feel than Poly.

The leather sleeves works very well. I have have shot, big tubes, 1745 and several widths of flats, testing.I'm chaining up some #64s' today and see how it goes..

I have since cut the forks down on the RHODO STRAIGHT WRIST a bit.

I just finished the CA Glue finish on the MINI and will post it. I do believe it came out very nice.

Bill


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## Charles

With respect to your fork tips, you might like the following experiment. Just make a fork with your index finger and thumb, as though shooting paper wads in school. The configuration of your thumb and index finger is remarkably like the configuration of your fork.

Cheers ........ Charles


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## rogers1

Some lovely work there. Very nice indeed


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## WILD BILL

Charles said:


> With respect to your fork tips, you might like the following experiment. Just make a fork with your index finger and thumb, as though shooting paper wads in school. The configuration of your thumb and index finger is remarkably like the configuration of your fork.
> 
> Cheers ........ Charles


Charles, that was, actually, some inspiration for the original shape, I remember some pretty nasty paper clip wars on the playground.

Bill


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## WILD BILL

Well, I went and done it". I cut the forks down on my RHODODENDRON STRAIGHT WRIST to make shorter and to re-shape the tips for a more "field friendly" band attachments.

The Leather Tabs, work well and look very good and will be use on another set of forks.

This weapon fits my hand so well, and shoots better than I do, that , I now want to make it my HUNTER. The grip/handle is so stable and with the short forks, "heavy hunting bands" should be a comfort to shoot.

I have been playing a round with tapers, using the .040 natural latex. right now I have single 7/8x 5/8 x 6.5 and the RHODO, slings a 38 cal. steel pretty quick and 44 cal not far behind. I have a 7/8 x 7/8 x 6.5 set that shoots every thing from 5/16 steel to 50 cal "hard" and fast but my form and its' consistency (or lack of ) does not make for a good match.

I have a 7/8 x 1/2 x 6.6 and 3/4 x 1/2 sets ready to try tomorrow. And then on to testing doubles.

The fork tips are a bit narrow ( at around 3/4") so, I am feeling that the 3/4 cuts will preform better.

I do believe that the forks need to be pretty precise/symmetric with each other, to allow for equal "stretch" across to surface.. The 7/8 cuts hang off the fork edges, a wee bit and the "stretch coefficient" of the band in that area ( I am sure) is erratic. I need to adjust my band width, to, fit the fork tips.

For some you guys that are just plain, good, shooters don't worry about things like this. I have to eliminate all factors that could "push" a shot off.

I will shoot several of my units, at every practice session. To me, it is like my targets. I shoot at different size, shapes, and heights of targets so I don't get trained/ muscle memory to shoot at the center of a catch box. Changing weapons,band strength, "sight pictures", hand hold, ammo size, etc. helps me to develop a better, all around shooting platform.

I want to be able to pick up either one of my BEAN FLIPPERS at any time and "BEAN" a head if need be.

Because of this, and my eye sight, I don't shoot paper targets to well..

The grip will fit a RIGHT or LEFT HAND

Bill


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## Charles

Those shorter forks will be much easier on your wrist, especially with heavy bands ... should make for a more stable hold.

Cheers .... Charles


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## Sharkman

Man! That's a beauty!


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## tradspirit

Great job on the rhodo fork! I have two thick rhodo forks that I am drying...can't wait to start working them down.


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## harson

Nice ,very nice ! love those tabs,need to try and get or make some


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