# A couple of F-16 Collaboration Modifications



## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

This must be the Summer of Love for the GGF-16 modifications?! I hacked up a couple of F-16 straight from the shelf and then sent them off to Steve (SJAaz) to weld up the finger hooks and set me up to finish them for an esteemed member here on the Forum that has waited for a long time to get these finished. The GGF-16 in the smaller profile has a handle carved from a natural branch of black walnut with a stringer of red oak. The finger hooks on this one are off-set in an attempt to achieve a direct clone of the Grandpa Grumpy design. Actually, the lanky model with the para-wrapped handle is a self-bend clone of the F-16 style made from some up-cycled metal rod that was part of a trampoline that the kids used to play on. It is very dense steel compared to the original F-16 metal of which I needed to heat in order to bend.
I am drawing up a few more of these in the coming days. Stay Tuned and thanks for looking!


----------



## rkolibar (Jul 29, 2021)

Inspiring! Thank you.


----------



## High Desert Flipper (Aug 29, 2020)

MOJAVE MO said:


> This must be the Summer of Love for the GGF-16 modifications?! I hacked up a couple of F-16 straight from the shelf and then sent them off to Steve (SJAaz) to weld up the finger hooks and set me up to finish them for an esteemed member here on the Forum that has waited for a long time to get these finished. The GGF-16 in the smaller profile has a handle carved from a natural branch of black walnut with a stringer of red oak. The finger hooks on this one are off-set in an attempt to achieve a direct clone of the Grandpa Grumpy design. Actually, the lanky model with the para-wrapped handle is a self-bend clone of the F-16 style made from some up-cycled metal rod that was part of a trampoline that the kids used to play on. It is very dense steel compared to the original F-16 metal of which I needed to heat in order to bend.
> I am drawing up a few more of these in the coming days. Stay Tuned and thanks for looking!


There is one of those fantastic wooden palm grip added to a wire frame F16 mods I mentioned in the "what is your favorite material" thread @Tag started. Looks like a fantastic frame!


----------



## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Dude, so cool. 😎 I need to find Wll’s thread again on all the different ways you can attach junk to the tips. I’d like to try that para wrap he used on his too although I’m sure that bulbous handle feels way more comfortable, although less pocketable for sure!!


----------



## Reed Lukens (Aug 16, 2020)

🤪 I love those


----------



## Grandpa Grumpy (Apr 21, 2013)

Hey Moe, Steve. 

You guys did great! Do you find you like the offset finger hooks better than opposing finger hooks?


----------



## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

Awesome


----------



## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

@Grandpa Grumpy, is the F16 pretty much your every day shooter?


----------



## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

Grandpa Grumpy said:


> Hey Moe, Steve.
> 
> You guys did great! Do you find you like the offset finger hooks better than opposing finger hooks?


Hey Gramps! Steve didn’t get a chance to shoot either one before I harassed him to send them back. I myself like the offset finger hooks and aim to make another frame that is offset for a LHH. My first and current GG-F16 was offset to my original RHH. That frame is actually great in the left hand as it holds nice for a dedicated thumb brace and has a good hook with for index finger.


----------



## Grandpa Grumpy (Apr 21, 2013)

Sandstorm said:


> @Grandpa Grumpy, is the F16 pretty much your every day shooter?


I shoot the F16 and my walnut ring shooter every time I shoot. I don't get to shoot every day and I do occasionally shoot other slingshots. I will say the F16 set up with light flat bands is a very accurate shooter.


----------



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Wow guys, you do some nice stuff, all mine are pretty basic as I don't have the talent to do what you guys are doing ---- I Love it !

wll


----------



## 31610 (Aug 20, 2017)

Really sweet 🤘🏻🤘🏻 We need run a contest of f16 modded frames 😁 run it for 2 months see what shows up


----------



## rkolibar (Jul 29, 2021)

Port boy said:


> Really sweet 🤘🏻🤘🏻 We need run a contest of f16 modded frames 😁 run it for 2 months see what shows up


I'm game, lets do this!


----------



## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

Here is a bit of information for you Sling-Scientists. If you want to add the finger hooks to your bent metal frame then unless you have a worthy network of welder-friends it is a little difficult to find a welder that will want to take the 5 minutes to drop a weld for a $5 bill or less.
I actually bought a desktop arc welder last year and attempted on one afternoon to remember my high school welding class from 1979. Suffice to say I need to focus and watch a couple of YT videos before I hit it again.
So in the meantime I think it is worthy to experiment a little more with JB Weld. I’ve used JB Weld on other metal2metal projects with great success, even a pulley onto a powered shaft for a kids science project. Anyway, the kicker for me is to create somewhat of a form or mold to contain a clean application of JB Weld. I want to avoid just dropping a tacky blob of goo at the joint and then cutting and sanding away the excess. I have also used JB Weld over a true weld to give the welded joint a hyper-clean and uni-body appearance. Under some paint it looks pretty good like that. Of course this is overkill and an extra step but I wanted to share my experience with this modification so far.


----------



## 31610 (Aug 20, 2017)

MOJAVE MO said:


> Here is a bit of information for you Sling-Scientists. If you want to add the finger hooks to your bent metal frame then unless you have a worthy network of welder-friends it is a little difficult to find a welder that will want to take the 5 minutes to drop a weld for a $5 bill or less.
> I actually bought a desktop arc welder last year and attempted on one afternoon to remember my high school welding class from 1979. Suffice to say I need to focus and watch a couple of YT videos before I hit it again.
> So in the meantime I think it is worthy to experiment a little more with JB Weld. I’ve used JB Weld on other metal2metal projects with great success, even a pulley onto a powered shaft for a kids science project. Anyway, the kicker for me is to create somewhat of a form or mold to contain a clean application of JB Weld. I want to avoid just dropping a tacky blob of goo at the joint and then cutting and sanding away the excess. I have also used JB Weld over a true weld to give the welded joint a hyper-clean and uni-body appearance. Under some paint it looks pretty good like that. Of course this is overkill and an extra step but I wanted to share my experience with this modification so far.


Haha just practice your beads a little more Mo .


----------



## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

Port boy said:


> Haha just practice your beads a little more Mo .


Ha! My beads looked more like molten raindrops all over the garage. My teacher, Mr. Gawddamit, would’ve given me a D- without even blinking an eye.


----------



## 31610 (Aug 20, 2017)

MOJAVE MO said:


> Ha! My beads looked more like molten raindrops all over the garage. My teacher, Mr. Gawddamit, would’ve given me a D- without even blinking an eye.


Funny back high school we made ashtrays was all proud mine teacher put up side down and beat it with a hammer 😳 see weld would hold lol


----------



## Grandpa Grumpy (Apr 21, 2013)

MOJAVE MO said:


> Here is a bit of information for you Sling-Scientists. If you want to add the finger hooks to your bent metal frame then unless you have a worthy network of welder-friends it is a little difficult to find a welder that will want to take the 5 minutes to drop a weld for a $5 bill or less.
> I actually bought a desktop arc welder last year and attempted on one afternoon to remember my high school welding class from 1979. Suffice to say I need to focus and watch a couple of YT videos before I hit it again.
> So in the meantime I think it is worthy to experiment a little more with JB Weld. I’ve used JB Weld on other metal2metal projects with great success, even a pulley onto a powered shaft for a kids science project. Anyway, the kicker for me is to create somewhat of a form or mold to contain a clean application of JB Weld. I want to avoid just dropping a tacky blob of goo at the joint and then cutting and sanding away the excess. I have also used JB Weld over a true weld to give the welded joint a hyper-clean and uni-body appearance. Under some paint it looks pretty good like that. Of course this is overkill and an extra step but I wanted to share my experience with this modification so far.


You are right there Mo. Welding shops don't want to take time to do the little jobs. I was lucky, I was talking to a co-worker and he mentioned that he had a full metal working shop. He said he was always looking for unusual projects. He charged $8.00 for the F16 mods and a couple little projects that I haven't made use of yet.


----------



## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

I had this piece of thin steel rod in the shop that I had taken a piece off to use as a steel pin. The leftover was just enough to bend into a Mini Un-16. I’m gonna toss some clay balls in the tin and see what it can do. Mini’s are not my favorite shooters but this one might change my mind.


----------



## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

rkolibar said:


> I'm game, lets do this!


I'm in


----------



## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

can Barnetts be included?


----------



## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

skarrd said:


> can Barnetts be included?


I think any metal rod whether it be a factory modification or a self-bend would be appropriate. Pebble Shooter is out there somewhere waiting to find out how large the prize purse is!


----------



## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

oh yeah,He's got the knack for them


----------



## hoggy (Apr 17, 2017)

MOJAVE MO said:


> This must be the Summer of Love for the GGF-16 modifications?! I hacked up a couple of F-16 straight from the shelf and then sent them off to Steve (SJAaz) to weld up the finger hooks and set me up to finish them for an esteemed member here on the Forum that has waited for a long time to get these finished. The GGF-16 in the smaller profile has a handle carved from a natural branch of black walnut with a stringer of red oak. The finger hooks on this one are off-set in an attempt to achieve a direct clone of the Grandpa Grumpy design. Actually, the lanky model with the para-wrapped handle is a self-bend clone of the F-16 style made from some up-cycled metal rod that was part of a trampoline that the kids used to play on. It is very dense steel compared to the original F-16 metal of which I needed to heat in order to bend.
> I am drawing up a few more of these in the coming days. Stay Tuned and thanks for looking!
> View attachment 353382
> View attachment 353383
> View attachment 353384


hey, i know where those two went, ha, i kill me.


----------



## hoggy (Apr 17, 2017)

Port boy said:


> Really sweet 🤘🏻🤘🏻 We need run a contest of f16 modded frames 😁 run it for 2 months see what shows up


i concur sir


----------



## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

The f16’s don’t feel like hardened steel. Do you think they’re just mild or possibly spring steel?


----------



## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Sandstorm said:


> The f16’s don’t feel like hardened steel. Do you think they’re just mild or possibly spring steel?


Wait let me rephrase that: Do you think mild steel would be strong enough? Because I can get that inexpensively in 4’ rod at Tractor Supply.


----------



## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

Sandstorm said:


> Wait let me rephrase that: Do you think mild steel would be strong enough? Because I can get that inexpensively in 4’ rod at Tractor Supply.


Yes the F-16 is mild 1/4” round steel. Wait—-I don’t know my steel from spaghetti. The F-16 out of the box you can cold bend and cut with a small bolt cutter. As far a strength goes I imagine that the Daisy Lawyers gave their design two thumbs up. 
If you try to use heat on the F-16 steel you’ll burn right through it, or at least I did.


----------



## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

MOJAVE MO said:


> Yes the F-16 is mild 1/4” round steel. Wait—-I don’t know my steel from spaghetti. The F-16 out of the box you can cold bend and cut with a small bolt cutter. As far a strength goes I imagine that the Daisy Lawyers gave their design two thumbs up.
> If you try to use heat on the F-16 steel you’ll burn right through it, or at least I did.


You’re probably right about that one. It’s listed as having a “Solid Steel” frame. Thanks Daisy..that… helps..? Yeah I think it’s mild. I can bend it apart with my hands. If it were hardened it would probably be a waste of time and possibly shatter on a fork hit. And if it doesn’t bounce back to its original form through cold bending I don’t think it’s spring steel.


----------



## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

it is mild steel,cant make a pokey tool out of it,but plenty strong/hard enough for slingshots


----------



## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

well you can make a pokey tool out of it but its non hardenable,so the points dont hold up


----------

