# The Sling Thing speed shooter.



## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Nathan had an original Sling Thing at the MWST. I had never seen one before. It was made by Robert Blair of Com Bow fame. I looked it over pretty intently and thought I could make one. I hope Nathan or anyone else who may have one, will share photos of the original here. This is my home made version. It's made from PEX pipe. As you can see the tubes run through the handle so they return the pouch back to the frame for a quick reload. This was fun to make and to shoot.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Nice ! What did you use for the tube/frame?


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

PEX pipe = cross linked polyethylene tubing


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

How does it work like accuracy and stuff? Very cool!


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

That turned out great!


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

sharpshooterJD said:


> How does it work like accuracy and stuff? Very cool!


It can be accurate but it's really about speed and fun. I may make a video later.


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

Nice!


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Sweet can't wait to see it.


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Beanflip said:


> sharpshooterJD said:
> 
> 
> > How does it work like accuracy and stuff? Very cool!
> ...


Perfect timing along with the dueling tree build!!

How about a tutorial on build of the shooter....pipe diameter...how to connect tbem....etc. my weekend is coming up and i only have 6 projects going ....

Todd


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

GrayWolf said:


> Beanflip said:
> 
> 
> > sharpshooterJD said:
> ...


 I'll do it man! I don't want you getting board on your weekend.


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## ryguy27 (Nov 8, 2013)

I Like The Idea! How's The Life Of The Tubes?


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

ryguy27 said:


> I Like The Idea! How's The Life Of The Tubes?


 I just made it today so I don't know yet. But the pipe is inherently slick.


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## ryguy27 (Nov 8, 2013)

Beanflip said:


> ryguy27 said:
> 
> 
> > I Like The Idea! How's The Life Of The Tubes?
> ...


Awesome! I Just Saw Your Match Light Video So It's Fast And Accurate! Perfect For Duelling And Other Speedy Activities. I Really Dig This Concept.


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## stej (Jan 16, 2013)

That one looks like it can be made in minutes  The tubes goes through the pipe from one end to the other?


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## S.S. sLinGeR (Oct 17, 2013)

I like it! Looks great too! Nice job.


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## Aefr (Jul 20, 2014)

Ive been wanting to try a quick reload setup. It looks cool.


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## JonM (Aug 17, 2013)

I can't tell in the photo. Are there 2 tubes, or did you partially cut the tube & bend it leaving a smooth surface as the transition between the two sides??? Looks like I need to buy some tubing & give it a go.


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

I think it's two pieces but idk I really wanna try it too Ill probably wait and see if he comes out with a tutorial.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

I need to do a simple video. There are two separate pieces of 1/2" tubing, approximately 6" each. I heated just the spot I wanted to bend. Guessed the angle that looked good, even though it is not as much as the original. I used a little water to remove the heat and set the bend. Then matched the other tube by just laying them parallel on the bench and cooling that bend to set it as well. Once they where both bent I stood them up in the vise until they looked about right ( apart and back toward me). Next,I put in a pin just below the bend and completely though both tubes. The tubing is very slick. The pin will stop them from rotating the forks together. I let it protrude out both sides a little. At the bottom of the handle I put some medium tubing on each side of the tubes and wrapped it with electrical tape. Lastly I smoothed out the edges in the forks and at the bottom. But like I mentioned the tubing has a very slick surface. It may have been ok as is. Oh, to cut the tube I used PVC cutters. I'll post a pic of those also but a sheet rock knife would do.
I think it would be cool to put a Tex handle grip on it.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)




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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)




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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)




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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)




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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

It's held with the forks canted toward you.


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Bean...excellent pics and instructions!! I picked up some pex pipe today. I'm hoping to give it a try yet tonight.

I did look at some large heat shrink tubing..1 1/8"...it looks like it would work well, but it was expensive...maybe once I get things figured out.

Thanks for the tutorial.

Todd


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

GrayWolf said:


> Bean...excellent pics and instructions!! I picked up some pex pipe today. I'm hoping to give it a try yet tonight.
> 
> I did look at some large heat shrink tubing..1 1/8"...it looks like it would work well, but it was expensive...maybe once I get things figured out.
> 
> ...


 That reminds me, I salvaged some pretty large shrink tube out of the dumpster behind the cable office.  ( It's next door to my mother in laws house) I could send you a piece? It might be to big, IDK. I'll take a look at it.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

????????


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Beanflip said:


> GrayWolf said:
> 
> 
> > Bean...excellent pics and instructions!! I picked up some pex pipe today. I'm hoping to give it a try yet tonight.
> ...


Thanks, but I'll hold off for now. I was thinking along the lines of the bicycle grip, like you mentioned earlier. I bought 10 feet of the pipe...so I can play with some different things. The heat shrink was a passing thought as I went past the electrical department. I even thought about trying to heat up some pvc and form it around the grip...I may still try this one.

Todd


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Beanflip said:


> ImageUploadedByTapatalk1409713175.697567.jpg


That is some HUGE heat shrink!!


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

It would be sweet to find some bike grips like the ones on the original.


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Beanflip said:


> It would be sweet to find some bike grips like the ones on the original.


I'm guessing that Wal-Mart will have something similar. I think Fleet Farm has them as well.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Just noticed some tube wear. I guess I need to smooth it out more.


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

So far, it's been 3 hours, and I've used up 6 of my 10 feet of pex pipe, and no shooter....yet.

I did make some interesting discoveries....blue pex pipe is scorch very easily, and is prone to catching fire. When Beanflip says that this pipe is slippery, he is NOT kidding...it still slips when wrapped in tape and the pins are not yet in.

I did finally get a frame that I liked, so I tried to heat up some pvc pipe and place it over the frame....it made it 90% of the way on and stopped.















I might still be able to salvage it....I wonder if I can get the pvc to light up :rofl: .

I think that plastic is not really my friend. If and when I run out of pipe, I'll be trying this with copper or aluminum tubing.

Todd


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

GrayWolf said:


> So far, it's been 3 hours, and I've used up 6 of my 10 feet of pex pipe, and no shooter....yet.
> 
> I did make some interesting discoveries....blue pex pipe is scorch very easily, and is prone to catching fire. When Beanflip says that this pipe is slippery, he is NOT kidding...it still slips when wrapped in tape and the pins are not yet in.
> 
> ...


 You probably thought this already but try a heat gun. Mine will sit free standing on the bench top. Then using both hands rotate it over the heat until you feel it become pliable. This will happen before the pipe turns transparent in the heated area. If it has already gone transparent it's going to be very soft and very hot. You're getting there bud.


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Hey beanflip would 1/2 inch PVC work?


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Beanflip said:


> GrayWolf said:
> 
> 
> > So far, it's been 3 hours, and I've used up 6 of my 10 feet of pex pipe, and no shooter....yet.
> ...


I was using the heat gun to try to get the pvc pipe on to the handle.....I should have been using it all along :slap:.

Here is the result of tons of heat and finally not caring if it got ruined...





















I've only shot a few rounds with it (I finished it at 3 am) but its kind of fun.

There are a few changes I'll make with the next one. First of all...I'll but the pvc onto the pipe BEFORE I bend the pex pipe. The pvc will help hold the pex in place so I can get a better and more uniform bend. I will also cut the pins from smaller stock, or offset it a little to help get the tubes through the pipe easier...I have to run string through first the way it is set up now. I will also cut the pins a little shorter so they don't stick out...that was part of the problem getting the pvc to go on. The other thing that made the pvc to tough to get on was that I had too much tape on the pex...use just enough tape to keep things together...I may even try it with no tape at all.

Beanflip...thanks for all the help and information!! It was a lot of fun building this shooter....despite what the neighbors may have heard coming from the basement last night  :rofl: .

Now, I just have play around with it and find the right tube/ammo combination....the real fun part!!

Todd


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

sharpshooterJD said:


> Hey beanflip would 1/2 inch PVC work?


I bet it would. Tube wear will be the main issue. Smooth up the fork tips and try it.


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Sweet when I have some time ill give it a try looks like fun!


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

sharpshooterJD said:


> Sweet when I have some time ill give it a try looks like fun!


 Maybe you could heat up the tips first. See if you can mushroom them over? Something like this......






but even more rounded over?


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

That could work Ill have to experiment. Ill show you what I come up with if anything. Thanks for the idea though!


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

Wouldn't the bands contract better with less friction on the fork tips and with less chafing if you installed rollers at the tip of the fork? I've been thinking of making one like that for some time in a "V" instead of a "Y". I'm thinking that so as to limit or eliminate the elastic from chafing inside the tube where it bends to form the handle... The advantage of "hidden tubes" is no dead space...sort of the concept that Jorg had on one of his with rollers. Unfortunately due to twisting inside the fork/handle and unable to "see" to straighten them, I don't think flat bands would work on this design.

If not rollers, could you heat flare the fork tip polytubing so that the edge doesn't friction on the elastics? LIke, heat the fork tip and jam something like a funnel into it to flare it then press it down once flared but still hot on a hard surface to mushroom/flare it even more. But I still like the roller idea much better.

This no dead space design looks pretty promising. It results in a medium butterfly equivalent pull length but with a jaw anchor such as we use.

I'd like to see some experimenters keep on with this thread, frankly Chuck and I are pretty interested. And some chronograph data per tubing type/size. Right now I'm thinking of a "V" form but with ergo grip attached to the tubing "V", with tip rollers for almost no friction except for the coefficient of the roller friction itself. I think just a bit larger inside diam plastic tubing would also be better and I'll use thick schedule PVC actually for more pull strength without bending. Heat fusable thick wall pipe scraps also would work I think...which I have as well as thick schedule PVC. Heck, any strong tubing would do.

Getting the distance from tip to tip decent for no fork hits is another thing to think about. Too wide of a "V" would challenge one to make a good ergo handle while too slim might involve fork hits. However since fork hits are due in part to some band congestion at the fork (and some fork hits due to the shooter's release) since the pouch basically stops dead at the fork and broadside to the target, instead of flowing with the bands through or over the fork as in OTT and TTF SSs, I don't think band congestion, hence fork hits are issues.

To better facilitate rollers I am tempted to negate round plastic tubing for the frame and use rather thin walled square steel tubing, which we have, to best fit rollers, and with "V"s cut in the rollers to better guide the elastic tubing back into battery in the handle. I'm thinking square tubing a bit more than half inch inside measurement for the "V" frame so as to allow plenty of room for the bands to contract without much impedance.

When I shoot tube elastic, sometimes it twists so aI have to untwist to get the pouch alligned right. If the tubing is hidden in the handle I guess one would have to hold the SS upside down and orient the pouch, letting that "take" and unsnarl the elastic tubing on the inside of the handle/forks.

Geez this is interesting!


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## Devoman (Oct 15, 2010)

Nice work!


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## ryguy27 (Nov 8, 2013)

Beanflip said:


> ImageUploadedByTapatalk1409708027.533183.jpg


Not Trying To Derail The Topic, But The PVC Cutters You've Shown Work Great For Slicing Wine Corks Into 4-5 Targets.

I Like The Idea Of Mushrooming Out The Tips To Improve Band Life! Keep On Innovating!


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

OK guys I'm about to go try this out of 1/2 PVC we will see how that works


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Yeah didn't work 1/2 inch is too big might try again sometime with some smaller pipe


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## Aries666 (Feb 22, 2014)

Love it!


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

It's subtle but I think it will help. I'll test tomorrow.


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## YHY slinger (Aug 18, 2014)

Well, that's a nice one. I think Jeorg Sprave had a simuler slingshot like this~


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## YHY slinger (Aug 18, 2014)

Voila, the name of the slingshot is V slingshot. The video is on YouTube and the name of the video is also called V slingshot. Hope that will give you some more ideas


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

Very cool design! I could see it making speed shooters much more efficient.


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## Claudio (Nov 7, 2012)

I've been itching to make make one of these since I first saw it posted. I already had some PEX left over from a plumbing project. I finally found a little time today to play 

Here's what I came up with...

Cut the piece on the left from the center of the PEX pipe and use a ring of 3/4 copper pipe to form the pinky hole...PVC to hold the slingshot together.

Pinky hole Sling Thing









20 shots 10mm marbles at 30 feet. Took me a while to zero in, but one I did I had a blast.

















Plan to play a bit more with the design next time I get some time.


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

Cool thread thanks !
Cheers


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

Claudio said:


> I've been itching to make make one of these since I first saw it posted. I already had some PEX left over from a plumbing project. I finally found a little time today to play
> 
> Here's what I came up with...
> 
> ...


Must be some same minded idea  way cool ! thanks for showing that this works !!! 
Cheers


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Claudio said:


> I've been itching to make make one of these since I first saw it posted. I already had some PEX left over from a plumbing project. I finally found a little time today to play
> 
> Here's what I came up with...
> 
> ...


 Great work man! I like it! Did you pin it or does the one piece design stop the forks from rotating?


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

OK guys what size of pipe are you using and where are you getting it? Cause PVC is not the answer I don't think.


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## Claudio (Nov 7, 2012)

Beanflip said:


> Claudio said:
> 
> 
> > I've been itching to make make one of these since I first saw it posted. I already had some PEX left over from a plumbing project. I finally found a little time today to play
> ...


Hi Beanflip,

I did, with a piece of number 12 copper wire slightly of center. Not sure if it's necessary with the PVC handgrip. Will leave the pin out on my next one and see it works.

BTW, Even with the tips mushroomed out I'm still getting some visible wear on the tubes after around a 100 shots. I was actually smelling a burnt rubber when I was shooting yesterday. Maybe some talc or silicone spray would help the longevity of the tubes. I'm hoping to figure out an easy way to put some type of roller on the tips. Got some ideas, just need the time to experiment.


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## Claudio (Nov 7, 2012)

sharpshooterJD said:


> OK guys what size of pipe are you using and where are you getting it? Cause PVC is not the answer I don't think.


It's 1/2 PEX tubing.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-2-in-x-100-ft-Blue-PEX-Pipe-U860B100/202033010?N=5yc1vZbuya

Same price at Lowes. Not sure if either place sells it by the foot??? You might try asking at local plumbing store or a plumber and see if the'll sell you a couple of feet, other wise you'll have to buy 100'...the upside of that you'll be able to make 100 slingshots ;-)


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Thanks!


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

If you know any plumbers or someone building a new home they might have scrap for free.


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## Claudio (Nov 7, 2012)

sharpshooterJD said:


> Thanks!


Hey sharpshooterJD,

Home Depot does sell 5' pieces of Pex tubing $1.54...at least mine does...blue, red, white and gray.


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

Flare the fork tube tips like a mushroom so they have a larger radius of curve hence less cutting on the elastic. Chuck's drawing a pulley system for ours and it will be a V instead of a Y with a wood or plastic handle to fill the space to make a comfy ergo handle. Actually this idea entrances us at this point. We ovened another block of HDPE today, woodland camo colors. It's cooling now.

We have square steel tubing we want to try for a metallic sling thing with nylon pulleys. Chuck scored some machinable nylon stock, less friction/wear than metal against metal, with silicone greese to lube them. We can't get miniature ball bearing races here so it'll have to be bushing style or nothing.

The idea of a sling thing is good for...

1. No dangling bands

2. Compact, easier to stow on a hike or in a pocket or butt pack.

3. Full draw on the elastic, equivalent to a half BF roughly if drawn to the jaw anchor point (which we use).

Cons...

1. How would you straighten flat bands once it's shot?

2. In sight of the above, this would be a tube SS OTT obviously but we'll experiment per below.

Experiments we'll do...

1. Cut tripple TBG 4 or 5mm wide to simulate tubes. If they get tangled up inside the V, that idea of 3 4 or 5mm bands would be proven not a good idea.

route to take...

1. Make a V about 9 inches long out of square steel stock, roughly 30 degree angle to give enough width between forks, welded at the bottom and with one cross support, welded to form an upside down "A". Pickle in phosphoric acid to make a rust inhibiting phosphide coating on the steel. Paint with automotive rust eating primer, 2 coats of automotive paint.

2. Machine two nylon U pulleys, drill 1/8" hole in each for the axle

3. Machine two axle screws and thread the first 1/4 inch with threads only outside the V to accept a lock nut (plastic insert) Threads inside would erode the nylon pulley hole like a reamer when the pulley rotates.

4. Assemble the pulleys/screws/nuts

5. Using a messenger wire attached to the elastic/pouch set up, thread the wire than the elastic through the pulleys and base of the V.

6. Shoot.

If the 4 or 5 mm tripple flat bands snarl inside the V unmercifully the deal is completely off for we can't get elastic tubing here any more.

Will get on this project next week, this week is full. Will post updates and finished sling thing.


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

YHY slinger said:


> Voila, the name of the slingshot is V slingshot. The video is on YouTube and the name of the video is also called V slingshot. Hope that will give you some more ideas


Well! My posts and dreams came alive with this video. Thank you for posting it. Ours will differ from Jorg's in that we'll fit it with an ergo handle and the V will be a wider angle. His pulley idea is great, haha, we thought we had it first but noooooooooooooooo....Jorg did.

The swivel handle seems a bit too involved for what we want to do, however it does offer the novice shooter, perfect allignment of the SS with the target, i.e. the frame is perpendicular to the target always...like any swivel fork SS. We tried one swivel fork design, it wasn't accurate...dunno why though.

We duscussed the angle of the V and think something around 35 or perhaps 38 degrees would be better than our initial 30 deg to permit a yet wider fork.

Jorg uses flat bands on his! That's what we wanted to see and the slow motion vids prove the pouch exists cleanly.


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

If you sand the tubing, say, with 100 grit paper before you glue to give the glue more purchase and assure a clean surface, would epoxe work to bond them along with the pin installed as well for super stability? Some tubing will release epoxe just like P.E. will. Possibly with a file, make two flats in the 2 members of the Y so when together they will resist torque. Or heat them and squash them together to make an oval out of the round tubing, auto compatible. Then glue and pin. Just ideas here. PVC comes in real heavy wall "schedule".


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Thanks Claudio!


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

Thank you , Beanflip

Thanks for remembering Some of units that I developed years ago. Some things went clear back to 1966 ! That makes me a pretty old guy. I still am quite well and have some quite impressive units that I need help in producing. Still am looking for help in this regard !

As for seeing some of earlier units , Kent Shepard put on the inter net some of my things over the years. I haven't learned so much about the web but, if you type my name and slingshot inventor several things come up. Kent bought slingshots going back nearly 50 years and helped keep me going. Anyhow thanks again , Robert Blair


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

Perhaps this old guy did some thing wrong as, above the post it says that I don't have permission to edit this topic. Well I am sorry but I have a bit of an excuse as , have been breathing for a long time now ! Thanks again, Robert Blair


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

combowslingguy 1 said:


> Perhaps this old guy did some thing wrong as, above the post it says that I don't have permission to edit this topic. Well I am sorry but I have a bit of an excuse as , have been breathing for a long time now ! Thanks again, Robert Blair


If I understand correctly, after posting, you have 30 minutes to edit the post, then it stays as is and a new post much be made.

I hope you can find someone to help with producing your ideas and possibly making some of the older models as well. I was at the 2012 Summer Nationals at Kent Shepards home and saw some of the cool frames that you had produced...they are like nothing I had seen before.

Todd


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

WELL THIS IS A BIT DISSAPOINTING AS SOMEOME SAW FIT TO REMOVE AT LEAST A HALF HOURS WORK. I mentioned that Joerg Sparve Gave me credit for the Com Bow Sling as well as the "V" He said that I was a master. Well hardly I think a bit differently and try lots of things and some work . I don't know so much about computers and the inter net. But on Googol Patents if you type my name and slingshots . Patent # 4458658 should come up. and the patent drawings show a " V " fork but with a handle and brace.

I called the early unit Sling Thing and then Pocket Socket was next. They were a bit messy as a rubber lube was used. A few years later came Com Bow Sling with pulleys. And more power was obtained as the power stroke was longer too. With Sling Thing and 50 # pull arrows could be sent 200 yards . Nearly equal to some of the bows of the day. With Com Bow Sling 20 # pull will do that. There were some articles written back in the about 1968 . One is on the inter net yet if one can find it . I think I would need help in posting links.

As I mentioned in an earlier post that I have been working on a new development that surprises me a bit. And wish that someone would come forward to help a bit. Well , I was able to say most every thing again. And I am very thankful for this forum for ideas exchanges and a place to express things. Thanks once again, Robert Blair


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

My hubby Chuck would love to be of help, he's something of an engineer and inventor. Bill Hays would be another great resource as would Charles and others here. It's good to get a consortium of ideas from different sources to R&D something, then try them.

Inventions work, and don't work, you just have to try them..some are successes, others hit the scrap pile. The idea is to take one's losses on a failed invention and go for a success.






Happy Trails and at least with SS design research, fails are not as spectacular as with aircraft.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Mr. Blair! I'm so happy and pleasantly surprised to see your responses here!


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

We would love to hear more from you and see your products become available again.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

combowslingguy 1 said:


> WELL THIS IS A BIT DISSAPOINTING AS SOMEOME SAW FIT TO REMOVE AT LEAST A HALF HOURS WORK. I mentioned that Joerg Sparve Gave me credit for the Com Bow Sling as well as the "V" He said that I was a master. Well hardly I think a bit differently and try lots of things and some work . I don't know so much about computers and the inter net. But on Googol Patents if you type my name and slingshots . Patent # 4458658 should come up. and the patent drawings show a " V " fork but with a handle and brace.
> 
> I called the early unit Sling Thing and then Pocket Socket was next. They were a bit messy as a rubber lube was used. A few years later came Com Bow Sling with pulleys. And more power was obtained as the power stroke was longer too. With Sling Thing and 50 # pull arrows could be sent 200 yards . Nearly equal to some of the bows of the day. With Com Bow Sling 20 # pull will do that. There were some articles written back in the about 1968 . One is on the inter net yet if one can find it . I think I would need help in posting links.
> 
> As I mentioned in an earlier post that I have been working on a new development that surprises me a bit. And wish that someone would come forward to help a bit. Well , I was able to say most every thing again. And I am very thankful for this forum for ideas exchanges and a place to express things. Thanks once again, Robert Blair


 Here is a link to the patent mentioned.
https://www.google.com/patents/US4458658?dq=Patent+%23+4458658&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cb8PVOuSEtazyASk4YL4Cw&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAA


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## Montie Gear (Jul 31, 2013)

Robert,

I think your private message box is full.

Montie

[email protected]


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Here's a picture of the original "Slingthing"!


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

Thank you Beanflip,

Nice pictures but, they are of what I called Pocket Socket. Actually not many were produced and one or two went out as Pocket Sock-It. Some in that picture that were a bit larger I called Super Sling. Please someone post a link to Robert Blair slingshot inventor. Where Kent Shepard put on the inter net some of the various slings over the years. He was much help over nearly 50 years !

Thank you for posting the link to the patent ! I would be grateful to any one that would help post links like to Robert Blair slingshot inventor . Also to an article in Popular Mechanics mag. January 1984 page 92. Where there is an nice article on slingshots and about Kent Shepard's speed shooting. 1000 shots of 3/8 inch steel balls in 32 minutes with a reversed Com Bow Sling. He told me in 2007 at his Summers Nationals that some of its bands lasted well over 100,000 shots.

Also there is an article on Archery Talk about Sling Thing. A reprint of an article in a mag. called Bow and Arrow. I guess that I would like to get some notoriety to help get some help to get some of the innovations over the years and some very current ones, out. Any help will sure be appreciated and maybe we can all be helped too !

I guess that I kind of feel like that I am all dressed up and no where to go, ha ! I think that I would like to use my materials , equipment , technics and ideas to be a bit of a consultant at a nominal amount. I really feel that to together with right person some Slingshot ,Slingbow history could be made ! The latest development Is a bit startling even to me. But needs some minor refinements and testing !

Thank to all of you on this forum .If anyone would like to ask any question I would be happy to try to answer ! And to let this old guy express thoughts and have a say ! Thanks again, Robert Blair


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Here is one link. http://www.slingshots.net/slingmag/1999/slingmag1_3/blair.htm


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

Thank you Beenflip. I do appreciate any and all help ! Thanks again, Robert Blair


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Hey beanflip what were those original sling things made of? Cause I don't think ill be able to get pex pipe.


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## Montie Gear (Jul 31, 2013)

Could you use copper?


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Copper pipe?


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

Hi S H J D,

They were made from special aluminum extrusions back in the 60 "s . And used a rubber lube that was a bit messy ! In the 70's I went to pulleys and called it Com Bow Sling. I go back a lot of years. This subject is missed named as the unit was Pocket Socket . The Sling Thing was first in 1967 and was for arrows too !

Hope no one feels bad about the little mix up as , that was a lot of years ago ! Glad that I am remembered ! Still hope some would post links of older stuff to help keep things a bit straighter . I really do like any help in this regard .Thanks again, Robert Blair


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## Montie Gear (Jul 31, 2013)

Maybe, it would be malleable enough. I'm not sure if it is stiff enough. One crazy idea would be to take the copper pipe and fill it with epoxy to stiffen it up.


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Beanflip said:


> Here is one link. http://www.slingshots.net/slingmag/1999/slingmag1_3/blair.htm


Kent Shepard used one like the lower left one in the pic at the 2012 Summer Nationals. He used it for the speed shoot...but it looks like he had turned it around for faster loading.

Here is the video of it by Nathan....Kent is standing next to some newbie in a really ugly shirt :rofl: .


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Wow.....that is an ugly shirt.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

The Popular Mechanics link. Pages 92,93, 152, and I think 156. Check it out.

http://books.google.com/books?id=0uMDAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

I think this is the other link Mr. Blair mentioned.

http://archerytalkblog.com/?s=Sling+Thing&submit=Go


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

Hi Beanflip.

Thank you very much for your effort in this ! You seem to be a one man gang. You are making this old guy very happy and may help me in finding help in producing again ! Robert Blair


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

That is right, GrayWolf. Kent Shepard was able to shoot 1000 3/8 steel balls in a little over half an hour. That is one shot in less than 2 seconds each. Bean Flip posted the account in Popular Mechanics Mag. January 1984. Thanks again, Robert Blair


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

Thank you, Beanflip for posting the article in Popular Mechanic Mag. January 1984. Where it mentions Kent Shepard shooting 1000 3/8 inch steel balls in a little over 32 minutes. Well , he was a bit younger back in those days. Incredible, that is around 31 shots per minute. He turned the Com Bow Sling fork around to aid in pouch returning to the same place each time. He told me that some of its bands must have lasted more than a hundred thousand shots while he practiced ! Thank you and to others here for helping revive interest and help in posting links of these units. Even the video showing Kent shooting one in 2012 along with his son Kevin. Also some interest in wanting some of these to be available once again. This might happen as a result of several here on the Forum . And to the Forum itself ! Thanks again, Robert Blair


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

combowslingguy 1 said:


> Thank you, Beanflip for posting the article in Popular Mechanic Mag. January 1984. Where it mentions Kent Shepard shooting 1000 3/8 inch steel balls in a little over 32 minutes. Well , he was a bit younger back in those days. Incredible, that is around 31 shots per minute. He turned the Com Bow Sling fork around to aid in pouch returning to the same place each time. He told me that some of its bands must have lasted more than a hundred thousand shots while he practiced ! Thank you and to others here for helping revive interest and help in posting links of these units. Even the video showing Kent shooting one in 2012 along with his son Kevin. Also some interest in wanting some of these to be available once again. This might happen as a result of several here on the Forum . And to the Forum itself ! Thanks again, Robert Blair


Put me on the waiting list.


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## Devoman (Oct 15, 2010)

Montie Gear said:


> Robert,
> 
> I think your private message box is full.
> 
> ...


Yep


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

Beanflip said:


> combowslingguy 1 said:
> 
> 
> > Thank you, Beanflip for posting the article in Popular Mechanic Mag. January 1984. Where it mentions Kent Shepard shooting 1000 3/8 inch steel balls in a little over 32 minutes. Well , he was a bit younger back in those days. Incredible, that is around 31 shots per minute. He turned the Com Bow Sling fork around to aid in pouch returning to the same place each time. He told me that some of its bands must have lasted more than a hundred thousand shots while he practiced ! Thank you and to others here for helping revive interest and help in posting links of these units. Even the video showing Kent shooting one in 2012 along with his son Kevin. Also some interest in wanting some of these to be available once again. This might happen as a result of several here on the Forum . And to the Forum itself ! Thanks again, Robert Blair
> ...


Dito  
Cheers


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

combowslingguy 1 said:


> Thank you, Beanflip for posting the article in Popular Mechanic Mag. January 1984. Where it mentions Kent Shepard shooting 1000 3/8 inch steel balls in a little over 32 minutes. Well , he was a bit younger back in those days. Incredible, that is around 31 shots per minute. He turned the Com Bow Sling fork around to aid in pouch returning to the same place each time. He told me that some of its bands must have lasted more than a hundred thousand shots while he practiced ! Thank you and to others here for helping revive interest and help in posting links of these units. Even the video showing Kent shooting one in 2012 along with his son Kevin. Also some interest in wanting some of these to be available once again. This might happen as a result of several here on the Forum . And to the Forum itself ! Thanks again, Robert Blair


I'd like to be on the waiting list as well.


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

Here's my idea made of 1 inch steel tubing, round or square, welded together at a center line seam. Cut part of the tubing lengthwise, weld on center line to form a handle. Lathe out two rollers from nylon or machine grade PVC, brass, aluminum etc.. Make a U shaped recess in the fork tip, flaten the "ear", drill holes for a bolt to secure the roller. Thread the band/tube elastic down past one roller on one side, down through the handle, then CROSS OVER a stud fixed into the handle, thread up the other side past the roller. By crossing over at the bottom around the stud you give the band/tube a little more room inside the handle so it won't chafe the sides AND you can make a Sling Thing more like a real Y fork just as you did out of plastic.

I don't like the "V" shape, rather a Y shape like Bean Flip's for ease of holding it.

To bend steel pipe you'll need a pipe bender jig or make one out of birch plywood, good for a few bends without kinking the tubing.

For those who don't have a welder, make all your cuts and get a welding shop to MIG it for you. It's just two beads, shouldn't cost much. Caveat!!! I definitely would like MIG for this better than arc, MIG is much cleaner, easier to clean up/grind off the welding bead.

I like the idea of rollers to make the release faster with less friction and wear on the elastic that sliding over an edge of a tube. Sliding over the edge of a tube, even flared, would, by friction, deter from the recovery of the elastic after release, slowing down speed.

See diagram I drew it simulating TBG bands. I would double band it with 2 bands each side, 1cm wide each. I don't think that width would foul the roller. I can't get tubing here in Ecuador but I think it would work better than flat bands and not twist or tangle inside the handle as might bands. The prob with bands is you can't see inside the metal tubing to know if the bands are twisted or other wise fouled or snarled.

The end of the handle would be sealed optionally with a threaded or friction fit end cap to keep foreign objects out of the metal tubing, possibly interfearthing with the elastic.

I drew up a prototype today, it's 7 inches high and five inches across at the fork tips/rollers. Width between the forks was 3 inches which is wide enough by far. Less fork width would be fine since the bands/pouch don't have to squeeze through the forks on a Sling Thing for there is no extra lose band, it all reels into the handle. This is a great advantage to a Sling Thing over conventional forks. No band congestion wat all. Theoretically I think a Sling Thing should be more accurate/consistent than conventional forks for that reason.

This sketch is pretty crude that I just included, done on Windows Paint but you get the idea.

I think this idea is viable. Advantage would be no dangling bands to bunch up at the forks when released, and with 7.5 to 8 inches minumum free band, a draw of at least 30-31 inches would work but the draw would be all draw, no dead space. That is yet another good point about Sling Things, and effectively the same rubber stretch as a partial butterfly but with with a jawline anchor point as compared to much less rubber stretch at the jaw anchor pont as would beconventional SSs, as far as actual stretch is concerned.

I see the "Sling Thing" variants as a viable idea for the above reasons and I don't see any down side other than possibly a compromise with an ergo handle but that can be overcome. Making an ergo handle appliance to overlay on each side of the handle would be nice, a two part affair that would assemble on both sides of the handle area and bolt in the middle to secure it to the tubing "handle" sort of like a standard over the counter two piece .45 1911 pistol grip with one assembly screw about in the middle somewhere.. Ears could be incorporated into this handle affair so that folks who like to hold the forks, can, instead of being a bit torqued and uncomfortable with a hammer hold, LOL.

The weld makes the whole thing hollow...no divider in the midline. That gives the elastic a lot more room and eliminates chafing which slows down the elastic's return to battery and also wears it out.


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

Jorg has one he made from metal square tubing, it's at 3:06 in the vid below.


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

combowslingguy 1 said:


> Thank you , Beanflip
> 
> Thanks for remembering Some of units that I developed years ago. Some things went clear back to 1966 ! That makes me a pretty old guy. I still am quite well and have some quite impressive units that I need help in producing. Still am looking for help in this regard !
> 
> As for seeing some of earlier units , Kent Shepard put on the inter net some of my things over the years. I haven't learned so much about the web but, if you type my name and slingshot inventor several things come up. Kent bought slingshots going back nearly 50 years and helped keep me going. Anyhow thanks again , Robert Blair


Mr Blair.

My name is Bill Leven, and many, many years ago I purchased a ComBow at Pony Express Sport Shop in the San Fernando Valley Ca., the ComBow quickly became my favorite sling. it had much more power than anything out on the market and was of great design. later I managed the archery department for that store in the late '90's.

You also made a X-bow that was an absolute powerhouse, and I believe was bought out by a lube company, but they did nothing with it, to bad, it shot an arrow much faster than anything on the market.

I'm in the archery business now as a manufacturer and been doing that for some 20 years now.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi, and tell you what a great product you made.

Bill Leven
661 948 7900 Office


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

Thank you , Bill

I really appreciated your comments ! I have been working on new designs and think that I will get help with them. Sounds like you are making bow stabilizers now ! Good luck to the both of us ! Thanks again, Bob Blair


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## watcher by night (Jun 14, 2010)

Beanflip said:


> The Popular Mechanics link. Pages 92,93, 152, and I think 156. Check it out.
> 
> http://books.google.com/books?id=0uMDAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false





combowslingguy 1 said:


> Hi Beanflip.
> 
> Thank you very much for your effort in this ! You seem to be a one man gang. You are making this old guy very happy and may help me in finding help in producing again ! Robert Blair


Ditto the thanks to Beanflip for posting the article. I hadn't seen it for a long time (since high school I think), but I always remembered the part where they said that a handgun or rifle would melt if the shooter tried to match the rate and duration of Kent Shepard's speed shooting record. Really cool after all these years to see exactly how Kent Shepard puts the combow into action to achieve that kind of speed.

Mr. Blair, hope we get to see more of your innovations in the near future.


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Hey guys I know this is an old thread but I just wanted to say I finally found some pex at home depot (apparently they don't carry it at lowes). So I might give this a shot. I'll post pics soon if it works out. Josh


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

I'm in love with this design! Works like a charm and took less than 30 minutes to make! Thanks again Beanflip! Josh


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

sharpshooterJD said:


> I'm in love with this design! Works like a charm and took less than 30 minutes to make! Thanks again Beanflip! Josh
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sharpshooter,JD ?

I'm interested in the tube life and do you get wear at the fork - tube insertion point ? If it wears as well as a pulley .... that would be great !

wll


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

No wear so far. I don't know if you saw in the pics but I covered everywhere the tubes cross with electrical tape to hopefully help with that. I'll keep you posted, I'm still trying to find the best style to shoot it with. Maybe i'll do a video soon. Josh


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

sharpshooterJD said:


> No wear so far. I don't know if you saw in the pics but I covered everywhere the tubes cross with electrical tape to hopefully help with that. I'll keep you posted, I'm still trying to find the best style to shoot it with. Maybe i'll do a video soon. Josh


I was following the link to your thread from last year, and your new post.

I just built one, but it is not ready to show yet, a bit of a change from what others have done, the same principle, but a bit of a pain to build as it stands right now.

I may be able to finish it by the end of this week if work slows down.

wll


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Awesome man! Again I can't wait to see it! Josh


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Ditched the first design using tubes of 3/8ID PEX ....... to big and clumsy for me.

Changed the design completely around, will use some PEX but not a bunch, Wish I could find the correct pulley type nylon wheel, but no luck for what I want. There are two ways to make what I'm doing, I just hope this idea works and I'm not Pi##i&% in the wind !

As it stands I still will get between 4-6 inches of added draw length, maybe more, that should add to my velocity quite a bit, especially if I keep the active length around what it normally is, and keep my anchor point the same. I'm trying to make this as down and dirty and cheap as I can. I just hope the friction of the tubes against the PEX does not slow it down much.....one of the reasons I ditched the other design,

One of the pluses with this design is the attachment method lends itself to some adjust-ability, that should be pretty cool. One thing that is not cool is the overall size has increased from my original design, but not to much.

I'll keep on keep'n on !

wll


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## lunasling (Apr 5, 2015)

Definitely would like to see a tutorial video on how it's fabricated I think shrink tubing would help as a cover and stability! Good job !


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## lunasling (Apr 5, 2015)

Definitely would like to see a tutorial video on how it's fabricated I think shrink tubing would help as a cover and stability! Good job !


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

lunasling said:


> Definitely would like to see a tutorial video on how it's fabricated I think shrink tubing would help as a cover and stability! Good job !


Hi LunaSling. Check out this link to another forum that I participate in for a complete build log. Hope it helps!

http://slingshotcommunity.com/threads/sling-thing-speed-shooter-pic-heavy.3420/


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## stinger (Jul 6, 2014)

Beanflip said:


> ImageUploadedByTapatalk1409707622.132863.jpg


sweet set up. Why not let that yellow "spacer" tube loop between handle tubes, thus cutting down on tube wear at that junction? Just a thought.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Im glad to see there is still interest in this thread. Be sure to read the entire topic. Claudio made my favorite version so far. http://slingshotforum.com/topic/37125-the-sling-thing-speed-shooter/?p=460741


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## lunasling (Apr 5, 2015)

Yea i was questioning the longevity of the rubber myself due to the friction if

that issue can be rectified then that would turn out to be one heck of a shooter


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

lunasling said:


> Yea i was questioning the longevity of the rubber myself due to the friction if
> that issue can be rectified then that would turn out to be one heck of a shooter


Just slot the tubing at the bottom center. It will hold the tubes even and not be any more wear than most attachments. PEX tubing is nice and slick.


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

I found a video by Jorg in slow motion of a similar sling thing slingshot. The bands when released only contracted from the pouch to the pulley on top of the fork, then when the ball had run it's course and was released, only then did the band contract INSIDE the handle. So I see no particular advantage in a sling thing over a conventional fork. I had designed one and put the drawing on Susi's gallery and was ready to weld up a steel version but when I saw that slo mo vid I backed off and didn't make it.

Drawing: http://slingshotforum.com/gallery/image/21200-slingthing-idea/

Drawing of a sling thing incorporating a folding stock star ship: http://slingshotforum.com/gallery/image/21199-foldingarmbracedslingthing/

The elastic contracts so fast that it simply "forgets" to contract around the 90 degree turn it has to make around the fork pulley until the ball has cleared the fork, then it's too late for any contraction of the elastic in the handle to offer propelling force to the ball.

I can't find that vid or I'd put a link to it here but it clearly showed the elastic contracting into the handle after the ball had done its thing. It happens so fast you can't see it except with a sho mo cam

POSSIBLY an advantage would be the extended pull offered by the extra elastic stored in the handle, sort of like a right angle star ship. So the stretched elastic and it's stored energy inside the handle isn't so important as would be imagined.

The proof of any worth of a sling thing design would be in a chronograph analysis and weight of the ammo to determine the real effectiveness factor OVER a conventional fork OR over a slingshot with the same amount of elastic, width and length. And without a pulley, the elastic has to turn a right angle with a lot of grab and friction on the edge of a pipe and for sure it would not contract inside the handle in time to offer propelling force to the ammo. Therefore the models using pipe simply lose any advantage of stretch inside the handle. But as I said, the storage of extra elastic in the handle does offer more draw length yet stores this tucked away nice and neat in the handle. A chrony velocity verification and mass formula would be needed to see if it does has any advantage.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Chuck Daehler said:


> I found a video by Jorg in slow motion of a similar sling thing slingshot. The bands when released only contracted from the pouch to the pulley on top of the fork, then when the ball had run it's course and was released, only then did the band contract INSIDE the handle. So I see no particular advantage in a sling thing over a conventional fork. I had designed one and put the drawing on Susi's gallery and was ready to weld up a steel version but when I saw that slo mo vid I backed off and didn't make it.
> 
> The elastic contracts so fast that it simply "forgets" to contract around the 90 degree turn it has to make around the fork pulley until the ball has cleared the fork, then it's too late for any contraction of the elastic in the handle to offer propelling force to the ball.
> 
> ...


Let's just evaluate it on a "fun" level.


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

Yes! The fun level rules. It's cool to make new stuff. Whether it passes any efficiency examination or not isn't the point so much as the fun factor involved in putzing with new things. I agree with you whole heartedly. I was just on a rant about whether it offers any advantage or not before I spent hours making a steel one with pulleys etc. only to find it's not any better than just a regular fork. Note the pronoun, "I". As to whether anyone else wants to make one is entirely up to them. Jorg did and found it wasn't any "better" than any other slingshot. Actually to me that was disappointing for I'd figured that I'd get a starship or at least a shuttle craft type draw out of a small package..it was Jorg's vid that clued me into the real deal. By all means do I encourage making new things!! Otherwise the great inventive nature of this forum would be gone.





is a Jorg video of his "roller V" but I can't find the durn video of a slo mo showing the contraction of the bands before the rollers, then, the bands retract into the frame.

The advantage of sling things is that there is no "dead space" (lose dangling bands" so ALL the draw is used instead of only a portion of it. THAT is the advantage of a sling thing, basically a compact shuttle craft.


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

Also, the "speed" in speed shooter in this case refers to number of shots, not velocity.
If the tubes can never tangle and don't have to be gathered up or straightened out between shots then it's possible to get more shots off in a given amount of time.


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

I really want to try one of these, btw.


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

You should they are super easy! I think I made mine in about 30 minutes. I need to get it back out and do some more shooting tests with it. I don't think I ever really got used to it. Josh


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

Could you angle the tubes BACK like a wire frame configuration to prevent the tube edges from wearing the elastic? Or would that create too much friction going around that bend? Just wonderin'. If you could get Teflon and machine it to produce a bearing surface that's not a ball bearing, wonder if that'd work? Say, like an over-sert that has a flared hole for the elastic. Teflon is pretty frictionless.


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