# 3/4 oak board cut slingshots



## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

A guy I was helping out gave me some scrap 3/4" oak boards. Oak doesn't grow around here so I happily took them. I'm thinking oak is a stong enough wood to make good slingshots out of, but before I put my effort into making these I want to get this forums opinion on the strength of oak for slingshots. At the very least they will make good firewood so I'm looking forward to the information I recieve from you, thanx.


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## LBurnett (Feb 21, 2012)

Oak is a great wood a rock solid, easily strong enough mate!


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## All Buns Glazing (Apr 22, 2012)

I've made boardcuts out of oak before. Fine, unless you get a forkhit.


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## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

All Buns Glazing said:


> I've made boardcuts out of oak before. Fine, unless you get a forkhit.


fork hits will break them?


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## mopper (Nov 17, 2012)

A fork hit can break pretty much anything that has wood grain .... or at least badly dent it.

One member here has a pretty cool way of making slingshots, he cuts out two symmetrical pieces at an angle of around 20° to the wood grain lines so the lines run uninterruptedly straight up through the fork arms and then glues the two halves together at the handle. The parallel wood grain lines make the fork arms much stronger


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## DaveSteve (May 16, 2012)

Check out this before you cut your frame. Very interesting.

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/20009-show-us-your-breaks/?hl=breaks


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## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

DaveSteve said:


> Check out this before you cut your frame. Very interesting.
> 
> http://slingshotforum.com/topic/20009-show-us-your-breaks/?hl=breaks


This link definitely answerd my question. I started getting reluctant on making boardcuts but I only got fork hits from .57 caliber lead ammo because of too weak of bands with through the frame design and not holding the slingshot square. I am going to confidently make oak board cuts and intentionally make them a little meaty. I like buying my favorite slingshots but I want to be able to build good looking slingshots. I'm jealous of the talent, skill and what you folks are capable of building. I'm goin to try and try till I make something I could be proud of. thank all 3 of you for the quick and correct response. I was trying to find the "answerd" button but I couldnt find it.


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## rapidray (Dec 15, 2012)

Liked the like showing the board breaks! Thanks for sharing. Very informative.


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

One fork hit on 1" oak


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## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

ruthiexxxx said:


> One fork hit on 1" oak


Ruthie, what tools do you use to make such awsome design. My jaw dropped when I seen that busted slingshot and I got sad.


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Nicholson said:


> ruthiexxxx said:
> 
> 
> > One fork hit on 1" oak
> ...


I cut the frame out of the board with a mid nineteenth century bow saw ( a fretsaw would have done), some shaping with a Japanese saw rasp and the carving was mainly done with palm gouges. There are some photos of these in one of my profile photo albums. They were done for a website years ago and that was the one and only time my bench ever looked tidy !

Finish with Hermes J-Flex RB406 abrasive cloth (superb stuff)


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## Adirondack Kyle (Aug 20, 2012)

I broke a solid oak fork with a grazing FH, it was surprising to me, if you shoot careful and use a good board cut design with a wide fork gap and small ammo, you should be fine. Just remember, the tiniest crack on solid wood can travel all the way through the piece. So don't drop it, and inspect it before every use. My brother broke solid maple by pulling double straight cut tex flats. No fork hit, just snapped under pressure.
After my exp, no more solid wood, its too dangerous.


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

What Kyle said. I've broken mahogany forks just by dropping them on the floor. I recently cut some oak forks to learn to use a bandsaw, but will probably not finish them, unless I make Ringshooters out of them. The only wood I'm willing to trust for solid boardcuts is Guayacan.


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## ChapmanHands (Oct 14, 2013)

I'm suprised so many people have had breaks like that. I have one wooden natural that I whittled that had some crazy hard fork hits and didn't even get much of a dent. I didn't realize I had been holding it at a canted angle. Also resulted in some serious bumped up knuckles. Maybe board cuts just aren't as strong? I want to make some out of some osage orange forks I harvested while at ft. sill oklahoma. Really strong wood.


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## All Buns Glazing (Apr 22, 2012)

Naturals are incredibly much morer strongerer than board cuts.


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## wombat (Jun 10, 2011)

ChapmanHands said:


> I'm suprised so many people have had breaks like that. I have one wooden natural that I whittled that had some crazy hard fork hits and didn't even get much of a dent. I didn't realize I had been holding it at a canted angle. Also resulted in some serious bumped up knuckles. Maybe board cuts just aren't as strong? I want to make some out of some osage orange forks I harvested while at ft. sill oklahoma. Really strong wood.


you might find this interesting. http://kookaburrakatties.blogspot.com.au/p/streng.html


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## melvin (Jan 11, 2011)

Nicholson,

I've chimed in on this one before, If I'm worried I drill down thru the fork into the handle area and glue in a 3/16 or so diameter bamboo dowel, I like bamboo because the fibers or grain run parallel to the length, seem to be very strong and are almost invisible. Check with Dayhiker, he sometimes has used brass or stainless rod in the same way, (actually I stole the idea from him). I've never broken one or have heard of any breaking.

Melvin


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## HOE (Nov 13, 2010)

To those who broke your solid boardcuts, may I have some pictures of the design?

I personally believe that if the structure is strong, "thicker on the crotch arms, thinner towards the tips", in other word, tapering, the fork won't get split half.

http://slingshotforum.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=29934

This design is not strong, exactly going against the rule, even though it's beautiful. This kind of design only works on multiplex, on Solid Boards, you must stick to the 'Classic' designs.


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

I like laminating oak onto ply, very strong!


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