# making your own bands



## slinger2016 (Apr 9, 2016)

how can i make my own bands


----------



## Greyman (Mar 9, 2016)

slinger2016 said:


> how can i make my own bands


 buy a sheet of Theraband gold from eBay £5 - £6 buy a roller cutter for dress making on eBay £5 get yourself a ruler or straight edge and off you go, there are dozens of vids on utube showing you how cheers


----------



## slinger2016 (Apr 9, 2016)

what about the pouch


----------



## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

This is your most valuable tool here .

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/21014-search-function/


----------



## Greyman (Mar 9, 2016)

slinger2016 said:


> what about the pouch


personally I just go to the charity shop and buy a leather belt for a £1 and that will give me about ten pouch,s or again you can buy them on eBay or from some of the vendors on here


----------



## StretchandEat (Nov 11, 2015)

For 75 cents a pop for top grain pouches..I see no need to make pouches unless you just Want to make pouches


----------



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

StretchandEat said:


> For 75 cents a pop for top grain pouches..I see no need to make pouches unless you just Want to make pouches


Yea. You can order ones for super cheap from a quality dealer like Simple-Shot.

I like having some things I make all myself though. You can get enough leather for about 10 pouches and a leather hole punch kit for $15 or so in a local crafts store.

I recommend the videos Nathan from Simple-Shot has up on how to make everything. He even has videos on how to make emergency band sets from things you might have around the house. Other guys like Gamekeeper John have great videos too. So does Joerg at Slingshot Channel. There are others of course. Those were off the top of my head.

These guys all sell stuff for slingshots for a living but still care enough to tell you how to do it on your own. It's a pretty unique community IMO.

Also remember that posting a question that has been posted before makes you a bad person. People just can't keep up and of course they are required to answer your questions by law. (That was mild sarcasm not aimed at anyone in particular.)


----------



## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

treefork said:


> This is your most valuable tool here .
> 
> http://slingshotforum.com/topic/21014-search-function/


Seriously. How many "How do I?" threads can one person post in a week. :banghead:


----------



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

A good forum is a dead forum.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


----------



## Genoa Slingshot (Oct 29, 2015)

treefork said:


> This is your most valuable tool here .
> 
> http://slingshotforum.com/topic/21014-search-function/


I agree.
Anyway there is an appropriate section of the forum for this kind of questions, called "newbie questions forum".


----------



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

While over posting is being mentioned I offer my apologies for my overzealousness of late.

I'm really excited to be shooting slingshots again and things are so much more advanced then they were when I was a kid or that I was aware of.

I'm sort of like a new convert to a religion, they are always the ones going on and on about it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


----------



## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

A jig for cutting the tbg from Btoon84 and a Band jig from simpleshot are two things that i dont want to live without for making my own bands


----------



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

Nicholson said:


> A jig for cutting the tbg from Btoon84 and a Band jig from simpleshot are two things that i dont want to live without for making my own bands


I can't find Thera-band except for red and under. T.J advised that Gold's green is pretty much Thera-band silver. My PFS just became even more powerful and accurate. Can't wait for my Torque.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


----------



## Frenchieboy (Apr 11, 2016)

slinger2016 said:


> how can i make my own bands


Here you go mate. Hope these help you out a little.





 (Making Theraband band sets)





 (Making Leather pouches)





 (Attaching bands and pouches)

Have fun!


----------



## slinger2016 (Apr 9, 2016)

Frenchieboy

thanks dude


----------



## Blue Raja (Feb 10, 2016)

#64 rubber bands and talcum powder. Dust the rubber bands to reduce friction. There are a number of vids, photos and explanations on the forum explaining how to turn them into a band set. You can chain or braid them into various combinations. 5 or 6 single chained makes a great low draw-weight band set for targets and beginners. My current target favorite is a chained 2-2-2-1-1-1. I am looking forward to experimenting with a heavier band set and will probably start with a braided 3-2-2.

Have fun and remember to wear your goggles.


----------



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

Blue Raja said:


> #64 rubber bands and talcum powder. Dust the rubber bands to reduce friction. There are a number of vids, photos and explanations on the forum explaining how to turn them into a band set. You can chain or braid them into various combinations. 5 or 6 single chained makes a great low draw-weight band set for targets and beginners. My current target favorite is a chained 2-2-2-1-1-1. I am looking forward to experimenting with a heavier band set and will probably start with a braided 3-2-2.
> 
> Have fun and remember to wear your goggles.


Yea. Rubber bands are actually extremely fast

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


----------



## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

I've got a couple suggestions from experience as well. Since most of the members already know this I was going to PM you with it but decided to broadcast it since we do have a number of new members present.

Pouches.

1. Tieing - I use five wraps using a 3mm wide piece of Theraband then using needle nose pliers (some use hemostats) I put the points over the wraps and stretch & wrap twice more over the plier points, then grab the tie and pull it under those last two wraps. I've never had a pull out. This is affectionately called here in forum speak, "wrap and tuck". I try to eliminate as much mass/weight as I can to maximize on velocity, every milligram does help that you can shave off pouch/tie mass.

Make sure the lose ends are on the outside of the pouch instead of inside (the ammo side) because they won't interfere with the ball's flight forward as the pouch opens and delivers the ball to the air.

Bill Hays suggests folding the bands through the pouch so as to make a trough with the two bands, that way the bands contract better and if both ties are equal and neat, there is no confusion of the bands as they release the ball (which actually releases a bit before the pouch reaches the forks). I follow this suggestion from Bill.

2. Making the pouch - I have always thought out of the box, meaning, innovation and experimentation. I came up with an hour glass pouch design that works better for me than straight pouches and here are reasons why.

a. The hour glass shape gives the ends plenty enough leather to not tear out.

b. The narrow middle should be the width of the ammo and no more so you can either hold the ammo or hold the pouch and also it self centers the ammo so it shoots straightly instead of curve like a baseball or sustain fliers and wild shots. An uncentered ammo won't perform consistently as would a centered ammo.

c. The narrow middle reduces mass and air resistance compared to a straight pouch.

EXCEPTION...

If the ammo is rather large, say 1/2 inch or 20mm which some do shoot, a straight pouch will work fine and to its maximum. If the ammo is say less than that, an hour glass pouch works best for me for the above three reasons, a thru c.

d. Leather that is "top grain" (one side suede that is called the split side, other side smooth that's the outside of the hide) is the densest and the strongest part of the hide and is preferred to split leather. Split leather, i.e. both sides suede, the part that is literally split off the top grain, is less dense and requires more thickness. Put the smooth side inside, so the ammo rests on it, use the split side to pull for it's more tactile and less slippery. Ordinary good quality cow hide seems to be the overall choice and is the least expensive, exotics such as kangaroo skin have had less life than ordinary cow hide per posts on this forum of those who have had problems with exotic leathers. I would suggest a top grain cow hide therefore and about 2mm thick. I've used thicker and thinner and have settled on something around 2mm thick for long wear yet tactile and soft to form around the ammo.

e. The pouch has to fit the ammo, small ammo needs a small pouch for accuracy else the larger pouch will flutter and result in inconsistency because the mass of the ammo, rather it's standing momentum, keeps the pouch oriented correctly.

f. Ammo - I use steel cylinders cut from rod stock using my band saw cut off tool and it's fast to make, feels better to me in the pouch than a ball and flies as straight. Others here prefer or commonly use cylinder ammo. Make them as long as they are thick to approximate a sphere in principle. The hour glass pouch works great with these cylinders. But let's face it, ball ammo is the most popular (and not everyone has a band saw cut off tool). The pouch should be at the point where the ball is housed about as wide as the ball diameter. Some prefer a bit more...but on the other hand some prefer to hold the ball and not the pouch claiming better consistency. You should try both to see what's best for you.

Make the pouch just long enough to house the ammo and ties and enough to give your fingers enough pouch to pinch comfortably, this varies with one's finger size...big thick fingers usually need a bit more length of pouch than small narrow fingers.

The pouch must fit the ammo..i.e. be the right width and length for a comfortable ample pinch and including the band ties. If you shoot small ammo in a big pouch, slow motion videos seem to depict the pouch as fluttering due to the fact there isn't enough momentum in the ammo to keep the pouch straight as the bands propel it forward. Conversely if a small pouch is over loaded with larger ammo for which it is designed, there isn't enough room to pinch it AND for the band ties not to be abraded by the ammo. The ammo must sit in back of the ties enough so it won't abrade the tie part of the bands looped through the pouch.

Many feel and I agree, that a pinch involving only the index finger and the thumb is best rather than using also the middle finger for two fingers and thumb are less complex on release with less variables than just index and thumb. If the bands are too strong to pull with index and thumb only, you either need to exercise your flexor muscles in your forearm or lighten the banding.

Band cutting - the videos provided by a UK poster above are pat ways to cut sheet rubber. Using scissors involves irregularities and "hang nails" as I call them which cause premature breakage...the bands must be cut cleanly and straight to serve a longer life. I cut my bands exactly as the gentleman "Frenciheboy" posted in the vid above. A cutting jig is preferred by many as it eliminates wobble and error. Use a thick straight edge so the rotary cutter won't climb up on it and ruin the cut (and maybe dull the blade). A plastic straight edge will encourage the cutter to jump up on it while an aluminum one won't. I don't recommend steel as it can dull the cutter if an error is made.

Tapered bands deliver more velocity per weight of rubber than do straight bands, this is a proven fact done by some members with chronographs..and the tapered bands have less pull...I still can't figure out the physics of rubber but that's what it is. One can achieve pretty decent velocity without herniating oneself on the pull.

These are only my preferences and some are open for debate, what works for me will not work for everyone. Try, experiment, innovate, that's slingshots. End of dissertation.

Chuck


----------



## Blue Raja (Feb 10, 2016)

Thanks Chuck! Informative and inspiring. Back to the workbench I go!


----------



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

Chuck Daehler said:


> I've got a couple suggestions from experience as well. Since most of the members already know this I was going to PM you with it but decided to broadcast it since we do have a number of new members present.
> 
> Pouches.
> 1. Tieing - I use five wraps using a 3mm wide piece of Theraband then using needle nose pliers (some use hemostats) I put the points over the wraps and stretch & wrap twice more over the plier points, then grab the tie and pull it under those last two wraps. I've never had a pull out. This is affectionately called here in forum speak, "wrap and tuck". I try to eliminate as much mass/weight as I can to maximize on velocity, every milligram does help that you can shave off pouch/tie mass.
> ...


Thanks Chuck. Seeing a post like that reminds me how much goes into accurate shooting. And the bands are why we are here. No matter how beautiful the frame, it's just there to hold the rubber at the end of the day.

I think I'm going to try and learn the physics behind tapered bands. I think it's more than just lightening the pouch end of the bandset. I think it involves many latex molecules pulling on a few. But I ain't got no fancy book lernins'.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


----------



## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

You tube!!!!


----------



## Frenchieboy (Apr 11, 2016)

Thanks for a very informative post Chuck!

As a "total novice" to slingshots the points you raised (Especially) about the pouches are extremely helpful and something that I will take on board and remember next time I need to cut some new pouches.

Many thanks on behalf of all of us novices that have been "educated" by your post!

Pete (Frenchieboy)


----------



## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

I tried hand cutting my own, never again.

When I can get them from vendors like e~shot and Ray for $1-3 each, specific size, proven and reliable, they aren't worth cutting myself.


----------



## Blue Raja (Feb 10, 2016)

Chuck - thank you. Is your posted pinned on this forum? If not, I am requesting that someone pins it. Great information that helped me rethink my pouch design and grip.


----------



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

brucered said:


> I tried hand cutting my own, never again.
> 
> When I can get them from vendors like e~shot and Ray for $1-3 each, specific size, proven and reliable, they aren't worth cutting myself.


I get it. I do like having one shooter that is all me. But I can't make them as good as the die cut ones.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


----------



## Greyman (Mar 9, 2016)

StretchandEat said:


> For 75 cents a pop for top grain pouches..I see no need to make pouches unless you just Want to make pouches


sadly I come from a time when everything was,nt for sale and making a pouch was just part of making a catty, I would never buy anything I can make, I have sold or given as gifts about ten cattys this month, and though I,m not sure how much 75 cents is, if you multiply it by ten for the month that's 750 cents then multiply by 12 for a year that's 7650 cents, and as I equate every cent I spend to days I have to work, I'd rather make my own, I found an old leather sofa thrown out with the bins the other day and managed to cut about 4 metres of lovely soft leather from it, so now I don't even need to spend a pound on a belt and I have enough leather to last me a lifetime, it's also a piece of cake to make a di for cutting them if your worried about uniformity, but as people who know me often say, I was born 100 years to late, maybe there right


----------



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

Greyman said:


> StretchandEat said:
> 
> 
> > For 75 cents a pop for top grain pouches..I see no need to make pouches unless you just Want to make pouches
> ...


I would be interested in learning how to make a die. The die cut ones are way better than the hand cut ones imo.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


----------



## Greyman (Mar 9, 2016)

inconvenience said:


> Greyman said:
> 
> 
> > StretchandEat said:
> ...


sorry I can't do video but YouTube is your friend, it's only really a shaped piece of metal with a sharp edge set in a block of wood that you tap with a hammer, as long as you fold the pouch in half before you trim it,it will always be the same both sides, that's how I do them with scissors , also drill the holes for the elastic while its folded in half and they are in the exact same spot on both sides, I,m rather a newbie to the Internet so I have just made my catty,s pretty much the same for forty years, it's only since joining this site that I realised how much things have really changed, I was,nt even aware you could buy pouches last year,unless they were attached to a set of Barnett tubes, but as they say every day is a school day


----------



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

Greyman said:


> inconvenience said:
> 
> 
> > Greyman said:
> ...


No. I don't mean evenness. I mean the edge left by being die cut. It has a cleanness and a bit of compression at the cut that just feels right.

I have a leather punch set so my holes feel right. But I can't match that edge. I use both my own and pre made. A good pouch will last many band sets and gets better with age to a point. The middle becomes shaped into a little cup and it becomes faster to load. Of course you can buy the pre-cupped ones too.

I'm not arguing with you. Just saying that for me it's worth it. Depending on what ammo I'm chucking and what feel I'm after.


----------



## Greyman (Mar 9, 2016)

inconvenience said:


> Greyman said:
> 
> 
> > inconvenience said:
> ...


 I never thought for a minute we were arguing, like I said every day is a school day and I am here to learn, I just never realised there was a market for pouch,s and just assumed everyone made there own, the Internet has certainly opened my eyes to a lot of things,


----------



## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

Greyman said:


> inconvenience said:
> 
> 
> > Greyman said:
> ...


Oh me either. I just wanted to be sure you knew I was just expressing my opinion and I respect your's. It's easy for drama to start online. 

This stuff is all amazing to me too. I never thought you could get more power with less pull like you can with modern bands compared to the old tubes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


----------

