# Pseudo Tapers



## Dayhiker

Recently there has been some discussion about tubes slipping when making pseudo tapers. I have tried everything that was suggested and still don't really like what's going on. I just cannot seem to find the happy medium. Either they slide on me or they break at the loop.

Like this:









So far, I have not had this problem with the tubes Nathan sent me, but with Tex-Shooter's tubes (pictured) and 1842 Dankungs and 2040 Dankungs, I have problems.

. . . anybody else? Any suggestions are welcome.


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## Charles

Recently one of our German contributors (Tobse or Torsten ???) posted a video, but durned if I can find it at the moment. Anyway, you form your loop as in your photo, and then you just tie an overhand knot in the loop down where the looped end meets the tube. I have not tried this myself yet, but the poster swore it works well. If you have not tried that, it might be worth a go. Just a suggestion ...

Cheers ....... Charles


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## Toddy

I have exactly the same thing happen when I have tried them. This is the best solution I have found.








a short piece of cord with 3 knots tied in it.








Hopefully you get what I have done here. Start with 2 pices of tube. One for the loop and one for the single. The knots in the cord are pushed into the tubes and tied off with a constrictor knot. This way seems to last the best for me and of course no slippage guaranteed.


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## Dayhiker

Charles said:


> Recently one of our German contributors (Tobse or Torsten ???) posted a video, but durned if I can find it at the moment. Anyway, you form your loop as in your photo, and then you just tie an overhand knot in the loop down where the looped end meets the tube. I have not tried this myself yet, but the poster swore it works well. If you have not tried that, it might be worth a go. Just a suggestion ...
> 
> Cheers ....... Charles


Charles, I tried this. I used a bowline but I don't think the knot matters. It still broke as in the picture.


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## Dayhiker

Toddy said:


> I have exactly the same thing happen when I have tried them. This is the best solution I have found.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> a short piece of cord with 3 knots tied in it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hopefully you get what I have done here. Start with 2 pices of tube. One for the loop and one for the single. The knots in the cord are pushed into the tubes and tied off with a constrictor knot. This way seems to last the best for me and of course no slippage guaranteed.










Toddy you old geezer that's brilliant. But it might be a little difficult with the smaller tubes.


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## Toddy

I have done it with 1745s ok. Just don't do as I did the first time and burn the ends to make them neat. It creates sharp edges


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## Toddy

Sorry I missed out..... Of course I used a smaller diameter cord for the smaller tubes. A bit of saliva for lube and just push the knots in with a blunt implement.


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## Charles

Dayhiker said:


> Recently one of our German contributors (Tobse or Torsten ???) posted a video, but durned if I can find it at the moment. Anyway, you form your loop as in your photo, and then you just tie an overhand knot in the loop down where the looped end meets the tube. I have not tried this myself yet, but the poster swore it works well. If you have not tried that, it might be worth a go. Just a suggestion ...
> 
> Cheers ....... Charles


Charles, I tried this. I used a bowline but I don't think the knot matters. It still broke as in the picture.
[/quote]

You may well be right. But I do know that in rope work a bowline actually weakens the rope ... has something to do with where the pressure gets distributed. Anyway, please do keep us posted if you find a solution.

Cheers .... Charles


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## MAV

Toddy, that looks real secure. I'm going to try that.


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## Henry the Hermit

I've been making these for months now, and at first had some slippage, but since I started using a sleeve of 1745 followed up by a constrictor knot of waxed leather sewing twine, I've had no slippage. The tubes usually, but not always, break at the loop to single transition. I usually get about 200 shots with this configuration and I really stretch them out.


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## Toddy

Henry, I have done it the way you suggest and have got it to work just fine in the end. There is of course one other advantage to the triple knotted piece of string method though. As you rightly say most breakages occur at the point where the doubles meet the single. The single being maxed out every shot, this has to be the weak point. However with the string method you can simply renew the single tube, thus saving on tube usage.


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## harson

I done mine with a small length of Tex tube , a bit tricky to get the tubes through but it seems to be ok.


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## mopper

I simply use the wrap and tuck method with slightly wider (3mm) strips of TB Silver, wound round both tubes really tightly and several times (at least eight to ten times). It is very secure, no slippage so far and it is markedly lighter than Tobes's knot method. It also doesn't use up any rubber length.


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## ruthiexxxx

Yes...I do the same as Mopper, usually with office rubber bands for ties. I've had no problems with slippage or breaking near the loop


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## flipgun

Same here.


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## Quercusuber

harson said:


> I done mine with a small length of Tex tube , a bit tricky to get the tubes through but it seems to be ok.


Well,well,well ...I think I know this from somewhere 
Gorgeous!!!!


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## jamin

I have been experimenting with tapered flubes! Basically tubes folded over and tapered flats attached at the tied end. Pretty good, flats now fit my chinese frame easily and can change just as easy.


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## ZorroSlinger

Toddy said:


> I have exactly the same thing happen when I have tried them. This is the best solution I have found.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> a short piece of cord with 3 knots tied in it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hopefully you get what I have done here. Start with 2 pices of tube. One for the loop and one for the single. The knots in the cord are pushed into the tubes and tied off with a constrictor knot. This way seems to last the best for me and of course no slippage guaranteed.


This knot-in-the-tube attachment method very cool option! It appears to be paracord? I have paracord here and just did simple 'test knot' to 'visually compare' my knot to Toddy's knot image above. My paracord knot is much larger compared to the much more compact knot in the photo To use this looping attachment method with paracord, were the nylon fiber strands inside the paracord removed, then only the outer paracord skin used? Is the cord still strong enough without the inside fiber strands? Hopefully Toddy sees this post or anyone else, who may be familiar with this knot in tube technique.


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## zwillie

Hi,

I do this method now, the knots and string method don´t last long.

What you need is two strips of tube.( good for recycling old tubes)

Here I use MR 4064










I just put both tubeends, bendet with some cord, in the other without lubricant!!

This fits very good and looks clean.










To secure it I bend it up with a small strip tbb.










I slip a small piece of the tube over tis area.










Thats all.










They last long and look clean.


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## zwillie

Here the second method.

I just put tube in tube, so this issent pseudo tapered it´s real tapered :blush:

I draw the inner tube throug the outer with a cord.










Tbg strips are just fixing it for the foto.



















You can also combine differnt tubesizes in this way.

Here MR 4064 and Dankung 3060 in two combinations.


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## ZorroSlinger

Wow ... another technique . The first example appears more streamline method without the use of paracord & tying string (extra weight too). The second method, of a pseudo taper, slipping tube through tube, seems like it would be difficult pulling tube through because of rubber against rubber. Or maybe wet the tubes with alcohol to make more slippery & easier to pull through? Also, I see that there is no wrapping with elastic strips to hold 'tube within tube' together, So, with tube through tube, just the rubber friction creates the binding so that the tube will not slip out? Looks like one should have variety sizes of tubes to make effective use of these methods. Thanks for sharing!


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## silverneedle

With your second method of tube in tube would not each side stretch differently on each side of the slingshot depending on where the inner tube happens to bind with the outer. Doesn't it need any small binding at the transition to ensure consistency? Also how do you feed the cord through and how do you wash away the lubricant found inside dankung tubes. Thanks


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## MakoPat

I have enjoyed reading this and seeing how the experience has shaped the current methods of psuedo-tapers and Roostertails were called "flubers".

I see roostertail is a bit more catchy and fluber did not catch on...I still appreciate the original word.

It just kind of flubye.


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## Rocco

Toddy said:


> I have exactly the same thing happen when I have tried them. This is the best solution I have found.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> a short piece of cord with 3 knots tied in it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hopefully you get what I have done here. Start with 2 pices of tube. One for the loop and one for the single. The knots in the cord are pushed into the tubes and tied off with a constrictor knot. This way seems to last the best for me and of course no slippage guaranteed.


How are you getting that in there?


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