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I've been reading over some of the old Altoid-Build Challenge posts, and got inspired to try making a little BB shooter that would fit in my back pocket. Inspired by other's Altoid builds and Akajim's recent hardware store SS, I got cracking and came out with three little frames.
First is the Altoid-Natty. Made of... the tree in my front yard (which is slowly dying by inches) and banded with office rubber, this little sucker zips BB's pretty well. In all honesty it's better looking than it feels in my big hands, but still a fun little frame. Great for a few minutes shooting, but you'd be remiss to make it your go-to sling for everyday use.
Second is "The Ferdinand". Named after the children's book featuring a bull who only wanted to smell flowers, this frame is too small to be intimidating or hurl anything other than 1/4" steel or BB's. Designed to be held hammer grip, the handle is oak and the forks are made from a tool peg purchased at Home Depot (thanks Akajim). I like everything about this frame on paper, but it's got some flaws when you start shooting it. The frame is too short to get more than 2 fingers on it, and the beaver tail prevents me from using a pinch grip (which I need due to the 2 fingers and relatively high forks). If I take another crack at it, I'll make the handle a little longer and cut the forks a little lower. All in all though, very comfortable in the hand and the forks are really user friendly. I'm gonna have to revisit this design because I think it's got some real potential (and I like that it looks like a cow
)
Third is an ugly little thing that probably works better than the other two combined. Made with the same metal forks and a pear wood handle scrapped from a failed project, this little frame is anything but pretty. Yet is feels amazing in the hand, and the rubber wraps on the forks make nice cushioning for holding it pinch grip style. I can brace the thumb and forefinger on the forks and wrap 2-3 fingers on the handle for a comfortable hold while shooting 1632 singles. This reminds me of what slingshots were back in my Papa's day; cheap ugly little frames made to be shooters not show pieces.
While I'm not totally satisfied with #2 and #3, there is really something there with the metal forks. They're $0.97 each, easy to cut down, and have a working weight limit of 15lbs. If you're looking to make a little BB shooter or altoid build, you could do worse for materials. Thanks for looking and happy slinging everyone!
First is the Altoid-Natty. Made of... the tree in my front yard (which is slowly dying by inches) and banded with office rubber, this little sucker zips BB's pretty well. In all honesty it's better looking than it feels in my big hands, but still a fun little frame. Great for a few minutes shooting, but you'd be remiss to make it your go-to sling for everyday use.
Second is "The Ferdinand". Named after the children's book featuring a bull who only wanted to smell flowers, this frame is too small to be intimidating or hurl anything other than 1/4" steel or BB's. Designed to be held hammer grip, the handle is oak and the forks are made from a tool peg purchased at Home Depot (thanks Akajim). I like everything about this frame on paper, but it's got some flaws when you start shooting it. The frame is too short to get more than 2 fingers on it, and the beaver tail prevents me from using a pinch grip (which I need due to the 2 fingers and relatively high forks). If I take another crack at it, I'll make the handle a little longer and cut the forks a little lower. All in all though, very comfortable in the hand and the forks are really user friendly. I'm gonna have to revisit this design because I think it's got some real potential (and I like that it looks like a cow
)Third is an ugly little thing that probably works better than the other two combined. Made with the same metal forks and a pear wood handle scrapped from a failed project, this little frame is anything but pretty. Yet is feels amazing in the hand, and the rubber wraps on the forks make nice cushioning for holding it pinch grip style. I can brace the thumb and forefinger on the forks and wrap 2-3 fingers on the handle for a comfortable hold while shooting 1632 singles. This reminds me of what slingshots were back in my Papa's day; cheap ugly little frames made to be shooters not show pieces.
While I'm not totally satisfied with #2 and #3, there is really something there with the metal forks. They're $0.97 each, easy to cut down, and have a working weight limit of 15lbs. If you're looking to make a little BB shooter or altoid build, you could do worse for materials. Thanks for looking and happy slinging everyone!
