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In the past year, I've made slingshots out of wood from the following species of trees: common buckthorn, burr oak, Heritage birch, boxelder, chokecherry, silver maple, black ash, cottonwood, red osier, riverbank grape, mulberry, lilac, tartarian honeysuckle, willow and smooth sumac. Of all these woods, my favorite is smooth sumac. None of the others have the exterior beauty and light weight of this wood! These might be the only smooth sumac slingshots in existence. I read of an elderly, Minnesota man who, years ago, made little carvings out of smooth sumac. Native Americans used it for the shafts of pipes. However, it's not mentioned in my wood encyclopedias. At first introduction, you can understand why it's not used for much of anything. My first impression was it's weak, brittle and full of knots that ooze sticky sap, even in winter! I cut a fork and was going to toss it. That's what most people would have done. Why use junky wood when you can go find something better? I decided to give it a try, just to add it to my list of woods used. As I carved it, these great little knots, called "tiger eyes," showed up! They were only in the grip. I noticed the wood was the lightest in weight I've encountered, other than balsa, and yet was solid. Easily strong enough for slingshots. When I applied boiled linseed oil, the nearly white sapwood took on a beautiful sheen, as did the knots! It looks pearlescent or almost like the surface of a pearl! Now, smooth sumac differs from staghorn sumac, though they are similar. Staghorn is a larger tree and has heavier wood. Both staghorn and smooth sumac glow under a blacklight. I'm glad I gave it a try as it makes for really nice slingshots! Now, when I say beauties, I'm not bragging on workmanship, lol! What I'm trying to achieve is a look close to what a grandpa would carve on the front porch, during a warm summer evening.
Joe
Joe
