[ZDP-189]

Following the success of the T1, which is an upright frame, I designed two further models in the T-Series for 'gangsta' shooters. I have now sent out and received feedback from a number of respected members who agreed trial them for me.

T2

The T2 is a modification on the T1 to allow either upright or side shooting, depending on the way the bands are tied. The T2 places the centre of thrust equally between the thumb and forefinger knuckles. This is a stable configuration and member shot in the food found that this leads to an easy unconscious flip and some resistance to shooting error on the part of the shooter. It can be worn with gloves and is fast to get out and bring onto target and so is ideal for hunting. It also makes an excellent target shooter.

T3

The T3 is a dedicated gangsta shooter. I wish to thank Smitty for the inspiration and his generosity in declaring that he has no objection to my making a gangsta board cut. The grip ergonomics and biomechanics are very different however, with a high finger grip replacing the his nubs, my trademark T-Series finger loop, low forks, small dimensions and slim board.

The T3 places the centre of more towards the forefinger knuckle. This configuration allows more finesse to the shot and also reduces the strain on the thumb, so people with a weak thumb or a preference for maximal extension of the forefinger joint will gravitate to this one. Member Martin find this ideal for his hand and shooting style. Member shot in the foot found it makes an excellent target shooter but is marginally slower to get on target than the T2, though it remains a good hunter, even compared to the original T1. Members Slingman and stelug have also tested the T3 and find it suits their shooting style.

All the T-Series frames are optimised for my Fastbands. I am currently discussing having these cast in 1/2" aluminium, but for now the only way to get them is by way of trade with me (I do not sell slingshots). My waitlist is filled till the end of the year with existing projects, but I will make an exception for special cases.

These are original designs intended for commercialisation. Please contact me first for permission and instructions if you plan to copy them.

 

[torsten]

How fast are your fastbands - with different ammo and how is the draw weight?

Regards

 

[shot in the foot]

Ive been shooting these 2 fantastic slinshots for a couple of weeks now, had over 1000 shots with each of them, and took a lot of small game with them from rats crows, and rabbits, ive also been doing a lot of target shooting with them something i dont do much but cant put them down,
heres my bit I find the T2 one of the best hunting slingshots ive ever used, its point target shoot in a second love it, the T3 is a crackin target shooter what you can shoot all day, i shred a lot of cans with this one,
and like the T2 took a good bit of small game with it, i was taking crows at 30 yards with both, Thanks Dan for letting me try these 2 great slingshots, and you know what i think of these fast bands,

This is the 1st 10 shots with each of these 2 sling shots i made, i used 8mm steel balls at just over 12 yards in the farm barn so no wind, cheers jeff
T2

T3

 

[ZDP-189]

Ive been shooting these 2 fantastic slinshots for a couple of weeks now, had over 1000 shots with each of them, and took a lot of small game with them from rats crows, and rabbits, ive also been doing a lot of target shooting with them something i dont do much but cant put them down,
heres my bit I find the T2 one of the best hunting slingshots ive ever used, its point target shoot in a second love it, the T3 is a crackin target shooter what you can shoot all day, i shred a lot of cans with this one,
and like the T2 took a good bit of small game with it, i was taking crows at 30 yards with both, Thanks Dan for letting me try these 2 great slingshots, and you know what i think of these fast bands, jeff

And thank you for all your valuable feedback, Jeff.

 

[Frodo]

They look great! Very refreshing! Did you know that my second name is "shot in the foot"?
I guess you have to send me those two frames, too

Friedrich

 

[lucifer93]

I am very excited to try the T1 Dan's made for me if the performance is anything like how it looks 10/10.

I have brought 2,000 8mm steel balls to test the T1 with Dan's Fast Bands, like Jeff uses.

Tex has been kind enough to send me 3 of his Express band sets, so i can compare the two in Battle of the Bands LOL.

ps The T2 and T3 look great

 

[Darb]

I love the gangsta ergonomics of the T3's appearance.

So when will you start selling them ?

If the price is right, I'd happily buy one.

 

[ZDP-189]

I've given out a handful already. I'm working on some casting masters tonight.

 

[Bill Hays]

Those are all really neat.
We're just going to have to make a trade! I need those for my small but growing collection of high end quality made slingshots!

 

[NaturalFork]

So very gangster!

 

[brockfnsamson]

I love the T3 Dan. Your slingshots always give a 60s mod feel not sure why maybe its that their clean and minimal but very warm.

.

 

[ZDP-189]

Those are all really neat.
We're just going to have to make a trade! I need those for my small but growing collection of high end quality made slingshots!

I'd be honoured, Bill. I'm booked solid with commercial committments through the year end and I already have a Cowboy catty by way of a trade to occupy my shooting, but as soon as I get in the clear, I'd like to trade G10 for G10.

 

[BaneofSmallGame]

There is a master craftsman among us! As with all of your work ZDP, these are top notch.

At this point, it's getting harder and harder to develop completely original, and yet still functional designs.....I've never seen anything like these before, so I'd say you've done well.

Any future owner of one of these via trade is one lucky person.

Cheers - John

 

[ZDP-189]

Thanks John!

It is easier than you'd think to be original. You 'just' have to come up with a new way of holding a slingshot or find one that's been done but not fully explored and then come up with an elegant form.

Here are some ideas:

Full 3D ergos with plenty of palm swell. I've just made one called "Storm Swell". I've not published it yet, but I can send you photos. The Shootist was published here several months ago and is also a 3D carved ergo.

Pistol grips haven't been fully explored yet. They offer superior torque and twist resistance that could permit extended forks.

A bow grip, complete with staves and a guy line would allow a stable grip and strong draw. The bands would still be. Strung lengthwise like a conventional catapult, it would be more efficient than Jörg's innovative slingshot bow.

I'd like to see a ball with loops or nubs to the side under the thumb and forfinger. The fork would them come up the centre like c conventional Y.

We don't have enough built up board cuts. Baumstamm has mastered this but hasn't explored all possibilities.

Regular boardcuts remain very accessible for the hobbyist with few tools and limited sculpting abilities but for that reason are just about done to death. Some completely new designs remain to be invented. One needs to go back to first principles and work out where the pressure points are that resist the thrust, torque and twist, the best position for one's elbow, how the slingshot will be held during drawing, how it will be released and where the fingers go and how they will wrap around given different hand sizes. Once you have this you can shape the rest as you wish. The T-Series and A-Series boardcuts were designed this way. Somewhere in the Custom Slingshots sub-forum, I showed how the T-1 morphed into The Core and The Heretic but preserved the same grip shape and dynamics.

I hope that's given you fresh impetus to go off in new directions. I love it. I can't see the point of following somthing that's out there unless I can do it in a new way or much better. It's not so much about the morality of not copying other's designs, but the joy of discovery.

 

[huey224]

dan!
nice work and congratonlations on the new designs they looks good in that orange.

 

[SlingMan]

I have the T3 and as another member said I find trouble putting it down.

The remarkable thing to me is how Dan explained to me the differences as
to where the pressure would be on different parts of your hand and he was
exactly right. Amazing!

The T3 has one of if not the best sight picture for side shooters out there. The T3
and Bill's Predator series run a close race on this attribute of a sling shot.

The comfort is equally amazing. I shot my T3 200 rounds last night indoors.
I was shooting from 18' @ a 1" metal washer hanging from my RubberMaid
Catch Box/Target Combo. I was shooting 10 shot sets and was averaging
3 hits per set.

The Fastbands that came with it are equally amazing. FAST is all I can say.
After Christmas when I open up my new Chrony Alpha I'm going to some testing
with these bands. Hopefully they hold up before then. I shoot this T3 a lot.

Also don't let the thin design fool you into thinking this SS is not strong.
The slim design was one of the main features I was after when I first contacted Dan
about a trade. This SS hardly weighs anything and slides right into your pocket. If it
wasn't for the bands hanging out of your pocket, no one would even know it's there.

Hats off to Dan for an Awesome sling shot with many desirable features.

 

[ZDP-189]

You're very generous with your praise, Joe.

The only person to have reported actually wearing out a pair of Fastbands was Jeff, after well over 7,000 shots, which is not impossible to achieve by Christmas; 250+ shots per day. If you do manage to wear them out PM me and I'll send you another set. The beauty is that the next set will be exactly the same to within tiny fractions of a millimetre.

 

[Darb]

I think Dan's T3 and Bill Hayes' forthcoming revised "Hathcock" Predator (with the redesigned forkheads), are tied at the top of my SS shopping list ... both of them are brilliant side-shooting ergo designs. I'll probably go with whichever becomes available first.

 

[Martin]

I was lucky enough to do a trade for a T3. I love this slingshot in my opinion its the best Ive used.
very comfortable to shoot, and superb accuracy.I badly dislocated my thumb a while back, and find it difficult to shoot most slingshotsfor any length of time without discomfort.With the T3 Ive been able to shoot for long periods of time without any pain at all.I also have a T1 that I'm looking forward to shooting.
You cannot talk about these slingshots without mentioning the bands. They are without doubt the best I have tried, I'm using 8mm and 9.5mm steel bbs.They are very fast smooth to draw and no hand-slap, they also seem to last forever.Ive had to have a lay off from shooting because of an injury, but in the few days that
I was able to shoot I had 800 shots with absolutely no sign of wear.
If you get a chance to trade for one, or maybe at a later date buy the Milbro version go for it you won't be disappointed.Martin.

 

[zille]

Wow, these are beautiful...especially the T3 seems like a comfi-catty. Maybe I can manufacture a shotty, you are willing to trade for. I'll do my best.