[Mambarino]

Hi all, I'm thinking about getting involved in this sport but I have some reservations. Perhaps the more knowledgeable members can set me right on some issues.

About 10% of people are allergic to LATEX, and the allergy can be serious, causing anaphylaxis and sometimes death. All the bands and elastics discussed here are made of latex, unless I am mistaken. Are there alternative materials for bands or tubes? I know thera-band makes a latex-free product, but there are Amazon review that suggest it is short-lived, for example this review:

I was dissatisfied with these exercise bands for three main reasons.

1. they are weak, even the "heavy" bands

it takes a lot of tension to make even the heavy bands do anything worthwhile for me. I am a mid weight six foot male, so this may not be anything universal, but...

2. these bands snap very easily and unsafely

these bands wear out and snap! after about two months, if you use them often, they start to tatter and fray, no matter what you do, and will eventually snap like slingshots. very annoying.

3. they add up

even with retying, with band after band snapping, eventually you will be coming back for more... if you use them regularly.

That brings me to the issue of longevity. I want to do this occasionally, maybe only a few times a year when I travel to the bush. I have heard that latex has a short shelf-life, even if you are not using it. The life of latex condoms and gloves is estimated to be up to 5 years in ideal conditions, but they are not subjected to critical tensions like slingshot bands, and if an elastic breaks on a slingshot you can lose an eye! So putting the issue of allergy to one side, this equipment shortcoming alone would seem to limit the usefulness of slingshot as a sport for some people.

Comments please.

 

[dgui]

You can get non latex tourniquets that can be used as flat bands at medical equipment facilities and they are already in 18 inch sections and some come on a convient reel pre perforated for easy tear.

 

[Tex-Shooter]

The non-latex tourniquets don't have near the zip that the latex ones have. If you have never had a reaction to a latex product, that is the way to go. If you do have allergies to latex, try gum rubber as it has been heat cured. It also shoots slower than latex though. Two thin Strips or a folded thin strip shoot faster than one thick one. Latex has good life if properly cared for when not shooting. There is a new rubber product from Texas that has all the zip of latex with out the allergy problems. It has one great drawback; you can not buy it at this time. It is made in small quantities and is all used for research and very high cost applications. I sell .030 latex bands and sheet in the vender classifieds on this forum. -- Tex

 

[Mambarino]

Tex-shooter, great information there! Thanks.

Gum Rubber: this is also latex or natural rubber, as I understand. Does the heat curing change the product in some way to reduce it allergenicity? Source of information?

Wikipedia says that "Synthetic elastic such as elastane or neoprene do not contain the proteins from the Hevea brasiliensis tree that trigger type I reactions". I don't know much about those synthetic elastics though.

 

[Tex-Shooter]

I am no expert, but I think that the heat kills the proteins which cause the allergies, but it also reduces performance. -- Tex

 

[Mambarino]

Thanks again.

This problem is more widespread than I thought:

Published data indicate 17% of American healthcare workers and up to 73% or more of frequently exposed patients, such as those with spina bifida, were sensitized to latex proteins. (Read more: http://www.faqs.org/...4#ixzz0xTbqnGeT )

I have not been able to find corroboration that natural gum rubber is less allergenic than latex rubber. All latex rubbers are heated during manufacture, as far as I know.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_rubber

 

[ZDP-189]

Latex is widely accepted to be significantly better performer than its synthetic alternatives. If you are allergic to latex, you shouldn't ask to be given or barter for my bands or slingshots. I have always used 100% natural latex and spent many evenings trying to work out which particular kinds of 100% natural latex consistently show the tiniest bit of better performance.

I am sure if you made synthetic bands and could deliver >60m/s velocities then you will sell lots.

 

[A+ Slingshots]

I personally know that Theraband produces their strengths of each flat material in "latex free." I have never tried it, but I'm sure it would produce a somewhat slower but certainly usable shooter. I will try to get some sometime for a test.

 

[dgui]

Tex-shooter, great information there! Thanks.

Gum Rubber: this is also latex or natural rubber, as I understand. Does the heat curing change the product in some way to reduce it allergenicity? Source of information?

Wikipedia says that "Synthetic elastic such as elastane or neoprene do not contain the proteins from the Hevea brasiliensis tree that trigger type I reactions". I don't know much about those synthetic elastics though.

Heat causes the product to Off Gas which occurs naturally anyway but with heat it is at an accelerated rate.

 

[dgui]

I personally know that Theraband produces their strengths of each flat material in "latex free." I have never tried it, but I'm sure it would produce a somewhat slower but certainly usable shooter. I will try to get some sometime for a test.

Perry, I gave thereaband a good try and I fund it slow, unstable and useless at least in my hand.

 

[Tex-Shooter]

My only reason for saying that gum rubber is less likely to cause a allergic is I have hade shooters tell me that they can not shoot latex, but can shoot gum rubber without a problem. Here is a couple of links of the new Texas products that might be the future in rubber. -- Tex

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb09/biofuel0209.htm

http://www.yulex.com/pdf/data-sheets/DS_LatexHA_081105-4.pdf

 

[Mambarino]

To "A+ Slingshots", please let us know how you go with the latex-free Thera-bands! Thanks

Tex Shooter, the first link is dead, but the second one works, and goes to YULEX. A quote:

Yulex natural rubber emulsions meet the requirements of ASTM International for D1076 Category 4, rubber latex from alternative sources. Ammonium Hydroxide is added to function as a pH modifier, emulsion stabilizer, and microbial growth inhibitor. Custom colors, fragrances and flavoring are available upon request.

Interestingly, the patent I linked to in one of my posts above is the one for this same Yulex product. It looks like an amazing breakthrough, this rubber.

You can read how it is extracted from the desert plant Guayule here:

http://www.yulex.com...hnology/faq.php

Apparently, it can also be used for "Exercise Bands and Straps"
See http://www.yulex.com/markets/consumer.php

 

[Mambarino]

Yulex Corporation is located in Arizona.

Can someone in the USA please email them at [email protected] or call at 1-888-310-2202 and ask for some band samples, for use in slingshots, with a view to promoting them to the slingshot community?

Thanks. I would love to see a review of performance and longevity.

 

[orcrender]

Did anyone ever find out if Yulex was suitable for slingshots?

 

[harpersgrace]

Are you allergic to latex?? if not why the concern?

I'm allergic to so many things I cant keep track but have no problem with latex at all,

Gary "Flatband " Miller wiuld be the man to ask I believe he has done some testing on the non-latex alternatives.

 

[Tex-Shooter]

I have tried to talk to Yulex. I have even had a sample from another source. I don't think that they are ready to sell to the general public yet. I think that all of there product goes to the medical people right now. -- Tex-Shooter