[Henry the Hermit]

Some time back I said I was going to make a bent rod slingshot from a copper grounding rod. Unfortunately the "copper" rod turned out to be copper plated steel and I don have the equipment to bend it. So, I ordered some 5/16 inch stock (2 aluminum, 1 brass, and 1 stainless steel) and today bent up the first. It used just over 12 inches of T6061 aluminum rod, so by a slight adjustment to the size, I will be able to get 2 more from the first rod. Tools were a vice, 2 large screws with eyes, a 6 inch length of 3/8 inch pipe and a hacksaw. Next I will fashion a block of wood to slip between the "handle" portion and polish the aluminum. I slipped on an old set of Daisy bands and it shoots great. Here's a picture of the raw fork. I'll post more as I get it looking better.

Henry

 

[smitty]

Looking good so far man !

 

[frosty2]

To get the right radius on bends when you use a vice you can use sockets that have the right O.D.
frosty2

 

[Dayhiker]

Looks good so far.

 

[huey224]

I think it look very good

 

[dragonmaster]

Looks alot better then my first bent wire slingshot keep up the good work.

 

[Henry the Hermit]

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement, guys. Here is a picture of the SS in its current form. The wooden block is a chunk of mahogony and will be replaced with something better formed I'm thinking about a chunk of 1 1/4 inch dowel wrapped with tennis racket wrapping. I will likely replace the 1/4 inch ID x 3/8 inch OD latex tube with something a bit less stout, or maybe try using a bit more length. Or more likely, I'll leave this one as is and make another, better one.

 

[Flatband]

Nice work Henry! I'm a big fan of "Wire Frames". I have about 5 of them rigged up "Butterfly" style right now. They work perfect with a Gangsta grip and that big ,long Butterfly style. Hey,drop me a line if you ever get some real nicely grained(or Burled-better yet!) Lignum Vitae. I'll trade you one of my Ergo frames for a nice chunk of good Lignum! Flatband

 

[Henry the Hermit]

Nice work Henry! I'm a big fan of "Wire Frames". I have about 5 of them rigged up "Butterfly" style right now. They work perfect with a Gangsta grip and that big ,long Butterfly style. Hey,drop me a line if you ever get some real nicely grained(or Burled-better yet!) Lignum Vitae. I'll trade you one of my Ergo frames for a nice chunk of good Lignum! Flatband

Lignum is hard to come by. The Guayacan tree is protected, and none of the lumber suppliers I've talked to will admit to having any. I do, by chance, have a chunk of Panama Canal construction days railroad tie that was brought up from the bottom of Gatun Lake in 1996. I think a very careful crafter could get up to five 3/4 in thick frames from it. I had intended to use it myself, but am beginning to doubt that I will ever have the tools, or the skill, to use the wood properly. You can take a look at the chunk of wood here:

http://hanksplace.info/lignum/

and if you're interested, maybe we can figure out some way to get it to you. Shipping from Panama is not so easy.

Henry

 

[Henry the Hermit]

Flatband, as luck would have it, I remembered late last night that a retired fellow who lives out near Arenosa on Gatun Lake owns a furniture shop and he said on a post (another forum) several months ago that he has bought thousands of board feet of lumber from old Canal Zone houses. I sent him an email asking if he had any mahogany, nispero (a very hard local wood), or especially lignum vitae. He just responded and told me he has all of that and maybe can even supply fresh lignum. (I'm not asking) He's in the US right now, but when he comes back to Panama, I'll go see what he's got. Who knows, I might become the "go to" man for Panamanian hardwood.

Henry

 

[Flatband]

Sounds great Henry. I had a nice chunk of lighter colored lignum,but gave it to a friend that has given me a lot over the years. All I need is a blank 6" tall x 5" wide x 3/4" or 7/8" thick. Sounds like this guy could be your "Go to Guy" concerning exotic wood-let's hope! thanks! Flatband

 

[Dayhiker]

Henry I like that little bugger. Bet it's a hoot to shoot.

 

[Henry the Hermit]

Henry I like that little bugger. Bet it's a hoot to shoot.

Indeed it is. I can't shoot it very long, though. Got to get some softer rubber, maybe Theraband green, on it. When it hits my heavy cloth backstop, the lead ball whacks louder than with any other of my SSs. It's also one of the few that will penetrate the #10 steel cans that I suspend from a string for targets.

 

[Henry the Hermit]

Sounds great Henry. I had a nice chunk of lighter colored lignum,but gave it to a friend that has given me a lot over the years. All I need is a blank 6" tall x 5" wide x 3/4" or 7/8" thick. Sounds like this guy could be your "Go to Guy" concerning exotic wood-let's hope! thanks! Flatband

I got back from the lake about a half-hour ago. I scored 6 1/2 feet of just over 1 inch thick x 6 inches wide Guayacan. It is a beautiful walnut color. Tomorrow, when I have brighter natural light, I'll take some pictures. It seems the law in Panama is that you can't export raw wood, but I think I can get a chunk to you by calling it a Panama Canal Construction Souvenir. May have to glue a cheap plaque to it. I will check it out.

 

[Flatband]

Hi Henry,
that would be great but don't get in any trouble Bud! We don't need to be bailing anyone out of a Panama jail for exporting the "Holy Wood"

Flatband

 

[Mtnfolk Mike]

that's pretty cool.. great job..