[neil]

the proto type seems ready to become a design all the snags seem to be sorted out

The new photo shows the design I will be making this is just a rough tester in steel showing were the handle will be cut out I may thin the handle a little more but not to much I want to be able to adjust it as he grows so it will last him a wile it will be made of thick brass or thin brass and wood laminate and I will spend a lot more time on it to make it look nice it is designed so this kid can use it with ease and his buddys will be able to shoot it I also got the inspiration for my Grim Reaper whilst working on this design design

I also removed some photos of a couple of mistakes I made and put them back in way down the page

Hi this is a simple design I came up with and is a proto type I am working on I will explain why later if your just here to have a quick look and want to have ago at one its made from 20mm x 5mm flat bar bent into this shape drill a couple of holes and throw your bands on simple enough and you only have to look at the first 2 photos. If your still here the reason I designed it this way it is a proto type it will be for a kid with no fingers just a thumb on one hand now its a prototype because its got to be properly tested out so if it doesnt work out sadly he won't get one, but he could still have some sort of sling x-bow so all will not be lost, he will have fun anyway. I have looked into some sort of release aid but if he holds the slingshot in his good hand it would be next to impossible for him to load it. This is just a realy rough version and has been bent to fit my hand I will be bending up a few to get it right then it will be padded with leather I can grip this puting my hand through the centre of the handle and curling my palm with my fingers straight and not wrapped around the handle with a bit of modification i will be able to grip it fairly securley with my thumb it will have a lanyard, his will have light weight bands and hopefully look pretty cool. I think its quite interesting design as it is it can be griped inside or outside of the handle

THANKS GUYS heres a quick update I welded a thumb tab on this realy helps with the suport and used a make shift lanyard and this realy makes this stable, couple of new photos on if anyone would like to have a look and I'am looking at making a multiplex model so thanks for your ideas keep them coming, I'am hoping to make this look a lot cooler and use diffrent materials

All that effort and a simple black widow, lanyard and a leather strap works nearly as well why did I not think of that first? lol at least Ive got a head start when he out grows it so I will be carrying on with the idea but at least he will have his slingshot Thanks guys if your intrested in the tests and how its working out you will have to scroll the page now as I will put some more info and photos on

 

[philly]

Niel, worthy endeavor, I am not a metal bender, but I am sure there are guys on here that can offer some advice. Go for it, be nice to see a picture of the child shooting it in the future.
Philly

 

[Bill Hays]

To make a slingshot for a person with no fingers but does have a thumb... use a properly fitted lanyard and a shorter handle.
Using a lanyard I can literally shoot with a lot of stability and very accurately without holding on... and that's what you're basically talking about.
Note the construction of the lanyard holes (bottom right)... made so that the lanyard comes out the bottom of the handle... try it out on one of your's first before making a jam-on slingshot.

In this video I demonstrate what I'm talking about:

 

[harpersgrace]

if this doesn't work for some reason another thought might be something similar to Joerg's glove shot, Either way good luck and good karma to you, a worthy cause.

 

[neil]

Bill thanks for the great idea and the helpful video I will give the lanyard a go, after all the simpler I can keep this the better I will be doing a few test shots over the next few days and as far as I can see there is no reason this would not work
Cheers Neil

 

[neil]

if this doesn't work for some reason another thought might be something similar to Joerg's glove shot, Either way good luck and good karma to you, a worthy cause.

Thanks for another realy great idea if I can rig up a similar thumb piece and a lanyard as Bill mentioned this could be alot easier than I first thought I will post some more pictures over the next few days I should have one ready to shoot I was surprised how much grip I can get with the handle by just bending my palm padded up it should be realy comfortable
Cheer Neil

 

[neil]

Niel, worthy endeavor, I am not a metal bender, but I am sure there are guys on here that can offer some advice. Go for it, be nice to see a picture of the child shooting it in the future.
Philly

I will do but till then I will update where Iam up to with the experimental stages and how the test shoots go

 

[mxred91]

Neil that is certainly a noble endeavor. You are going to make that kid very happy.

 

[neil]

Neil that is certainly a noble endeavor. You are going to make that kid very happy.

Thanks just hope it works out for him

 

[dhansen]

That's very cool of you, Neil. Way to go.

 

[neil]

theres more to come further down the page so keep scolling

First thanks for all your comments and help and if you think you can help me improve on this please leave a comment

Ok if your here I presume you want to know a bit more, I dont mind you trying to make one of these and it would be nice to see a photo, so this is sort of what I have found and why if you need any help that isnt here you can messege me and I will try to help if I can't I'am shure sombody else will just as they have helped me (thanks again guys), I will be checking back now and then.

simple reason I used steel as its easy to adjust with a bend a smack with a hammer or weld once it works I can take a few measurements and use anthing else I will be trying a few diffrent materials to try and make something that looks a bit nicer.

The first 2 photos this makes an easy to make slingshot griped normaly you only need a hacksaw and a drill and something to bend your metal this takes up very little time and is a rough and ready little shooter, you could easy customise it with a bit of para cord or what ever you like.

For griping inside the handle if you have a probem with your hand this gets a bit trickier, but still works well, with a lanyard and thumb tab I can shoot it with an open hand and using even one finger the grip is improved greatly even without a thumb tab, a finger tab would help (but I didnt need one) if this were the case. By fixing a tab, piece of wood or any other material to the side of the handle the grip is greatly improved but this needs to be well fixed, shaped and thought out. if you put the bend for your forks right over your top knuckle, you want it to be a fairly snug fit, I welded a bar there but you could probably use a good strong cord wrapped round if weldings not an option
In the case of the kid I have mentioned you have to look at the whole thing not falling forward out of his hand when he takes a shot or sliping out of his hand when he is drawing.
The handle could be padded or wrapped anyway you like or wear a padded glove but with the new photos I have further down the page it shouldnt need padding it but I did make a realy snug fit for my hand

This is common sence realy but I will put it in anyway. Fork positioning lower is better than higher but dont go to low. They can be bent over so there more to one side to help with the grip for holding in the left hand further left puts more pressure on the back of the hand and further right takes it off and puts the pressure more in the palm, the reverse for holding in the right hand this can also help with pressure on the wrist

I was able to rig him up a barnett black widow with a couple of straps and lanyard I would recomend that model to any one with a grip problem as most would find you could pretty much use it right out the box. A leather strap over the back of the hand and a lanyard can also be fited to almost any slingshot

A HAPPY CHILD he wanted a black widow as a couple of his friends have them he got it thanks to the help on this forum you guys are awsome, he was so happy I'am gona sort him a pro diablo because he loves them and thinks mine are rubbish

so thanks again guys I will still play round with the idea incase he changes his mind and now I'am pretty shure he will but I have to admit in this case the black widow will be hard to beat

 

[e~shot]

Good job Neil, It is really worth of making efforts to make that Child Happy!

 

[Dayhiker]

Project worthy of your time and talent! Hat's off.

 

[wd40]

Neil,

I hope you feel very good for what you've done for that kid.

You deserve to.

WD40

 

[neil]

Thanks again guys for the comments

there are a few photos further down (welldone for getting this far

)

Have I come up with a better solution yet?
Yes I have turns out instead of complicating this I was heading in the wrong direction so I have removed some of the photos that didn't work so as not to confuse anyone I already had this right, the difference is instead of a tab on the side a simple bar welded between the handle at the top of my hand were my index finger is I can loop my thumb over the top of the bar or down the side of the forks or frame and have the forks evenly spaced so its solved a heap of problems with the design I can stop it fliping forward its more comfortable to draw, I can hold my hand perfectly straight and just rest my thumb on the bar or down the side of the frame I only need a landyard and not a bunch of straps it pretty much stays there all on its own, will he like it better than the one he already has? we will have to wait and see just how nice I can make it look but its looking a lot more promising now I can at least make a start with some nice materials

 

[Dayhiker]

neil, if you ever figure out what the requirements are, I would love to try to create alternate designs to work with so you can create a collection.

You're a neat person.

 

[neil]

Thanks again guys for all the kind comments

This is pretty much it, a few photos of the proto type, just got to put on a decent lanyard 2 ways I can hold it all the snags seem to be sorted out and I no longer require padding, I may need to higher the forks slightly to clear my thumb if I use method 1 in the first photo if this idea goes in to the final design it will be a thumb hole so it will have more protection , I will be shooting it over the weekend so I will let you know how it works out, the thumb tab probably isn't nessasary any more as the bar across seems to of sorted everything out it holds firm with my thumb just down the side of the frame and the pressure when drawing is going into the fleshy part of my hand instead of the boney part it was causing a bit of a problem but I will try tab out just to see if I can put a few nice curves into the final design hopefully I will be starting on a prettier version next week, I think this could end up being a winner after all

although at times I have felt like I've been trying to reinvent the wheel

 

[neil]

neil, if you ever figure out what the requirements are, I would love to try to create alternate designs to work with so you can create a collection.

You're a neat person.

thanks buddy take a look at the new photos I put on if you get chance and let me know what you think, if you can come up with a nice template it would be good, I have a few ideas now but I realy want to plan it out well and make it look good he's happy playing with the one he has so I don't have to rush I have got a few pieces of brass I'am thinking I maybe able to put a piece between a couple of nice peices of timber with couple of brass rivets and stain it up but I will glady listen to any sugestions and just want it to look pretty cool when its done

 

[neil]

I been playing round with this for a couple of hours and although it doesnt look like a brilliant piece of kit and I have just thrown on barnett bands, it shoots realy well with an open hand, even better with any sort of grip, I will even try it out with some heavier bands later at least I can start the designing

 

[e~shot]

Can't wait to see it on kid's hand.....