[One Shot-Corey]

hi i'm new to the forums and to slingshots and i wanted to make my own instead of buying one and came across these forks

i was wondering what one would be better or if i should go with what feels better to me and what height and width the forks need to be

 

[rockzz22]

i would go by feel but i am no pro and are they dryed good or come from dead fall

 

[Sofreto]

Whatever one feels best to you, but as Rock stated above, make sure they are dry and ready to carve

Welcome to the community

 

[One Shot-Corey]

they are still green how long would u say to leave them to dry

 

[treefork]

Read past posts on using a micro wave oven to dry forks. Then you can finish right away. Otherwise it could take up to a year and you risk splitting without proper preparation.

 

[Charles]

I second the microwave idea. Just use the search function and look for "microwave". Personally, I lay green forks on a piece of paper towel and give them a blast for about 30 seconds. Then let them cool. Blast again for about 30 seconds, let cool. Repeat until you get see no more visible water or vapor.

Personally, I would begin with the fork on the right, as it is the chunkiest. That way you can use a good knife, rasp, sandpaper, etc. to shape it to suit your hand. It is easier to take wood away than to add it. I can be a bit of a klutz when it comes to carving, so I always start with a good margin for error. But perhaps you are more adept than I ... be hard not to be!

Cheers .... Charles

 

[One Shot-Corey]

tks Charles for the info

i did start on the right one i'm glad i picked that one so far i have gotten it to this stage

just have to wait till i can get to the hardware store to get some sandpaper and linseed oil

i should have it finished in a week or so fingers crossed and ill get a pic up of it i hope it works lol

and sorry about the messy desk

 

[Allen Welsh]

Thats lookin good mate .. Keep at it .

Cheers
AL

 

[One Shot-Corey]

so i was removing some of the wood before i start sanding and seen theres some small cracks around the forks would it still be ok to use or should i just trash it and find another fork to work on

 

[Charles]

In part it depends on the size of the cracks and how they run ... if they are longitudinal, running length-wise along the handle or along a fork, that is not too bad, as long as they are not huge. Personally, I would get some epoxy putty or auto body filler and just stuff it into the cracks. After it has cured, sand it down. The filled cracks will show, but I think that just adds character to the piece.

This will not be the last slingshot frame you make ... trust me on this. So you might as well carry on and think of it as practice for the next one.

Cheers ..... Charles

 

[One Shot-Corey]

these are the cracks

 

[Charles]

Those look pretty minimal to me. I would not worry about them. Keep your eye on them to be sure they do not get serious. Perhaps when you apply the boiled linseed oil, the wood might swell a little and close them right up. But even if they do not close up, as long as they do not continue to get a lot bigger, those wee cracks should not be any big problem.

Cheers .... Charles

 

[One Shot-Corey]

tks charles ill make sure i keep a eye on them

 

[Berkshire bred]

i would personally use the one on the far right as the others wouldd end up with quite thin forks.