Thanks a lot for your kind words , mates , .....I appreciate these very much
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My thumb got better by now , used my casting reel today(essential for working my big pike glide baits) , .......still with a little pain I can even operate a cigarette lighter again !
Me just thinking that I should consider myself lucky , that the little shooting accident happened with just single bands and 8mm steel ,...... might have turned out pretty much worse , if I had shot double bands and cal .44 lead
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Just found two more birch forks at the fishing pond today , they had downed some more trees last weekend , so I've cut the forks off the branches with my Swiss Army Knife .
I like working with that birchwood , it carves pretty easy , even at the knot at the bottom of the two fork ends .
I have two homemade carving knives that I've ground out from old files , after a few stokes over 800 grit sandpaper they'd do every surgeon justice , I guess , ...........originally made for lurecarving , though , but they are just great for natural slingshot forks as well .
At first I would sand a plane on one side of the branchfork on a 40 grit disc sander , this operation removes the bark and leaves a straight surface to sketch on the desired(or better said "the possible") shape of the slingshot , .....also cut off fork ends and handle to desired length now .
It really requires some imagination to determine about the possible shape, that one can get out of a natural branch fork , ......the bigger the fork end's diameter , the more opportunities are given .
With the disc sander I'd also sand down the other side of the fork in order to achieve a paralell plane to the first one , also sand the sides of the handle portion to achieve a rectangular or square cross section of the grip , .....also might sand the fork ends thinner on one side in order to get such kind of a little reversed handle portion a shown on the two symetrical shooters displayed in the video .
Last sketching is done and then my carving knives get into action , ........I might only use a round rasp to furnish the bottom between the fork ends evenly , ...all other shaping done with the carving knives and afterwards lots of sanding is in order , ......in the end I'd also carve the attachement grooves and sand them smooth .
I'm just enjoying this carving work pretty much and especially I like the little excitement , as one never knows for sure , what kinda slingshot shape would finally come out of a natural branch fork , ........it's hiding in there , the carving knives must only uncover it .
Thanks a lot again
, folks , ....cheers , Holzwurm
