[Hedgewolf]

While working on the SITH, I realised that I hadn't posted pics of my last creation yet.

Made from two different grades of fence wire, it was a random idea I had sometime last year and works so well it has become my favourite slingshot to date.

The heatshrink tubing extends a little beyond the ends of the frame, providing a flexible protected opening for changing bands

The lower loop of the frame provides an excellent anchoring point...

...and as you can see, it's minimal to the extreme when in use. With a chain of post office bands it can punch out the .44 cal lead balls very well

 

[Howard]

Urban style. Like it a lot!

 

[Hedgewolf]

Thanks Howard - I was very tempted to send this one out to Ted for the SITH, but two things stopped me... 1) it was part of the spirit oft he thing to make one specially and 2) I like it a lot myself and don't know if I could do as good a job at a replacement !

 

[mckee]

I like it looks cool

 

[strikewzen]

lol thought you were kidding about this being your favorite at first

but after second thought gee this is perfect for a pocket slingshot! and ergo too!

has there been a thread on how to make it? gonna have to try one!

 

[Ted]

Great design, Hedgewolf. I like the palm swell, and it looks light & compact.

 

[CHANEKE_JOSH]

wow!! this is a tough slinshot!!

 

[Ordie69]

The more posts I read on this site, the more I realize just how shallow my view on slingshots was. Great job

 

[Hedgewolf]

Woh - I'm bowled over by the responses, thanks guys

@Strikewzen; since you ask, I might have another go at making one and photograph the process, but not until I've finished Ted's left-hander !

 

[Charles]

Can you say a bit more about the type of wire you used? I had various grades of wire on my farms. One we called "berry wire", which was just very mild steel. It was meant for holding up raspberry canes, grape vines, etc., or for bracing posts at fence corners and gates. It was pretty flexible. The other sort we called "high tension wire" or "high tensile wire". It was used for very strong electric fencing, and was stretched incredibly tightly. It was very tough stuff, extremely difficult to bend. I would have thought that berry wire would be too soft for the forks, but that high tensile wire would be too difficult to form.

Cheers ..... Charles

 

[Hedgewolf]

Charles - you've hit the nail on the head... the main frame is indeed high tensile wire (of which I only have a small amount left) and was quite tough to bend. The supporting windings are made from something just slightly stiffer than berry wire that was scavenged from the armouring of a length of heavy-duty electrical cable.

 

[AESamuel]

That's very nice! How tough is the fence wire? Have you noticed it bending in use?

 

[e~shot]

Cool

 

[Hedgewolf]

That's very nice! How tough is the fence wire? Have you noticed it bending in use?

No bending so far, but then it sits so low in the hand there's hardly any leverage against the forks

 

[AESamuel]

Sounds good

 

[Charles]

Thanks for the info on the wire. By the way, that was clever to use heat shrink tubing on the forks to cut down band abrasion.

I also want to comment on your chains. When I have used chains, I always tie them together at the ends ... you know, slip one loop through the other and then feed it back through itself. Then the rubber bands stay together in one long piece, like this:

But you have not tied your bands together that way. Rather, you have just looped them through each other. How do you find that technique works compared to the tie method? Do the bands get pretty discombobulated each time you shoot? Do the bands center easily at their middles as you draw back on the pouch?

Cheers ....... Charles

 

[Hedgewolf]

The first time I used PO bands I chained them the way you do it, but was concerned about uneven pressures causing them to break prematurely. I learned my method from Alex J and understand a good number of others use it too. It's never given me any problem and means I can easily alter the setup without wasting bands, as well as replace a broken one individually (assuming the remainder are still good, of course).
They certainly seem to self-centre ok and I tend to keep them lubricated with talcum powder, which I'm convinced makes them faster and longer-lasting.
Thanks for your feedback on the heatshrink, I've used it on all of the shooters I've made to take chained bands and am sure it makes a big difference !

 

[Nico]

Nice slingshot Hedgewolf,

Wire frames and chains are deffinately worthwhile slingshots..

Keep this one as I gave away one of my wirecoathanger slingshots and have not been able to reproduce such a perfect frame.

Live and learn..

Here's my wire coathanger slingshot chained with #64 office rubberbands

A confirmed rabbit killer field tested

 

[Hedgewolf]

Nico - that is one ugly looking slingshot, but I bet it feels great in use !

 

[DarrinGlennCook]

Coolness....