DIY high-powered slingshot on the cheap, AKA "The MasherSling"

Living in New York state, I have recently and unfortunately found out that slingshots, from the lowly Y-shaped-stick-and-rubber-band redneck shooter all the way up to wrist rockets that can kill a 15 pound animal.

So, being an inventive jackass of all trades, I went ahead and found out how to go about making one on my own, and it turned out to be pretty damn cheap!



This is my first DIY Instructable, so I apologize in advance if it seems as though I have no idea what I'm doing, simply because I may not. However, I digress. Onto supplies.

Materials you'll need:
-a potato masher like the one in the picture
-Dremel with metal cutting blades or a hacksaw
-red (not sure of the strength rating) physical therapy band, or one thinner and stronger (yes I know the band in my picture isn't red, I started with a weaker band that performed like crap)
-piece of strong, supple leather about 2" x 3"
-zipties or wire with a strong breaking point
-pliers
-knife or scissors
-either a chainsaw sharpening dremel bit, or steel files

Step 1: From masher to slingshot fork with 2 cuts

The step title says it all. In this step, you're going to use your Dremel or hacksaw to cut the mashing part off of the potato masher, which will effectively leave you with a fork with 2 one-inch right angle bends at the tops of your fork. 

It is crucial to the longevity of your sling bands that you round off your cuts as smooth as possible, with no barbs left over that could later cut into your sling bands as you draw them back and put tension on them.

Comments

[zglynn]

great ible' hope i'm able to make my first ible' this good!!

[skimmo]

box cutters do a great job on leather

[gonzowizard]

On my next instrucable, I've been toying with the idea of a wrist rocket that you hold with your hand horizontal, but the fork is vertical like a normal slingshot. If I can figure out how to do it using existing materials, I could almost mass-produce the f@cking things and sell em at a flea market.

[RedneckEngineer]

Interesting mod and good find by useing the potato masher. I'll have to keep my eyes open for one and give this a try. Have you had any issues with the frame bending when you pull back? Just wondering about the strength of the metal.

[gonzowizard]

The metal is holding up just fine during drawback, however I didn't go with the strongest band that I could have. If I find a masher with thicker steel, I'm definately going to get a bit more brave and try something like the rubber centers of bungee cords.