How to make a "Country Boy" style slingshot

This slingshot is patterned after the ones my grandfather and father made. It requires a "Y" shaped stick, some rubber bands or rubber cut from old inner tube, small diameter string or dental floss,and some old shoe leather or suitable material to make a small pouch to hold projectile. You will also need a sharp pocket knife and a hand saw capable of making a smooth cut in wood.

Step 1: Find an appropriate "Y" shaped handle

The hardest part of making the slingshot is finding a good handle. You need to walk through woods looking up into the tree branches looking for a suitable "Y" shaped fork. In the Southeast U.S. the Maple Tree is commonly used because it has a lot of forked limbs and the wood is lightweight and strong.

Comments

[mromopop]

im gonna make one but make a slit in the end so its easier

[16kuokhc1]

where do I get the wood (legally in HK)

[rogerrabbit321]

Is the thickness of my index finger an appropriate size for the fork? It seems a little thin to me, but i have skinny fingers

[Eddie_T]

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2010/10/how-make-handmade-slingshot#

[suesieQ79]

does anyone know how to make a rubberband gun made out of a simple stick, like the sling shot above, my grandfather use to make them, but all I can find is those made out of wood, popsickle sticks, etc. The ones he did out of simple sticks were much more unique and craftier then the ones I found made out of wood. They had a cool country look to them, that I cannot find anywhere on the internet, also he made them from sticks, and used clothes pins to hole the rubberband. All I can remember is a slit on the front to keep the "bullet"-rubberband in placed while you pulled the rubberband back to have the clothes pin hold it, then released it the same way(the clothes pin.) These were really cool looking guns, but I'm afraid I can't remember the stick design, etc. If anyone knows, I would much appreciate it, Thanks

[weaponscollector94]

nice Barlow knife!

[lilrocker90]

Has the wood ever cracked? i am going to make this. thx

[Cheezpaper]

I like to call cutting off it's bark flaying it ALLIIIVEE!!!

[create#1]

ill have to try this it looks cool

[samyboy1001]

hello Doyle13, I have a question where you get that knife I like it :D can you tell me, Grt samyboy1001

[seabananers]

i've seen em at wal mart mountain equipment and the cabelas catalouqe

[nutsandbolts_64]

 We've got no good trees with the Y-shaped branch. Not a single one! Where do you suggest I get one ( other than from the forest, I don't have access to one anyway )? Could I like get two equal lengths and widths of bamboo and stick them together then bend the tops so you'll see a Y-shape? 

Hey, that's a new idea!!! 
Unofficial Copyright 2010!!!!

But you people are free to make an instructable on one as long as you credit me for the idea :D

[thebluemartyr]

Just buy a slingshot then... only like 10$ for a decent cheapie with a wrist strap, with more power than this one could produce.

[nutsandbolts_64]

 The problem is no one sells slingshots in my country anymore. Not even the slingshot rubber bands. Another reason why I need it to be homemade.

[seabananers]

you live in the Phillipines right i did a project on the Pillipines for school 2 months ago

[EnigmaMax]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zeQO7ObhoQ&feature=fvw you can build one with household stuff.

[makerboy112]

You could make a board slingshot

[captain smoosh]

WHAT IS THIS PICTURE OF

[narnanar123]

A tree

[static]

 Hey this is a Dennis The Menace sling shot. :)

[scottmiller]

 Pretty good instructable. I've gotta make one. Do you think that several rubber bands tied together with a square knot would work just as well? Also, would it be more comfortable to wrap the handle in leather or string? 

[meddler]

My dad and his brothers made slingshots like this and used tire innertube rubber. I think It was more pure rubber then, anyway my gramps made it through the depression, and had a good job, but they were still pretty poor, my pop and his brothers took a number of rabbits with their slingshots for the cook pot. Gramps loved rabbits.

[sharlston]

if you get a builders leather you can cut a square then make slits in corners then fold them over to make a puch that will hold 200+ airsoft bb's

[coreyt]

seeing as there a few people showing there slingshots off i thought i would show you mine and dont bother with #64s use no #109s they are like surgical tubing mine can easily piercer both sides of a coke can with a rock

[Phoghat]

Someone on the slingshot bent had asked about getting loose shot so he could shoot it like a shotgun shell. I found http://catsdomain.com/order.htm They don't show a picture of the pouch but it's available for $10 and will shoot bb's

[ericm247]

nice, nice. The method you used for attaching the pouch is awesome, but along with that it also reduces power.

[filiprey619]

thanks it is great!!!

[15zhangfra]

i made 1 out of paper duct tape cardboard and (duh) rubber bands. my knife can barely cut through paper not to mention wood

[15zhangfra]

kool

[filiprey619]

GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nizzero]

I used two pieces of duct tape stuck together, then cut it into an oval. It works just as well, and decreases the weight of the slingshot and firing mechanism. I liked this instructable, I showed my friends how to make them and they all like them too.

[acesk8erboi]

how good are inner tube strips of bike tires?

[doyle13]

The rubber bands I used for my slingshot seemed fairly week, but propelled a glass marble twenty feet with enough force to discourage dogs from using my trash cans for a buffet. I originally thought of using bands cut from a bicycle inner tube, but I didn't have an old bike tube. I think bands cut from a tube would probably work as good or better than the ones I purchased from Staples.

[lesrebnav]

hello, let's view two of mine

slingshot 1

The Y was made from a Gaïc wood (very hard wood common of my country: the New Caledonia island in the south pacific ocean) and the rubber was from sub-marine gun sandow cut in the length way with a razor blade. On the base of the Y I carve with a knife a spiral .

slingshot 2

on the second one the Y was made from Banian wood (another tree of my country).
on the two ones the rubber was bind arround the Y with rubber band made frome inner tube.

Have a nice day and be carreful of your neighbour windows

Thÿ

[doyle13]

I really like those slingshots and the customized carvings on the handle are a cool touch.

[LuminousObject]

I want to go to New Caledonia. Is it nice there? I hadn't heard of it until about 4 years ago when I got my crested gecko. They said that crested geckos are native to New Caledonia. But, mine was born in a pet store. I think. But it wasn't pulled out of the wild.

[prankster43709]

I have a crested gecko too! Those things are pretty cool lol

[lesrebnav]

hello luminous, the crested gecko is not the common gecko here, but it be present..for example in my house every evening we hear the gecko sing (some time it's a very high sound) or sometime on the wall we can see a gecko battle, they fight to eat little insects, it's an interesting spectacle !!

[LuminousObject]

That would be cool to see. My gecko has never sung, but I think my friends gecko does. Do the geckos ever get hurt when they fight?

[LuminousObject]

Your slingshots are awesome, by the way.