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.

Step 2: Cut and Prepare the Handle

The slingshot needs to be about eight inches long from the bottom of the handle to the top of the forks. The forks need to be about four inches long. It is best to use a saw to insure a smooth cut, I used a hacksaw.
Peel the bark off the handle by using the knife to separate the bark from the wood. this is easily done while the wood is still green.
Next use the knife to trim and smooth the knots and bumps on the handle, and trim the rough edges on the ends of the handle.
You then cut small grooves on the ends of the forks about 1/4 inch down from the top. The grooves keep the strings holding the rubber bands in place.

Step 3: Attach Rubber Bands to Handle

The rubber bands I used are size 64, 3 1/2 inches by 1/4 inch. I bought them at Office Depot for about 2 dollars. You can use a bigger rubber band if you can find one. If you are feeling resourceful it is easy to cut the bands out an old bicycle inner tube.
I attached the rubber bands to the slingshot with the inner strings pulled from the inside of some parachute cord. You can use any suitable sized string you have or dental floss works well to attach the bands to the slingshot.
Cut the rubber bands and place over the ends of the forks on the handle. Take the strings and wrap around tightly around the bands, being sure to the string stays inside the grooves.

Step 4: Making and Attaching the Pouch

I used a piece of leather from the tongue of an old soccer shoe for the pouch. Any suitable leather-like material is acceptable. Cut the leather into an elongated oblong shaped little football. I like to draw a rough shape on the leather with a pen. It is hard to see, but it helps in cutting out a more uniform shape. It is easier to use scissors to cut the pouch. Next poke 2 holes in the pouch to run the strings through. The pouch will then be attached to the ends of the rubber bands that are attached the forks of the handle.