Launch It! Wood Sling Shot

Intro: Launch It! Wood Sling Shot

true wooden sling shot max range 200 feet, 71 miles per hour! just uses 6 rubber bands wood frame string re-enforced.

Now u could just pick up a Y shaped stick that u found and use it but it wont be as strong and its more fun to make your own frame.

this instructable is easy to do it will take more than 1 day to build because its constructed with 5 min epoxy so you have to give it time to dry i finished it in 2 days working off and on.

Always use safety glasses when shooting a previous sling design had a habit of firing backwards on occasion, thank god i didnt have contacts back then or id be blind in one eye.

STEP 1: Get Your Materials

you will need:

3 5 inch X 3/8ths X 3/8ths balsa wood (aprox) 2 inch X 3/8ths X 3/8ths balsa wood (aprox) 5 min epoxy (craft/hobby store)4-8 rubber bands depending on size thickness and strechyness stirring sticks for epoxycup for mixing epoxy clamp/vice scissorswire cuter stringcloth  for sling (see below)(i just used [http://www.acehardware.com/sm-scott-and-reg-rags-in-a-box-75260--pi-1275301.html Rags IN a Box]) staplerabout a cup of flower

(i just used Rags IN a Box) as a substitute for cloth

Build in well ventilated area like out side or garage
always use safety glasses when firing
never shoot a living person tree or animal
(unless your using in paint ball which i dont recommend)
im not responsible for any thing you do if you damage something your self or some one not my fault

STEP 2: Cut/glue Frame

before you begin gluing get about a half cup of flower and put it in a small bowl close at hand, after you glue theirs a good chance you'll have some glue on your hands you could: not do any thing and have sticky finger, wait a day or two for your skin cells to die and flake off or you could rub some flower into your hands and when the glued dries aprox 5min it will just fall of then and your hands wont be sticky.

cut a 45 angle off 2 pieces of wood

Mix the epoxy

glue the 2 pieces together wait about 5 min and glue the other piece on

with the 2 inch piece of balsa cut 2 pieces with 2 45 angles (see picture) and glue them into place. let dry

STEP 3: Reforce Frame Pt 1

you need to re-enforce the frame.

trace the out line of the joint area with a pencil on some scrap balsa repeat like in pictures

glue using clamps let dry

STEP 4: Re-enforce Part 2

this uses string and epoxy to make an extremely strong bond.

rap each arm in string like in pictures proceed to rap the rest of the joint area
rap about 2 inches down the handle

Glue, glue each side individually and wait for them to each dry

STEP 5: Sling

build the sling using cloth (i just used Rags IN a Box) you could also use an old t shirt.

cut a strip the same thickness as the sling you want and 4X as long as the desired sling langth

fold it in half 2 and cut off the ends

staple
cut holes on each end
glue froward of staples

STEP 6: Attaching Sling

STEP 7: Fire!

just load sling with rocks, acorns, paint balls. what ever will fit in the sling. hold sling shot in dominate hand, pull back aim let go.

If your not satisfied with the range just add more rubber bands but not to many or you could snap th frame

Comments

[Master Wasi]

hello :D

[liny]

rubber bands are not strong enough to be compared to real slingshots. My father made slings using old tire rubber as rubber bands.

[i make shooting things]

still fires at 71 mph ( i just used a camera (30frames per sec), and a board marked at every inch i might post instructable i might post how)

[Pasky95]

I think this depends on the projectile you use. If you intend to use your slingshot in hunting and use a denser projectile (ball bearing or marble) then a stronger rubber might be needed. :-)

[Phoghat]

I would think balsa is kind of flimsy. When I was a kid I used to make these out of 3/4 ply and sometimes they'd still break.

[i make shooting things]

its strong enough i just shot rocks around and paintballs and other things i didnt need projectiles approaching the speed of sound. This sling shot is for plinking around back yards. you could make it out of stronger wood if you wanted

[i make shooting things]

i will post how* srry got distracted forgot to back space and then what i was saying

[Pasky95]

Yes tire interiors are far better than rubber bands. However silicone/rubber tubes propel your projectiles faster than interior rubber. :-)

[i make shooting things]

it still has pretty good range/power (watch the vid) my friend has a crossman sling shot and it shoots 100 feet farther than mine but his cost 20bucks mine i didnt spend any money on we had the stuff just laying around (so somebody did pay money just not me)

[stAzer]

I would say that it's not stronger than a forked branch, and your design is off. Also, you can buy latex rubber tubing that's much, much stronger than rubber bands at hard-ware stores. And you can't beat a leather shoe tongue for a pouch.

[Pasky95]

I agree! Rubber/silicone tubes shoot your projectiles much faster than rubber bands or interior rubber. Leather is also much more durable and can last for years.

[skimboarder33]

great instructable but for most people you actually hold your sling in indominent hand and pull back with dominent? i think pleese correct me if im wrong:}
[=[_]=]
[+[_]::]

[Pasky95]

I think this varies from person to person. Many people shoot their slingshots the way they shoot a bow i.e. pulling the string with their dominant hand. I use my dominant (right) hand to hold the grip and stretch the slingshot at the same time. My left hand holds the sling next to my cheek as I push the grip forward and shoot. :-)

[mikaelthemycologist]

I shoot a bow with my dominant (right) hand on the string and my indominant hand holding the bow. With a slingshot though, I find that my indominant (nondominant?) hand pulling, and my dominant hand on the slingshot, gives me more strength and accuracy.

[CapnTac]

Yeah, that's what I do. But it might just be because of years of archery...

[i make shooting things]

i hold it in my left hand and pull back the sling with dominant hand

[bloodyblahblah]

sorry i need 2 put you down a little:

That was *beep*

[tomonto]

how do you have a range of 30 to 200 feet?

[35Timmy]

you can shoot  around 35 ft by getting strong enough elastics shoot harder
 and father and get used to a higher raneg even do target peratice until you
reach far enough and try pulling back harder  

hope you use it in peace

[i make shooting things]

sorry that didnt make any sense, i changed it. thank u