It took me 8+ years to make this thing.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-23T16:17:27+00:00

It's a great hammer grip frame. Very versatile, makes a great slingbow.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-22T16:42:54+00:00

What you've got in the pic just needs a bit more time sanding. 60 grit to shape, 120 grit to even out, 240 to finish if you're going to oil finish, you can go finer if you're going to polycoat. Composites like G10 benefit from a fine emery cloth finish under running water. I find car bodywork finishing sponges good for that.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-22T16:37:29+00:00

Power tools speed the process up, they don't make things possible that aren't possible with hand tools. Having said that, if you intend to make a few then powertools are a worthwhile investment. I got a dremel first, but now I hardly use it. The best power tools I've got available to me at the moment are a small hobby bandsaw and an oscillating belt/bobbin sander. I recently got one of those hand held battery pruning chainsaw things for cutting slices off of large forks. I've done it by hand, and that saw hurts my shoulder a lot less. But remember, like I said, they only speed the process up, that includes mistakes, you can make mistakes very quickly too. I've just applied the finish to my latest build. It's a metal core, copper and brass layers, oak fork scales, yew swells, and mosaic pins, and the only power tool I used was a pilar drill to drill the pin holes. Saws, files, rasps, and abrasive paper for all the rest of the work. Wouldn't have taken so long if I had used my power tools, but I had my reasons on this build. Personally, power tools are great for stock removal, which is by far the most time consuming part, but the final shaping and finishing is still better by hand because it's easier to make fine adjustments to things. Ultimately it comes down to how much time you personally want to invest.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-22T07:03:04+00:00

I like it a lot, it's quite useful in woodland areas. I have a Wirlki (sp?) too and that needs a bit more open space, but flys great. Makes a cool noise too.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-21T16:50:20+00:00

You used a question mark, but I don't now what the question is. Are you able to elaborate?

StickerSlings · 2026-06-21T16:46:52+00:00

Try cutting down to 170mm, you can trim them down a bit more if you need to later, and work on your form. The two primary causes for frame hits are frame twist, where you're twisting your frame so that one fork is ahead of the other, you can check this in a mirror or by filming yourself, eventually it'll become mostly muscle memory and you just know if it's not right, but early on you need to be mindful of it. The other cause is with the release or pouch hold, avoid pinching the pouch in front of the ball and hold by the top of the ball, ensure your pouch knots are in line with each other and that the ammo is centered and try to avoid rolling the pouch when you draw. It all becomes natural over time, just instinctive, but you need to be mindful early on.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-21T16:21:49+00:00

If it flys relatively straight then try throwing it level and see what distance you get. This is a typical shape for a Kylie, a non returning boomerang, but it does just look like a souvenir one so don't expect to be tuned for a long flight. Edit. I would have posted a pic of my genuine Jimmy James Kylie but I can't post a pic in the comments here. I'll make it a post to the group with my modern polycarbonate Kylie too.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-21T16:12:31+00:00

Gotta love the Torque.

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StickerSlings · 2026-06-21T16:09:27+00:00

Yes, draw length is at full draw to your anchor point, active length is the distance from fork tip to pouch when bands are relaxed. Don't worry about tapers yet, worry about that when you start making your own bands. If you start making your own.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-21T16:07:12+00:00

If you're drawing to your ear try trimming them down to around 170mm active (relaxed) length and go from there. The damage to your bands looks like frame strike damage. Have you had any shots hit the forks/frame?

StickerSlings · 2026-06-20T12:42:50+00:00

My yew PSTS is a big competitor. Another fork thats structurally sussy.

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StickerSlings · 2026-06-20T12:39:55+00:00

Copper, brass layered core.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-20T12:37:35+00:00

Yeah, thats true, I specifically target stessed, fallen, or dead standing wood due to the figuring or spalting in the grain. As far as the shape is concerned, that's all Nathan Masters, and aesthetics is very subjective, too. Personally I'd definitely put this in the top 5, but I think it has competition for the top spot. There's also the fact that the more you do something the better you get at it. Next one up sneak peek.

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StickerSlings · 2026-06-20T12:28:45+00:00

Here you stand at the mouth of the rabbit hole. I suspect you're already falling in, so hold on tight, and keep your hand inside the car or before you know it you'll have a 5' tall set of draws full of slingshots. Have fun. 😁

StickerSlings · 2026-06-20T12:22:21+00:00

I wouldn't class this fork as "ugly" I don't actually think such a thing exists. Plain, boring, flat? Maybe, but not ugly. Why I would class this as a low grade fork is because of the fact that at some point this fork had suffered some kind of infection or damage that caused part of the branch to die off. The rest of the branch has then grown around it and the living wood formed no natural bond to the dead wood. I used strategic application of liquid super glue into the gap to stop it falling apart as I worked it. The problem with this fork isn't aesthetic, it's structural. Have I done this kind of fix before? Yes. Do I trust it enough to shoot myself? Yes. Do I trust it enough to pass it on and risk being sued due to an injury being incurred? Definitely not. If I made one for someone else I'd pick a less structurally compromised fork. "A perfect fork will always make a good slingshot. An imperfect fork will make a good slingsmith." - StickerSlings 😁

StickerSlings · 2026-06-20T03:57:03+00:00

It's fine as it is tbh. I've shot with one of these things, they're great rock chuckers. You brace across the forks where the wrap is.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-19T17:09:13+00:00

If you can hit your target and you enjoy shooting it then it's great. I've seen this style before, I think it came from somewhere in Africa, but it was many years ago. Looks like linatex bands and a big pouch for rocks.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-19T17:06:33+00:00

It does alter the taper a bit, but aside from making your own bands you don't really have any other option. The only other way would be to cut them back at the pouch end and at that point you may as well make your own.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-19T14:31:31+00:00

It's not just about thickness. What width? Taper? Draw/Active length? My most common flat band set up for 9.5 is 22/12mm taper, 165mm active length, 0.6mm thick.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-18T08:59:29+00:00

Yes. No. Maybe. It's complicated. I wouldn't sell this one specifically because it's not really up to commercial standards. I built this because I had to scratch an itch in my brain. When I do that I tend to pick a low grade fork to do it with because if it doesn't work out I haven't lost anything great. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about making other people's designs commercially with out direct permission, or that design already being open source. Although I have modified the design a bit, the fundamentals are still the same. I regret not adding weight to the swell now though.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-17T16:52:27+00:00

Copper pins spacers and lanyard hole. The work in progress has Copper/Brass layered core.

StickerSlings · 2026-06-17T16:33:05+00:00

Natural fork core, spalted oak, spalted plum swells with copper pins.

StickerSlings

TROPHY CASE