# Twin Slingshots For The Twins . . .



## Kevin (Sep 22, 2014)

Yesterday we had a birthday party for my twin grand boys, at their other grandparents house. I'd started them some slingshots a couple days ago and set them aside working on other projects. When I went to finish them yesterday morning I decided they were entirely too small, so I started all over knowing I had to have them ready and be at the party by 2pm, and the other grandparents live way out in the country. There's just something exciting about waiting until the very last possible minute to finish a project no matter how simple it might be. 



 




 


One of the twins trying to figure out how to use this primitive toy/weapon. He thinks he's seen one on one of his video games. 


 


They turned 6 - great time was had by all. 



 

Pinata time . . .

Reactions: Like 2 | Great Post 3 | Way Cool 12


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## Schroedc (Sep 22, 2014)

Looks like a good time was had by all! On a side note- Where do you source the stretchy tubing for them?


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## Kevin (Sep 22, 2014)

I got it at my local hardware store. Most hardware stores carry it back there with the hoses and fuel line etc.


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## Schroedc (Sep 22, 2014)

Kevin said:


> I got it at my local hardware store. Most hardware stores carry it back there with the hoses and fuel line etc.



Thanks, Never thought of that, I'll have to look the next time I'm there (I usually only buy hose and line at the auto parts store)


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## NYWoodturner (Sep 22, 2014)

Are those the same two that had the long curly hair you posted pics of with your bookcase build? Damn they are getting big fast!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin (Sep 22, 2014)

Scott that's them. And my daughter just informed us she is expecting again. Of course we're all wondering if another set of twins is on the runway and if so are they girls? Boys? I'd love for it to be a girl. Or two. What a thrill.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 1


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## NYWoodturner (Sep 22, 2014)

Congratulations

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## NeilYeag (Sep 22, 2014)

Great pictures. Was Mom happy with the slingshots? For sure when I was a kid, this would have been a huge problem!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Kevin (Sep 23, 2014)

NeilYeag said:


> Great pictures. Was Mom happy with the slingshots? For sure when I was a kid, this would have been a huge problem!



I didn't ask my daughter's permission lol. But she's like me she digs outdoor stuff and I told her I would make a 4 more one each for her and her hubby and one each for her hub's brother and his young son who spend a lot of time there. A whole family of soda can shooters in the back yard. I drew the outlines in the board last night. Now I'm thinking I better add 2 more outlines to the board - for me and my wife. My wife is competitive and will enjoy it. - I have 6 more to make now.

Reactions: Like 1


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## MikeMD (Sep 23, 2014)

Kevin, I take it your daughter is the one in the white dress. I will say that if I took a pic of my wife from 'that side', I'd be in trouble. Now, if I posted a pic of her back side on the internet, well, let's just say I'd be asking you guys if you have an extra room available. 

Slingshots are not only great toys (though I hesitate to call them that) for kids, if for no other reason than the fun factor, but also to teach them responsibility. They can be dangerous, and need to be treated with respect. Not only can someone ELSE get injured, but the shooter can, too. Again, I'm all for kids having slingshots. Not to mention slingshots that Grandpa made!

Those are sharp, btw, Kevin. I really like the design. So, did you cut these out on the band saw, then turn them on the lathe (whole thing...with the arms acting like wings), or did you just turn the handle part, and sand the rest off the lathe?

EDIT:
Haha, I thought I was in the WoodTURNING section, not WoodWORKING section. That's why I thought you turned these...sorry.

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 1


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## Kevin (Sep 23, 2014)

Mike, I don't think I could figure out how to do it on a lathe. I freehanded half the outline of the shape I wanted on the edge of a piece of folded paper, then cut it out with scissors. When I unfolded it I ended up with a mirror image. Then I glued it to a piece of cardboard and cut it out. I need to make 6 more but I went ahead and outlined 8 more in case I screw one or two up. From here I take it to the bandsaw.



 


After I cut them out, I take them to the spindle sander and smooth them out a bit. Then to the drill press to make the bungee holes. From there I run them across a roundover bit in the router table. This is the trickiest part (and dangerous if you aren't careful). From there I hit the areas I can with a power sander, then I have to do a lot of hand sanding. This takes the most time since I start at 150 then 220, 320, and 400. Then a couple of coats WOP. 

I agree slingshots are a great activity for all ages.


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## MikeMD (Sep 23, 2014)

Kevin, IF you were to do one of these on the lathe, it would basically be a bowl on a long foot (if that makes sense). Then you take it to the band saw (bowl rim down) and cut the excess of the two forks away. An advantage of this method would be that you could/would get a perfectly round handle (with whatever embellishments you wanted on it. Likewise, the outside of the forks could have some sort of design, but the inside would/could be a really nice smooth curve. 

I'm just thinking out loud here. I'm sure it could work, but I don't know if it is any faster, or if there is any real advantage (other than the perfectly round handle. There would certainly be more wasted wood if you were turning it out of stock that would make a bowl on a stick...what 6 x 6 x whatever length the whole thing is?

Reactions: Informative 1 | Creative 1


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## DKMD (Sep 23, 2014)

Looks like they'll have some fun with those! Nicely done, !

Mike, I had the same thought about my wife and posting photos of her from that perspective... I'd be in some trouble for sure!


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## wombat (Sep 30, 2014)

I almost missed this. :( 
I'm a bit confused by the pictures though, the first two seem to be nice "naturals" , but then you have a picture of a bunch of "board cuts" ?
Either way it's nice to see you promoting the hobby.
If I can help in anyway let me know.


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## MikeMD (Sep 30, 2014)

Walter, I'm fairly certain these were cut out of a board, not natural wyes in a tree limb...

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Kevin (Sep 30, 2014)

@wombat yes I cut them from a maple board. I explained my basic process in post #11.


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## brown down (Oct 29, 2014)

awesome job man and congrats on the future little ones!!!! kids are a blessing for sure

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## ironman123 (Oct 31, 2014)

Hope those boys enjoy them as much as I did when I was a younger kid.
Kevin, the one I use now is elm.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## frankp (Nov 14, 2014)

You can also use old inner tubes as banding. Nice because you can add pull strength by just tying on more sections of banding. Some prefer the flat banding, some prefer the tubes but it's hard to beat "free" as a price for the bands.


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## Mike Mills (Nov 15, 2014)

Glad you are not following the modern lead in the "8 reason children of the 70's"...thread
Good looking slings, ours (mine) was always from inner tubes that couldn't take another patch.

Didn't shoot a lot at each other but china berries would leave a nice whelp when we had a "war" in the woods.
Much safer than pin darts for a home made blow gun... no problem sticking in bricks or the back of a head.or BB guns with kitchen matches loaded.
Sorta want to make a sling shot for my Gson now.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin (Nov 15, 2014)

Mike Mills said:


> Didn't shoot a lot at each other but china berries would leave a nice whelp when we had a "war" in the woods.



Mike when I lived in Corpus Christi we had china berry fights all the time. That's what we called them too. It was routine for one of my playmates to come get me and let me know our street was planning a raid on another street. Not everyone had slingshots back then so we that did were always put in the fore. Everyone else would throw them. I had a sling but I had an all star arm too and was a dead aim. Looking back we were using basic Sun Tzu 101 because even though none of had ever heard of him we were using flanking maneuvers and deception out the wazoo such as sending an unarmed playmate onto the battlefield first to see if they had caught wind of the coming invasion.

I think warfare just comes natural for boys. I also think where chinaberries grow, parents wonder where their trash can lids all the sudden disappear to . . . . .

Reactions: Funny 2


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