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slings in re-enactments (Read 3786 times)
Kypos
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slings in re-enactments
May 26th, 2007 at 5:59pm
 
I am posting my email and the reply to it from Chris. Any help with this is greatly apperascated. Currently there are no slings in Dagohir. I'm trying to introduce them. We do use projectile weapons such as bows and javilins, we also use rocks(basicly nerf softballs)

The email and reply are as follows:

"The only way to reduce power on a sling is to make it shorter in
length.  However, the biggest
factor is how hard your throw it.  If you want to reduce impact speed,
you´ll just have to be
softer.

Also, you could put streamers on the projectıle to slow it down, make
the projectile bıgger (more
wind resistance), or just fınd a new materıal that is dense but
won´t hurt.

Good luck, and be sure to share your story on the slinging.org forum.

Chris


--- Randy Mouser <mouser_randy@yahoo.com> wrote:

> hello,
>   I play a sport/game called Dagohir. Its basically medieval combat
re-enactment using foam
> weapons. And I was wondering how could I create a sling that would be
capable of  launching a
> Nerf ball about the size of a softball. I mean I know that a normal
sling can launch it, but the
> problem is the impact. It hits too softly and closed cell foam hits
hard enough to leave a large
> bruise. The impact needed is equivalent to a 20 pound draw on a bow.
I was wondering if you
> could give me any ideas on this.
>   Thank you for your time,
>   Randy Mouser
>   P.S. Feel free to read up on Dagohir. The website is Dagohir.com"
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Dravonk
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #1 - May 27th, 2007 at 5:55am
 
Quote:
or just fınd a new materıal that is dense but won´t hurt.

I spent a few thoughts on safe combat slinging, too. You would want a rather dense projectile, else it will be hard to cover a big distance. The projectile should be about the size of a tennis ball so it is bigger than an eye. The outside should be soft. My idea was to have a core of latex to give it some weight and have soft foam around that. You would still have a lot of energy in the projectile but because of the foam the energy would spread over a wide area.

I just don't know how to build that (cheap).
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sv
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #2 - May 27th, 2007 at 5:59am
 
get some thin aluminium foil like you use for cooking - a piece about 1 1/2 or 2 sq ft and roll it into a ball
it's light enough to be safely used at 30 or 40 yards. 
not for high power at close range, they leave a bruise and sting a bit.

SV
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #3 - May 27th, 2007 at 8:24am
 
sand in a bag?

if you leave some space in a bag it won't be hard, so it won't make a bruise, but it will still have the needed weight for accurate launching.
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #4 - May 27th, 2007 at 12:49pm
 
Sand in a bag? Like beanbags too?
Though I suppose, beanbags could be painful... Huh

Off topic: Kypos, where are you from that you use "ı"?
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Kypos
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #5 - May 27th, 2007 at 6:00pm
 
The character that I play in dagohir, is a dwarf. His full name is Kypos Kegstander. Yep I know it sounds geeky but hey its fun either way Grin. But yeah I favor a two-handed sword, two-handed axe, or an axe and shield. The armor I'll wear would be a chainmail shirt with plate pauldrans. My wife however happens to play a greek. She uses a small round shield and a sword, a spear, and wears lamiar leather armor, but lately she's been wanting to use a missle weapon too. 1st thing I thought was hey why not get a sling. That was about a month ago. Ever sence then I've been playing with the sling to get it to work. My 1st few tries didnt work out too well...the balls would fall out of the pouch or just fly maybe at most 5 ft to the front.

Just so you all know, the sling that I use is just the simple sling design from this site, The pouch is alittle bigger to fit the ammo, but other then that its the same. I think the size of the pouch is about 4inches wide and about 8 or 9 inches long.

Dravonk: I think a good way of doing that is cutting a nerf soft ball in half and then cutting 2 dome shapes into the middle and adding the latex that way, but I donno where I could get latex though.

Bjärn: the "ı" thingy was from chris's part of the email Smiley

I'm gonna try the aluminum foil tomorrow. I think I'll just make a small ball and put it in the middle of the foam, kinda like the latex idea.

I'm not looking for long distances, the arrows in the game/sport on average only fly about 20 yards at most.
Currently Dagohir has no rules on slinging. No one really has put interest into it. I plan on getting the rules for slings the same as the bow and arrow.
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #6 - May 28th, 2007 at 3:13am
 
if you make an aluminium ball about 2" diameter, compress it as hard as you can by hand, you'll be surprised how good it is for re-enactment. it'll hit softly enough at 20 yards. plus you can easily see them to pick up later

SV
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #7 - May 28th, 2007 at 7:24am
 
had a thread about this last year, certainly similiar in that someone was using nerf weapons in reenactments.

If you're going to be recovering the missiles than why not just find the right density foam. Try memory foam offcuts - it's denser than normal foam, while being softer as well. Should make a good sling missile.

Or just wrap  a golf ball in some hard light foam. I'd certainly aim for something much smaller than a softball though. For one thing it would be easy to spot and deflect and for another you're going to get a lot of wind resistance. I'd go fo max size tennis ball. A tennis ball sized ball of foam with a golf ball centre should do the job rather nicely :-)
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #8 - May 28th, 2007 at 8:43am
 
Quote:
Or just wrap a golf ball in some hard light foam.


sorry,  this will result in one of two things - a visit to the dentist, or a visit to the hospital.

i have experimented with various light ammo for indoor use, even compressed paper wrapped in tape is too dense if there is any chance of hitting someone. 
really, spheroids of tin foil are the best option. try it for yourself if you don't believe me

SV
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #9 - May 28th, 2007 at 1:56pm
 
I have no practise in re-enactment but some experience with tennis balls. I think they would do it very well. You can throw them even 30 or 40 meters. (I reached that with a sling of 1 m length and a rather high trajectory.)

Tennis balls are proved to be save, because tennis players do not need any protection even when they play very hard. Tennis balls are quite well known, so they will more likely be accepted by the other players (as the potential targets). I think this being a very important point.

Use old tennis balls. They are cheap and stay in shape for very long time. I myself buy them on the local "flea market".

If you do re-enactment outdoors you can find tennis balls very well in the grass or bushes. But if they have to look like real rocks just paint them brown or grey.

funda iucunda
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Kypos
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #10 - May 28th, 2007 at 5:23pm
 
I said softball size more because we also use "rocks" as a weapon. They're nerf sorfballs and you throw them at someones head to "kill" them. I did the foil and foam thing and it worked out ok. I dont know about how hard it hits someone yet though...my aim isnt all that great to try that yet lol, but it flew pretty well...I hollowed out a nerf softball an put the foil in there and glued it back together and put a sock cover over it and it flew maybe 30 or 40 yards. So I think thats what I'll end up doing. I have no clue if it will pass or not at rag but I think if I cover it in yellow it'll work. Missle weapons are suposed to be covered in yellow.

The pic is to just show how clumped together people get during the battles. It was taken at Ragnorok XX. Its the main dagohir event. Normally about 1000 fighters show up. None of the battles are scripted or rehersed. Thats why we use foam.
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #11 - May 28th, 2007 at 6:46pm
 
i would suggest a short sling (maybe fingertip to elbow length) to make it easier to hit things and also so that it doesn't take up too much room.  also i would suggest an overhand style for shorter ranger accuracy such as at these events.  also works well with a short sling.

my only real advise, as long as you already have your projectile picked out would be to sling with reduced power, which is also conducive to high accuracy.
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #12 - May 29th, 2007 at 6:16am
 
looks like much fun, and scantily clad females as well - can't be bad ;-)
But not a setting for a sling. Ideally the slinger would be over by the awning in the background, from where they could just sling into the melee and wipe half of them out before anyone had noticed where the fire was coming from :-)

It's a ranged weapon - ie: you're going to need some range between you and the poor schmuck you're slinging at :-)
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #13 - May 29th, 2007 at 6:40am
 
she's got the brawniest arms on set, and that chap with the red headband knows it.

run away! run away!

SV
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Re: slings in re-enactments
Reply #14 - May 29th, 2007 at 12:51pm
 
I participated in Belegarth (almost the same as dagohir, just an offshoot) during college.  We use bows and arrows, which draw at 35 lbs.  I think something slung by an expert full force might have a harder impact than at 35 lb draw.  The problem with slings is that there would be no uniform way to measure the impact they deliver. 

In addition, having a sling flying through the air after a cast would cause a problem.  The rules are made so entanging (nets, etc.) weapons are forbidden.  I think a case could be made that a longer sling could whip/tangle with a bystander and cause a problem.

I think they would be fun, but I don't see either belegarth or dagohir allowing them without considerable debate.
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