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Seatbelt  Slings - Tutorial (Read 93249 times)
Aussie
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Seatbelt  Slings - Tutorial
May 26th, 2009 at 8:26am
 
Every now and then someone new asks,  "How do I make a sling? I can't find any suitable leather." That's often the hard part. In this modern synthetic age, good leather is often hard to find. But don't despair you can make a top notch sling from old seat belting material which can be had for free from just about any car wecker or repairer. In fact though I still send out my Aussie Pouches I don't use one myself very often and prefer slings made this way.

Here is a completed seatbelt sling
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« Last Edit: Dec 6th, 2009 at 11:16pm by Aussie »  

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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #1 - May 26th, 2009 at 8:32am
 
Step 1

Cut a square ended piece of seat belt. approx 175mm or 7" long. Gently heat seal the cut ends with a cigarette lighter to minimize fraying.
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #2 - May 26th, 2009 at 8:36am
 
Step 2.

Fold the end of the piece into an "M" shape and hold in place with a rubber band.
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #3 - May 26th, 2009 at 8:45am
 
Step 3.

Now thread the cord into the valley of the M shape under the rubber band. IMPORTANT Now you must melt a large ball on the end of the cord. Make sure this is really secure or if in doubt tie a simple knot in the end of the cord. It is critical that the cord is not able to be pulled out of the completed sling. (The photo does not show this melted ball very clearly.)


PS Since posting this tutorial I have managed to pull hard enough to actually separate the melted ball from the cord and it pulled out. Tie a knot and be sure!
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« Last Edit: May 27th, 2009 at 1:01am by Aussie »  

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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #4 - May 26th, 2009 at 9:00am
 
Step 5.

Now comes the critical part. Using strong thread bind the end of the belting material so it forms a very firm constriction which does not allow the ball on the end of the cord to pull out. The easiest way to do this is to use a piece of string around 10-12 inches long so it's long enough to get a good grip of, and tie a series of simple overhand knots on either side, pulling each one tight. You can form two layers of binding this way. You should go around the constriction at least 8-10 times. (If you know how to do whipping you can conceal the ends of the string very easily in the groove which makes a very neat finish.) I also like to coat the entire surface of the constriction with superglue which strengthens it and eliminates any possibility of unravelling.
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #5 - May 26th, 2009 at 9:10am
 
Outstanding!  I love the re-use of old materials.  I bet your slings show very little wear over time, that's tough stuff you're working with.
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #6 - May 26th, 2009 at 9:22am
 
Step 6.

Repeat the exact same process on the other end of the pouch material. Once complete pull on the cords until the ball end or knot comes up against the constriction on each end. It often partially disappears into the valley formed by the material and looks quite neat.  Now test your sling by stepping on the pouch and pulling on the cords as hard as you can to be sure they won't pull out.

Step 7.
Form your release knot and retention loop and the job is complete. With a bit of practise it takes less than 15 minutes for the whole job.

Notes.
The material as shown in the photos is ordinary seat belting which is a trifle stiff to work with but very strong. The cord is cheap synthetic material of some kind I got from a $2 shop. Motor mower pull-start cord is very strong but a touch hard on delicate fingers and a little hard to tie. Paracord is less longlasting but ties well and feels very nice in the hand.

You can also use this method with ordinary webbing of the type used for back pack straps. I like 2" wide material but you can use narrower which also forms very easily but may not be wide enough for tennis balls.

Tie down strap is very soft and pliable and forms a beautifully cupped pouch for tennis balls but may not last too well with abrasive stones. With a tennis ball it shows no wear after thousands of shots.


Good luck and please let me know if you make one.

Aussie

Here is a tie down strap version which I made some time ago. (Sorry fuzzy picture)

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« Last Edit: May 26th, 2009 at 7:48pm by Aussie »  

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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #7 - May 26th, 2009 at 9:26am
 
Great idea, great tutorial! Thanks!

I'll probably have to get rid of my dear old car next month, and this is a very nice way to keep a lasting memory of it.
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #8 - May 26th, 2009 at 9:33am
 
melliphile wrote on May 26th, 2009 at 9:10am:
Outstanding!  I love the re-use of old materials.  I bet your slings show very little wear over time, that's tough stuff you're working with.


With tennis balls it shows NO wear. Only the release cord wears with time as I use Fig.8 almost exclusively and it strikes the ground. With stones there will be some surface abrasion but even then the material itself is quite strong. Anyhow replacement is free and takes around 15 minutes to make a new sling, so why worry.
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #9 - May 26th, 2009 at 12:20pm
 
Where's the "applause" emoticon?

This is a great idea!
I'm now totally interested in getting a hold of some seatbelt surplus to try this out.  I really like the simplicity of the design, and the solid pouch!  Smiley
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #10 - May 26th, 2009 at 12:31pm
 
Aussie wrote on May 26th, 2009 at 8:36am:
Step 2.

Fold the end of the piece into an "M" shape and hold in place with a rubber band.

Great!, thank you. The idea of the “M” is brilliant. I had tried to use this material sometimes but I was never obtaining acceptable results. This system seems very interesting to me.
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Desciñéronse las hondas y comenzaron a saludarle los oídos con piedras como el puño. (Miguel de Cervantes, El ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha, I, cap. 18)
 
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #11 - May 26th, 2009 at 7:19pm
 
Great tutorial!  Smiley(weird clapping guy?)I really gotta try to get a hold of some seat belt. Again, very nice.
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #12 - May 26th, 2009 at 11:32pm
 
So simple and easy, yet effective.  Good stuff, Aussie!  Thanks.  I have to try this one.  You could do this with a lot of different materials.
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #13 - May 27th, 2009 at 1:20am
 
Yes you can use various kinds of webbing material depending on what you have available. Nothing really original in the design but I was aiming at something simple with common materials, avoiding the difficulty of getting suitable leather. The trouble with most of them is that they fray once cut. This design, though perhaps not ideal, gets around the fraying problem, so a beginner who thinks he might just like to give this slinging thing a go can make a good, safe and effective sling with minimal expense and time.
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Re: Aussie's New Slings - Tutorial
Reply #14 - May 27th, 2009 at 5:04am
 
off to the wreckers!
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