Since I haven´t been active on the forum during the last 3 weeks, I´d like to post some updates about my recent slinging and sling making experiences.
First I want to introduce my new slinging site. Although it´s near my home (15 min walk) I discovered it only 2 weeks ago. Since some weeks I noticed a new “gap” in the tree and plant row flanking a road, where I often pass by car. Until now I never examined what´s behind the trees because a) you can´t stop with the car there and b) due to the fact that there´s nothing (no houses, shops, places to go) I never passed there by feet. Well, the above mentioned gap opened me -again passing by car- a short view what´s behind: a flat field with many rocks (=ammo) on the ground. Since two weeks ago it didn´t seem very suitable for slinging to me cause the road was to near to the field - too dangerous in case of uncontrolled shots. Finally my curiosity won and I walked there. What I found is a paradise for slinging. The field I talked about is only the entrance into a wide and long area, a so called ecological substitution area for urban building activities (in other places in this big city).
On the first picture you can see a house (the only one) behind the trees that grow along the road.
Turning right from my position I took the second picture. Here you can see the “entrance” to my slinging site where the ground goes down.
The third and fourth pictures are examples for the dimensions of the area. I already made some impressive distance throws from the position where I took these photos from.  About every 20 minutes or so you can see people, mostly with dogs, passing at the most far end visible on the pictures - far more away than my best distance range.

Another thing I wanted to post are two ideas for flat braids.

The first one is a flat braid around cores. On the opposite to round braids, that can be made around a core, a flat braid needs two cores. An idea how to make a 8-strand flat braid around two (4 strands each) cores you can see on the first picture. Each braiding strand has to be brought over the core on its side, over the previous braiding strand and then under the core on the opposite side. The result is a flat braid that in comparison to coreless braids is much wider and nearly doesn´t bend sideways. The number of braiding cords can be reduced by tapering until only one single cord that can be braided (or now it would be more correct woven) alternatingly around the cores.

I already had an idea for a new sling that is sketched on the second picture, where you also can see a tapered training piece made with hemp cords.       

You do know that you can pace yourself?  You don't have to try to throw every rock you see in one session, you can probably stretch it out for at least a couple of months before you run out of rocks.

That looks like a great place to sling, I am sort of envious.

Bill Skinner wrote on Jan 10^th, 2014 at 9:55am:


Sometimes one has to learn by pain. My future slinging sessions will be less excessive.

Some nice looking slings, lakeslinger.  I especially like the last two.  The pink mason line sling is very snazzy and the last one, the cotton Peruvian sling, is a work of art.