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The Semisling (Read 9067 times)
Masiakasaurus
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #15 - Jul 18th, 2014 at 12:43am
 
Morphy wrote on Jul 16th, 2014 at 8:39pm:
An earlier prototype used something similar but with no fork at all. What I found is that if the pouch is not supported it has a tendency to twist. A smaller fork might work though. Or thicker leather. Or both.

I wondered how important the fork was. My thinking is that the pouch should be stabilized by having it attached to the stick at two points side by side. The fork should be wide enough to work but as short as possible to get the best performance.
Morphy wrote on Jul 16th, 2014 at 8:39pm:
As for the release cord lock that would probably work well but different size ammo would cause the release cord to be different lengths making it only suitable for ammo that is all exactly the same size and type.  If I'm understanding where you are coming from.

I'm not terribly worried about that. It will definitely happen, but I can't imagine it hurting anything until you start trying to load things much larger than the size of the pouch.
Morphy wrote on Jul 16th, 2014 at 8:39pm:
I like your thinking Masi. Basically your post illustrates what I often do in my spare time. I just create/modify stuff endlessly in my head.  Smiley  Of course, your an engineer so you get paid big money when you do it! lol.

This isn't engineering. This is fun. Tongue

Now, what is this "money" you speak of? I've heard rumors of a substance that is bartered for food but I have not seen anything like it yet. For now I am forced to subsist on charity, day old Jimmy John's bread, and bulk packs of instant ramen noodles.
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Pikåru wrote on Nov 19th, 2013 at 6:59pm:
Massi - WTF? It's called a sling. You use it to throw rocks farther and faster than you could otherwise. That's all. 
~Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily avialable, they will create their own problems.~
WWW elsabio04  
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Rat Man
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #16 - Jul 18th, 2014 at 11:38am
 
   Great idea, Morhpy.  The staff is the retention cord.  I was thinking of a much more complicated trigger mechanism to do the exact same thing.  Simpler is better.  WTG!
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #17 - Jul 20th, 2014 at 9:05pm
 
Thank you RatMan. Simpler is usually better, I find.

Masi, Ramen noodles you say? The stuff of my nightmares. Ugh. Good, at times, but in a horrible way.
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« Last Edit: Jul 21st, 2014 at 1:20pm by Morphy »  
 
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #18 - Mar 15th, 2020 at 2:55pm
 
Morphy, do you have any pictures of the semisling? With the video now gone, I'm finding it a little difficult to understand how it works (I'm definitely more of a visual person) and it sounds really interesting.
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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923
 
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #19 - Mar 16th, 2020 at 11:22pm
 
...

Here’s a little sketch Kick. Just in case anyone was unsure whether the rock was flying back into the pouch or away from it I put some helpful arrows there.

The retention “cord” is replaced with a rigid/semi-rigid Y-forked stick. The retention side of the pouch is attached to the Y to keep it’s shape. Otherwise the pouch tends to twist. The release side of the pouch is free to open and close. The cord is held in between the thumb and one of the fingers (even though I have the thumb along the stick, during the initial part of the throw it’s gripping the release cord). The grip is aided by a tight fitting loop attached to the stick so the weapon doesn’t fly out of your hand when you open your thumb to release the cord.

So this design “works” fairly well and seems much easier to aim than a normal sling. It also has a benefit of instant throws. Just swing it back and launch it forward, there is no wind-up needed which is actually more helpful than it sounds, especially on moving game. As a hunting weapon I think this has potential.

This weapon has advantages and disadvantages but it’s something I’m going to come back to as soon as time permits. A flexible tillered shaft instead of completely rigid is the next step in my plans.
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #20 - Mar 17th, 2020 at 4:37am
 
That looks awesome! Thanks! I'll have to add it to the To Make List Cheesy
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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923
 
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #21 - Mar 17th, 2020 at 10:41am
 
Morphy, you just invents the ancestor of the sling : an atlatl to hurl a stone !
Congratulations !
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #22 - Mar 17th, 2020 at 12:04pm
 
I made  something like this when I was eight.
I carved a notch on the top of a wand like stick and used a ribbon shoe lace for the release. It worked pretty well and I was able to get quite accurate. though I don't think it has the range that a normal sling has.
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #23 - Mar 17th, 2020 at 12:06pm
 
TOMBELAINE wrote on Mar 17th, 2020 at 10:41am:
Morphy, you just invents the ancestor of the sling : an atlatl to hurl a stone !
Congratulations !


Haha... well that’s one way of looking at it! I imagine when I make the 2.0 version that flexes correctly with the rock it really will be exactly that. Except the atlatl itself will flex instead of the dart.
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #24 - Mar 17th, 2020 at 12:23pm
 
I am serious.
This hypothesis is a good approach to the sling from an atlatl.
But we will never know.
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #25 - Apr 26th, 2021 at 8:46am
 
Someone may have thought this one out before.
https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1074746530/3#3

Also, I would appreciate another video.
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #26 - Apr 26th, 2021 at 9:04am
 
Wow! Good find Slyngorm!

Yes this weapon is far too simple to have not be created around the world many hundreds if not thousands of times individually throughout history. It never took off so we can assume it does not have enough advantages to have become a well known weapon, at least not in its simplest form.

I still contend its a viable weapon if designed right. I have plans for a ratcheting system for prestressed silk backing on bows. It could also be used to apply a full.length all surface backing to a thin, tillered and very light bamboo or other flexible cylindrical semi sling. If designed right and used with ammo "spined" to fit the flex it should add a considerable amount of speed while also conversely making it lighter while still retaining all the advantages of the normal.semi sling.

This could also be used to throw heavy all.steel darts making it quite a powerful hunting weapon.
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #27 - Apr 26th, 2021 at 9:06am
 
You know...people have known how to tiller for thousands of years and they have known about sinew backing for thousands of years as well. There may very well actually have already been backed and tillered semislings. What a fascinating thought that would be.
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #28 - Apr 26th, 2021 at 9:23am
 
Morphy wrote on Apr 26th, 2021 at 9:06am:
tillered semislings

That is a very interesting notion.  I would guess that in order to have an efficient contribution from the tiller, the weight of the semisling's bend and the weight of the stones would need to be matched up so they're in sync with each other.  It would be interesting to see how much variation in stone weight would work well.
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #29 - Apr 26th, 2021 at 10:00am
 
joe_meadmaker wrote on Apr 26th, 2021 at 9:23am:
Morphy wrote on Apr 26th, 2021 at 9:06am:
tillered semislings

That is a very interesting notion.  I would guess that in order to have an efficient contribution from the tiller, the weight of the semisling's bend and the weight of the stones would need to be matched up so they're in sync with each other.  It would be interesting to see how much variation in stone weight would work well.


Yes. All true. No big deal though since atlatls have to tiller all their darts. With a semisling you would only have to tiller the weapon itself once then simply keep a stone of correct weight in your pouch as your reference weight.
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