Walkingbird, I hope this answers your question:

I am a preacher, after a fashion, among other things.  I am on staff at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN.  Look us up at www.bellevue.org, and come visit us sometime.

I am also a designer and draftsman, having done architecture, landscape architecture, civil engineering, machine/tool/fixture design, taught drafting in school, etc.  I also love to tie knots, shoot all sorts of things, make bows and arrows, reload gun cartridges, read handy technical information (Thomas Glover's "Pocket Ref" goes with me everywhere, just like my Bible), make stuff from leather and wood and so on.  I used to rock-climb and still like to canoe.  In fact, when I get space, I intend to make a stitch and glue solo canoe.

My interest in slings goes back to my boyhood and hearing the story of David and Goliath.  I shot a new fangled high powered slingshot as a boy and always loved it.  I have been shooting guns and bows for years but never knew how to make a good sling.  I love primitive weapons, though, and had been looking at slings on the internet for a few years.  I did not have the mental fortitude to plait a 16 strand sling, so figured that I would just do without.

Christmas of 2002, someone gave me a large supply of leather pieces.  I thought, "wow, I could make a sling pouch with these."  So, I looked on the internet and found the "20 Steps to a sling" among other instructions.  It called for a leather pocket and simple plaited cord (see my article here on slinging.org).  With some help from my father-in-law and some incorrect illustrations from the net, I figured out how to plait and got to it.  It took several tries and some modificaions to the plans, but I finally got a good sling.  (David_T also uses this style of sling, btw.)

So, I have always liked the idea of slinging, but have only been doing so for just over a year.  I love it immensly.  I did not know the Bible text very well until I became a Christian as an adult and actually read it myself.  It struck me as powerful and poignient.  A great story of reliance on God for protection.  Makes for a great signature line on this website as well.

jeff <>< who hopes this satisfies some inquiring minds

Well since everyone's telling their stories.....

I've always been a rock thrower.  Since a toddler, I used to throw stones with a passion.  

First sling I made was in Sundayschool.  I hardly ever went more than a few times, but one week when I did, it was the right week.  David and Goliath started me out too.  My teacher helped us make slings with yarn, felt, and foam balls.  I must have been 6.  It didn't work well because the balls were feather light, but I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I started making things around 8 years old and have done so down to this day.  I've made so many different things I can't list them here.  I used to go to the library and read every book I could on ancient weapons of all sorts.  I found that "American Boy's Handybook" or whatever it was called that Barak mentioned earlier.  It was cool and inspired me in blowguns, crossbows, and bolas.  I tried making a better sling when I was around 10 but it didn't work well because the cords were made of string that tangled, and I spun the thing around and just released.  I didn't have a place to practice.  I lived in some apartments then.  Now I appreciate having a very big back yard!  

Anyway, I got into slings pretty heavily when I was 14.  That was about 11 years ago now.  I made them with kangaroo leather pouches and boot strings.  I didn't have internet back then, so I didn't know about Peruvian slings or anything like that.  When I learned about them, I wanted to make one.  I first saw one in a Modern Maturity magazine at my Grandpa's house shortly after that time.  It had a Peruvian guy with a sling, but the picture wasn't clear enough for me to see what it was made of.  I just knew it was beautiful!  It looked like leather black and wheat colored leather braids, but it was alpaca wool.  I tried to figure out how to copy it, but no way I could.  Now I can easily.  It was just a simple sling in reversing spiral.

Slings were always a mystery to me.  I wondered what science or technique was hidden that could be rediscoverd that could give one phenomenal accuracy and power.  

A few years ago.  Probably 5 or 6, I met Jesus Vega Hernandez (Hondero), on a primative throwing email list.  He knew his stuff and was very helpful to me with my throwing technique!  Jim Burdine, and a few other guys were on that list back then.  It wasn't too busy and we thought slinging was pretty much a lost art.  I signed my emails, "Long live the sling."  Not anymore with slinging.org.  You guys know the rest of the story.  Soon we will be in the Olympics!  It was back then that I started braiding split cradle slings.  I perfected my design only recently.  I'm serious about the Olympics.  It deserves to be there and in time, maybe we'll get it there.

                                         Ben

     

Ulrica,

Wow, that's pretty cool.  I don't know many (any) women with those interests.  That's awesome!  You're really going to be enjoying the slings then!  Awesome.

                                          Ben

Ulrica,

Well your children are lucky to have such a cool mother.  Yeah you'll really have fun with the stones.  They will go a lot further than the ice. 

A love for knots huh?  I make whips and do a lot of knots myself.  Funny that I haven't done any fancy knots on any of my slings.  I know how, but I'm just lazy. 

If you love knots, then you'd love sling making!  I know you have kids and it's hard to find time, but it's not too difficult to do in the evening while watching a movie.  Since you're an artist, I bet if you wanted to, you could make some beautiful slings!! 

I didn't see your website.  What is the web address?

                                  Ben 

                                         

Any other scouts here?  I'm proud to admit I'm an Eagle Scout, although I think the organization is degrading rather rapidly lately.

Ularica, here you can order all the flint and obsidian you could want.

http://www.bowsite2.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=15&Product_ID=2992&CATID=75

their main website is http://www.threeriversarchery.com

They have many resources for making primitive weaponry. It's where I get all my archery supplies.

They also have videos and books on how to knap.
http://www.bowsite2.com/acb/showprod.cfm?&DID=15&User_ID=666519&st=4524&st2=-899...

I don't think international shipping would be that bad, you'd have to contact the company to find out. I send stuff overseas every now and then and besides taking longer to get there it doesn't cost to much more.

O.k., I'll bite,  tell me about slinging stones for fun and profit.


Check out these pages for info on making a board bow.  Also see my post in the other weapons section on the board bow.

http://groups.msn.com/ferretsarcherywebpage/buildingbowsfromboards.msnw
http://residents.bowhunting.net/sticknstring/brdbows.html

I had lots of fun building this bow (and the first one, too.)  It shoots great.

I am glad you got to visit our web site.  Come see us some time.

jeff <><