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Ethan

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so much depends upon a
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Bolas
Jul 30^th, 2007 at 12:18pm

Well, I woke up way to early this morning, and with nothing to do I decided to fool around with weapons... (always a good idea for a partially awake adolescent in a grumpy mood)

Anyways, I took some (now illegal) fishing depth testers (illegal only for fishing because they are lead, lead is poisonous to waterfowl, especially small sinkers that may be picked up with gravel by loons and other waterfowl for use in their crop, a.k.a. gizard in place of teeth. The lead then kills them... Undecided

)
Hence illegal when fishing. However, the tall pyramid shape of them and the little hook-eye makes them perfect for bolas weights.
So I took out some rather slippery nylon string, tied 1 inch of round sennit, left 18 inches of string and attached four weights.
It works beautifully. I throw it just like a sling, it opens, wraps around my target and deals a bit of blunt damage. Plus, the fact the the string is slippery nylon means that it is virtually impossible to tangle badly, in such a way that I can't undo it in 30 seconds or less.

I will trade these beauties as long as my former fishing supplies hold out, but I just figured I would tell everyone what can happen if you play with weapons too early in the morning.

I will try to get some pics up soon too.

~Ethan

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"Young men go to war. Sometimes because they have to, sometimes because they want to. Always, they feel they are supposed to. This comes from the sad, layered stories of life, which over the centuries have seen courage confused with picking up arms, and cowardice confused with putting them down."&&--Mitch Albom, The Five People you meet in Heaven

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Loki

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One with the sling I am

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Clovis, Ca.
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Re: Bolas
Reply #1 - Jul 31^st, 2007 at 3:21am

My bolas are made from 40 lb test nylon line (which is 1/8 of inch wide) and golf balls. I use the single weight bolas for sling practice, the two weight bolas for target practice and the three weight bolas for more serious bola training. it all works especially since i prefer 1 1/2 oz stones for slinging and that is the weight of a golf ball Grin

Loki

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jeordie Tiro Offline Sling stones, not mud Posts: 19 Denver (metro), Colorado, USA Gender:	Re: Bolas Reply #2 - Aug 1^st, 2007 at 8:22pm The one string bola sounds like the dart-on-a-string used in Kill Bill by O-Ren Ishi.
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Teg

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Re: Bolas
Reply #3 - Aug 2^nd, 2007 at 10:46am

A week ago I made something like a one-string bola, using the monkey's fist knot, which I wanted to learn. It's a easy way to make such things and you get quite a power with this stuff. Not long ago, there was a video with the meteor hammer and a dart rope demonstration. I tried to use this thing in the same way and resigned because for me it's too dangerous (for myself Wink

) and requiers to much training. So I opened the knot and stored this idea for future use.

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Curious Aardvark Forum Moderation Offline Taller than the average Dwarf Posts: 13965 Midlands England Gender:	Re: Bolas Reply #4 - Aug 2^nd, 2007 at 11:38am can you sling the bola from your sling ?
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Dravonk Funditor Offline Posts: 773 Aachen, Germany Gender:	Re: Bolas Reply #5 - Aug 2^nd, 2007 at 12:28pm Someone already did it with tiny bolas. You can look in the General Discussion for the post.
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Ethan Funditor Offline so much depends upon a red wheelbarrow... Posts: 858 On the edge of a lake... Gender:	Re: Bolas Reply #6 - Aug 2^nd, 2007 at 9:59pm [quote author=curious_aardvark link=1185812324/0#4 date=1186069092]can you sling the bola from your sling ? [/quote] Hmmm... I don't know about this... I'll give it a try tomorrow! It may not fit into the pouch very well, but I bet I could work something out...
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Curious Aardvark Forum Moderation Offline Taller than the average Dwarf Posts: 13965 Midlands England Gender:	Re: Bolas Reply #7 - Aug 3^rd, 2007 at 12:51pm yep ethan got it right - it was a specific question about his bola not a general one :-) But I'm still curious how you go about throwing a bola like a sling as I don't as a rule throw slings ? I throw with them...
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Loki Descens Offline One with the sling I am Posts: 203 Clovis, Ca. Gender:	Re: Bolas Reply #8 - Aug 4^th, 2007 at 3:46am I throw my bolas like I use my slings for shorter distances. I have the sling at my side hanging down, I then bring it up and across the front of my body going to the left (I am right handed), then do half rotation above my head and step into the throw with my right foot. Loki
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Aussie Past Moderator Offline Joined Nov. 1, 2006 Luke 14:14 Posts: 3265 Melbourne, Australia Gender:	Re: Bolas Reply #9 - Aug 4^th, 2007 at 7:07am [quote author=curious_aardvark link=1185812324/0#7 date=1186159890] But I'm still curious how you go about throwing a bola like a sling as I don't as a rule throw slings ? I throw with them... [/quote] If there's one thing worse than a pommy bastard it's a smart alex pommy bastard.
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Curious Aardvark Forum Moderation Offline Taller than the average Dwarf Posts: 13965 Midlands England Gender:	Re: Bolas Reply #10 - Aug 4^th, 2007 at 8:35am lol - you are so not the first person to bring that up ;-) but it is a valid question, whenever I've seen gauchos on the telly using bolas they tend to swing them round their head like a lariat and then throw.
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Ethan

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so much depends upon a
red wheelbarrow...

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On the edge of a lake...
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Re: Bolas
Reply #11 - Aug 4^th, 2007 at 11:24am

Lol, Aussie said it Wink

I hold it like a sling, and when it comes around to the point where one would release the aptly named Release Cord on the sling, you just let the whole apparatus fly off, probably into some twigs somewhere...

Anyways, it doesn't sling to well. Its a bit to big, but I think I'm going to try to put together a smaller one for that purpose.

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"Young men go to war. Sometimes because they have to, sometimes because they want to. Always, they feel they are supposed to. This comes from the sad, layered stories of life, which over the centuries have seen courage confused with picking up arms, and cowardice confused with putting them down."&&--Mitch Albom, The Five People you meet in Heaven

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Loki Descens Offline One with the sling I am Posts: 203 Clovis, Ca. Gender:	Re: Bolas Reply #12 - Aug 5^th, 2007 at 12:23am I hold mine by a knot about 2-3 inches from the center, by one of the lines. My bolas are 6 feet in length. Loki
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Aussie

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Joined Nov. 1, 2006 Luke
14:14

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Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Bolas
Reply #13 - Aug 5^th, 2007 at 7:14am

[quote author=curious_aardvark link=1185812324/0#10 date=1186230948]lol - you are so not the first person to bring that up ;-)
but it is a valid question, whenever I've seen gauchos on the telly using bolas they tend to swing them round their head like a lariat and then throw.
[/quote]

Sorry, couldn't resist such a great set up.

Not overly familiar with bolas mysef, but I think the gaucho is just spinning to pick his moment to throw. The distance seems to be very close, and as the weights spread out a lot I don't think superb accuracy is required, only good timing. (Not to mention good horsemanship and nerves of steel.)

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Cranks are little things that make revolutions.&&

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Ethan

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so much depends upon a
red wheelbarrow...

Posts: 858
On the edge of a lake...
Gender: male

Re: Bolas
Reply #14 - Aug 5^th, 2007 at 7:01pm

Well, the philosophy behind the bolas is that you don't really need to be extremely accurate, as long as one length of string or weight hits the desired target, because whatever the name for the physics that take place is, the others will wind around that point until the target is all snarled up in rope or thunked by a weight or two.

I can't wait to make a large one like Loki mentioned... Gotta get some bowling balls...

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"Young men go to war. Sometimes because they have to, sometimes because they want to. Always, they feel they are supposed to. This comes from the sad, layered stories of life, which over the centuries have seen courage confused with picking up arms, and cowardice confused with putting them down."&&--Mitch Albom, The Five People you meet in Heaven

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