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The Semisling (Read 9061 times)
Morphy
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The Semisling
Jul 13th, 2014 at 10:58pm
 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpEkzWXe7FQ&feature=youtu.be

Guess I'll go with the name "semisling" for now.

This video isn't going to knock your socks off or anything but it gives you the idea. This post was as a result of The Oncoming Storm asking for a staff sling that could be released at any angle. I just happened to have been playing around with something like that a year ago so I thought I could help him out.  Hopefully this is what you had in mind Storm.

This weapon can, and I guess will, be considerably stronger if the stick is made of denser, thinner wood. The stick I used was probably twice as thick as it should have been. My original proof of concept was much more impressive, at least to me.  Also I would guess something around 20-22 " would be ideal for 4 ounce ammo. 

The benefits are hypothetically much easier to learn (time will tell) and of course, no wind up for hunters. Just whip back and throw.

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« Last Edit: Jul 14th, 2014 at 7:18am by Curious Aardvark »  
 
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Curious Aardvark
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #1 - Jul 14th, 2014 at 7:20am
 
That is bloody ingenious !
Have a gold star - and they're rare Smiley

And yeah you probably want a flexible sapling.

Great idea. Easier to use and make than a staff sling but with the same ease of use and - hopefully - straight, easy to aim throw.

So forked stick, ducttape, half a sling.
I will make one Smiley

Should probably be in the sling section - dunno is different enough to not be a sling.
Tricky one that  Grin
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Do All things with Honour and Generosity: Regret Nothing, Envy None, Apologise Seldom and Bow your head to No One  - works for me Smiley
 
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Oxnate
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #2 - Jul 14th, 2014 at 7:50am
 
Curious Aardvark wrote on Jul 14th, 2014 at 7:20am:
That is bloody ingenious !


Agreed.  The more I think about this, the more I like it.

Is that you in the video?
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Sorry, but it's a pet peeve of mine:  'Yea' isn't the word you want.  It's 'yeah'.  'Yea' is an anachronistic word you see in the King James bible. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Spellcheck, I shall fear no misspellings for thou art with me.  Thy dictionary and thy thesaurus, they comfort me.
 
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Oxnate
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #3 - Jul 14th, 2014 at 8:09am
 
Curious Aardvark wrote on Jul 14th, 2014 at 7:20am:
Should probably be in the sling section - dunno is different enough to not be a sling


The way it works is definitely more like a staff sling.  Actually, now that I've thought about it a bit more.  The way it works is probably closer to an Atlatl.
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Sorry, but it's a pet peeve of mine:  'Yea' isn't the word you want.  It's 'yeah'.  'Yea' is an anachronistic word you see in the King James bible. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Spellcheck, I shall fear no misspellings for thou art with me.  Thy dictionary and thy thesaurus, they comfort me.
 
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #4 - Jul 14th, 2014 at 8:56am
 
Great Idea using a hand release cord on a staff sling, this is just what I wanted.

It does work a bit like a Atlatl and a bit like a staff sling, but neither suits it. How about calling it the "hand trebuchet" Morphy?
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Morphy
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #5 - Jul 14th, 2014 at 9:33am
 
The way I am with naming stuff...you know, you guys figure out what sounds good to you. I name a lot of stuff just to keep it organized in my mind but unless it's really special to me I just throw it out there and let others figure it out. For now I went with the semisling because it's partly a sling. Yep, I know, very original.

I woke up this morning thinking a good thin piece of bamboo with a fork made of very dense wood  stuck into the top would probably be a good way to go. As you mentioned C_A it needs a much thinner piece of wood. The actual weapon once tweaked can be more powerful.

Curious Aardvark wrote on Jul 14th, 2014 at 7:20am:
So forked stick, ducttape, half a sling.


I'm guessing you can use just the fork section for the stick side but having the other half of the sling pouch attached to the fork will probably give you better grip and make it easier to use? I don't know for sure, but I would guess that is the case though.

Oxnate, yes that is me in the video.

Storm, if you wanted to start a poll and throw that suggestion out there for people to vote on, that would be cool. It's up to you though.  Smiley
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« Last Edit: Jul 14th, 2014 at 5:06pm by Morphy »  
 
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #6 - Jul 14th, 2014 at 2:05pm
 
I also think it is closer to an atlatl than to a staff sling. 

Or, it may be that the really old staff slings were made this way and you just rediscovered one of the secrets that was lost to time.  I actually think that is cool.
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #7 - Jul 14th, 2014 at 5:00pm
 
Have you ever tried a lacrosse stick?
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #8 - Jul 14th, 2014 at 8:03pm
 
For some reason at work, I thought of comparing your invention to this:

http://www.amazon.com/US-Games-Fun-Air-Scoop-Ball/dp/B0002C7FRC

As for names for you stick-sling.

Atlsling?
Slingatl?
The Amazing Stick-sling?
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Sorry, but it's a pet peeve of mine:  'Yea' isn't the word you want.  It's 'yeah'.  'Yea' is an anachronistic word you see in the King James bible. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Spellcheck, I shall fear no misspellings for thou art with me.  Thy dictionary and thy thesaurus, they comfort me.
 
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #9 - Jul 15th, 2014 at 1:01am
 
I rather like the sound of semi sling. So sibilant sounding it's silky smooth. Smiley
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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. 
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #10 - Jul 15th, 2014 at 6:57pm
 
Quote:
Oxnate, yes that is me in the video.


you know I always pictured you with hair Smiley
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Do All things with Honour and Generosity: Regret Nothing, Envy None, Apologise Seldom and Bow your head to No One  - works for me Smiley
 
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Morphy
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #11 - Jul 16th, 2014 at 12:51am
 
"You know I always pictured you with hair"

Those were the days C_A.  Wink

Oxnate, Doggodaggle - Believe it or not I considered probably something close to both of those designs early on but they are both flawed. Neither can throw with a rifled shot (as far as I know anyways) and both are more complicated than I would want to make under survival conditions. Which is an important aspect for me. And lastly both work best with spherical ammo which negates one of the biggest advantages of the normal sling. I didn't want to sacrifice that.


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Masiakasaurus
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #12 - Jul 16th, 2014 at 1:04pm
 
Here's my thinking, you could make a version of this with a shallow channel partway down the center of the stick for the cord to rest in and very short prongs on the end so that the pouch has better flexibility and grip. The channel should be as long as the release cord but the stick should be longer. That way it's a two handed weapon that can still throw stones as heavy as a conventional staff sling. You could even make a bowl at the end of the channel and put a bead on the release cord so that the release cord is locked in place until you throw, but the bowl would be cut so as to release the bead very early. That way your hand serves as a timer for the release but doesn't have do much work to hold the projectile in the pouch before the throw.
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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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Morphy
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #13 - Jul 16th, 2014 at 8:39pm
 
Masiakasaurus wrote on Jul 16th, 2014 at 1:04pm:
Here's my thinking, you could make a version of this with a shallow channel partway down the center of the stick for the cord to rest in and very short prongs on the end so that the pouch has better flexibility and grip. The channel should be as long as the release cord but the stick should be longer. That way it's a two handed weapon that can still throw stones as heavy as a conventional staff sling. You could even make a bowl at the end of the channel and put a bead on the release cord so that the release cord is locked in place until you throw, but the bowl would be cut so as to release the bead very early. That way your hand serves as a timer for the release but doesn't have do much work to hold the projectile in the pouch before the throw.



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.

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 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.
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Re: The Semisling
Reply #14 - Jul 17th, 2014 at 7:44pm
 
Morphy wrote on Jul 13th, 2014 at 10:58pm:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpEkzWXe7FQ&feature=youtu.be

Guess I'll go with the name "semisling" for now.

This video isn't going to knock your socks off or anything but it gives you the idea. This post was as a result of The Oncoming Storm asking for a staff sling that could be released at any angle. I just happened to have been playing around with something like that a year ago so I thought I could help him out.  Hopefully this is what you had in mind Storm.

This weapon can, and I guess will, be considerably stronger if the stick is made of denser, thinner wood. The stick I used was probably twice as thick as it should have been. My original proof of concept was much more impressive, at least to me.  Also I would guess something around 20-22 " would be ideal for 4 ounce ammo. 

The benefits are hypothetically much easier to learn (time will tell) and of course, no wind up for hunters. Just whip back and throw.

Gold star award wining post

...


I have built a small variable-release staff sling of the type Storm mentioned.  Had a release cord come through a loop at the top of the staff and I held it with my thumb against the staff.
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