How to Make a Slingshot With Surgical Tubing
A three person water balloon slingshot, featuring two anchors holding the slingshot's handles and a gunner responsible for pulling back on the balloon holster, is capable of launching a balloon several hundred feet if the correct materials are used. Surgical tubing is an excellent material for the elastic arms of the slingshot as it is capable of stretching while remaining resilient enough to bounce back and launch the balloon, and does not quickly suffer from permanent stretching, which limits the distance the launcher can be used at.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Funnel
- Drill
- 20 feet Surgical Tubing
- 2 feet Nylon strap
- Knife or scissors
- 2 Foam cylinders, 4 inches long, 1 inch diameter
- Thread
- Sewing machine
Instructions
-
-
1
Drill a pair of holes in the funnel, just below the large mouth of the funnel. The two holes should be directly opposite each other on the funnel.
-
2
Cut the surgical tubing into two pieces each 10 feet long, and cut the nylon strap into two foot long pieces.
-
-
3
Thread a piece of surgical tubing through one hole in the funnel and secure the tubing to the funnel with a double knot. Repeat on the second hole with the second piece of tubing.
-
4
Thread a piece of nylon strap through one of the foam cylinders. Repeat for the remaining cylinder and strap.
-
5
Align the two ends of a nylon strap, and sew in place with the sewing machine with two seams, one directly along the ends of the strap, and a second seam 1/2 inch in from the ends of the strap. Twist the strap inside-out so the seam is on the inside of the loop, then repeat the process for the remaining strap and cylinder.
-
6
Tie the remaining end of one piece of tubing to one nylon strap, then repeat for the remaining strap and piece of tubing. You will now have two handles attached to the funnel with tubing.
-
7
Place a balloon in the funnel, and pull back on the funnel to stretch the bands, then release to fire the sling shot. Two anchors will be needed, one for each handle, to secure the slingshot in place. Anchors can be friends, or immovable objects narrow enough to slip the handles over and strong enough to support the strain of the slingshot.
-
1
